Review: 'The Watchers,' by Shane Harris

Harris makes a surprisingly persuasive case that Poindexter and his fellow "watchers," intelligence professionals dedicated to building better anti-terrorist mousetraps, were right - or at least onto something that deserved a closer, more thoughtful scrutiny than the scorn and ridicule, not to mention alarm, that it garnered in 2003.

Read more here.

CIA Man Retracts Claim on Waterboarding

John Kiriakou, the former CIA operative who famously affirmed claims that waterboarding quickly unloosed the tongues of hard-core terrorists, now admits in a new memoir that he didn't know what he was talking about.
Read more here.
And don't miss Colbert's satire of my piece here.
ForeignPolicy.com (01/26/2010)

Top Spies Terror Warning: Shades of Bush

Which is it now -- imminent terrorist threat, or no threat? Certain or uncertain?

Only last month U.S. intelligence officials were saying the Nigerian underwear bomber slipped through their nets because they didn't think al Qaeda could or would mount another attack here.

Yesterday, they warned that a terror attack here was "certain."

READ MORE HERE.

CIA Killings in Afghanistan Stun Ops Veterans

On Dec. 30 a suicide bombing at a U.S. base in Afghanistan killed eight Americans, seven of whom were CIA employee. A spokesperson for the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying a Taliban bomber wearing an Afghan military uniform — and a suicide vest — entered the base last night and blew himself up.
On New Year's Eve I discussed CIA operations in Afghanistan with PBS WorldFocus host Martin Savidge, here.

Obama's First Wartime Thanksgiving

Last month I stood on Omaha Beach, where the sand once congealed with GI blood, thinking about President Obama's first wartime Thanksgiving.

Read more here. (Huffington Post, Nov. 23, 2009)

Afghan Troop Request Hides Real Numbers

Despite grim new portraits of U।S. fortunes in Afghanistan, Washington's debate over troop levels continues unhinged from reality.

Read more here. (Huffington Post, Oct. 15, 2009)

Gen. McChrystal Is No MacArthur

A half century ago President Harry Truman tamed a rebellious -- and hugely popular -- Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who wanted to dramatically expand the war in Korea by attacking China.
President Obama faces a similar challenge today from his commander in Afghanistan, Gen। Stanley McChrystal, who wants to send tens of thousands more American troops to his war.
Read more here. (Huffington Post, Oct. 7, 2009)