The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from A Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service

All I kept thinking of when I was reading this book was how much I'd like to hear about those stories he can't tell, because this was a good book to read! Ambassador Henry Crumpton looks like he could be anybody's neighbor or the weather man, and maybe that's what made him so great at intelligence.

Even with CIA limitations on what can be shared and what has to stay under cover, The Art of Intelligence revealed a gripping story of the chase for BinLaden even before 9/11. Then, immediately after 9/11 we were so close to getting him. Ambassador Crumpton knows how to tell a story, and the thought occurred to me that this book might serve as a tool for recruiting future CIA members. It was hard to understand how anyone could be a CIA operative and also have a normal family. But, this is the life he had and service seems to be the theme of why anyone would want to live this kind of life. This book was suspenseful and interesting; mixed in a little history, and added a dash of political policy. I recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about the war on terrorism.

The Search for al Qaeda

This book has been widely read in the Obama administration as it seems to be one of the most definite books ever written explaining the origins, philosophies, and operations of the al Qaeda organization. When crafting policy about how to deal with Afghanistan, President Obama himself is said to have turned to this book for understanding about the challenges the US faces in its war in Afghanistan (See the Bob Woodward book Obama's Wars,2010).

This book explains the history of al Qaeda and how it came into existence. Whereas the Western world seems to suffer from memory loss, the Arab world seems to suffer from too much collective memory and not being able to let go of any past memories that do not help to strengthen governments and peoples in the 21st century. Holding on to old grudges fester like wounds that do not heal.

Read Search for Al Qaeda book if you are interested in understanding the Arab-Western world conflicts.

Obama's Wars

Slowly working my way through Obama's Wars. It's a challenge just to keep up with which General or politician is promoting which course of action-- but in the end, the book does provide deep insights into the political structures behind the 2 wars we're now fighting. My greatest insight has been in reading how the President's inner circle has kept significant Generals or military reports at bay from the President-- guess you could call that a little turf protection. It really shouldn't be surprising that a new administration, finding itself engaged in two war fronts, doesn't quite understand what's going on. I'm reading this book hoping that I will come to a greater understanding of how Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan fit together in the bigger puzzle of war in the Middle East. I am also curious to see if anyone in the administration understands the depth of the differences between the mindsets of US and Middle Eastern societies. Most disturbing is reading about the depth of Karzai's corruption. I can't help but feel somewhat pessimistic... if we are to really work at winning the war in Afghanistan we'd better plan on 20 or 30 years in that country. Do we have the capability for sustaining that action?