The CIA, Censorship, and National Security

JPMorgan's Losses a Canary in a Coal Mine?

FOCUS: Apocalypse Fairly Soon

FOCUS: Five Facts That Put America to Shame

The NDAA's Coup d'Etat Foiled

FOCUS: The Commencement Address That Won't Be Given

The piece begins: "In its cynical decision to censor the memoir of former FBI Special Agent Ali Soufan, the CIA is seeking to punish a critic and to obscure history."

At the time of his appointment as CIA director, Leon Panetta speaks as President Barack Obama listens, 01/09/09. (photo: AFP/Getty Images)

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+12 # The Saint 2011-08-28 11:15

Funny, it's OK when someone like Dick Cheney
tells all including high level closed door "secret" information. Of course who in the CIA or FBI or past/present Justice Dept. has the guts to challenge him. There's the truth the neo-cons want to spin and then there's the truth.
BTW, why is a sniveling sweat shop supporter allowed a free advertisement as a comment?

+3 # rf 2011-08-29 03:43

With a decent REAL dem. as president this book could be leaked in it's full form but with Obama and Holder, he would definitely be prosecuted...not torturers, not banksters, not constitutional infringers...

+36 # noitall 2011-08-28 12:00

American "history" has been redacted throughout the history of this country. Why do you think the American people are so lemming-like in their willingness to dive over the cliff on so many fronts. Look at who Americans are willing to follow. Shallow thinkers at best, evil doers worshipping their Gods of greed, to be more accurate. They benefit from and nurture their People's weak foundation of historical understanding. We sit back and watch as our leaders lead us down the familiar path of destroying Democracies, installing puppets and robbing other countries of their natural resources as they install American "ruling class" disregard for their citizens and all on OUR DIME. Before the industrial revolution silver didn't tarnish and the American Republic was strong and undeniable. If you want a clearer vision of American History, read Howard Zinn's "The People's History of America". Then compare it to what Texas Republicans are trying to peddle to our schools. Its what a Happy Meal is to real nutrition.

+20 # in deo veritas 2011-08-28 12:57

GREAT POST!Not only Texas is peddling propaganda to the classroom. In 36 years of teaching American History I did not have a decent textbook that was fit for anything but giving written assignments that were little more than busywork. I did however have and still have the best library in the school system for the students to access for facts that would enable them to get a mature and realistic view of the world they lived in instead of the racist,ideologi c views of one or two textbook writers. Time after time my students would find glaring errors in the textbooks. I was very very proud of them.

+5 # wleming 2011-08-28 12:48

its a "Legacy of Ashes" which is a book well worth reading on what the Agency has accomplished: its history of subversion, corruption, degradation, torture, misery, and democro-bashing is unparalleled. Whether Allende's murder, Pinochets horror show, the anti Cuban terrorist attacks, or just consider former Senator Daniel Patrick Monihan's claim that the Agency should be abolished as it has accomplished nothing beyond creating more death in a world already dying.

+6 # AndreM5 2011-08-28 14:19

How about cover-ups of JFK and MLK assassinations after their own operatives were clearly involved?

These listed events are just recent revelations of ancient history. If you want a recommended book try "The Invisible Government" by Wise and Ross. It was published in 1964! Believe it or not this book was in my high school library when it was published, so you know I did not grow up in Texas. Or maybe "The Politics of Lying" by Wise in 1973. You won't find either book in my old high school library now.

And none of this is news.

+1 # Carol De Marinis 2011-08-29 11:12

Funny you should mention this book, The Invisible Government, by the then young Wise and Ross. I just found a decommissioned copy of it in the used books for sale dept of my local library in New Mexico. It came from Skyline High School in Oakland, CA, and it looks like a lot of kids borrowed it. Praise be. Light is truly penetrating not only backwards on the hideous past of our rogue government agencies, but forward as we transcend old prejudices and other separating devices.

+1 # AndreM5 2011-08-29 12:03

Nice find, Carol. It is readily available on Amazon too. Together with Mark Lanes' "Rush to Judgement" I developed in my teens a healthy skepticism of the news media, espicially with reporting of big political events.

+1 # in deo veritas 2011-08-28 12:48

I also would like to know why apost is allowed that is just an advertisement and not a real post on the subject! Now there is a case where censortship would be justified!

+6 # maddave 2011-08-28 13:08

Since the days of the Dulles Brothers, the VCIA has been a completely autonomous clandestine agency that has proved itself, time & time again, capable & willing to cover its foibles & failures under a thick, impenetrable blanket of national security - even to the extent of lying to the President & Congress. My major reference is "A Legacy of Ashes - The Secret History of the CIA" plus miscellaneous other items picked up since the 50's.

If "The 'Official History of the CIA " is ever written its sub-title ought to be "Those Wonderful People Who Brought You (Choose one or more) The Cold War; Cuba; Viet Nam; Cambodia; Angola; Chile & Pinnochet: Central America & the Contras; Angola; Iran, Savak & the Shah; Iraq & Saddam Hussein; Afghanistan; Haiti; and a host of ruthless dictators.

For info, other than Corporate America, the only people who benefitted from all of this are members of our armed forces who drew, concurrently, hostile fire and combat pay.

+2 # rf 2011-08-29 03:46

It should be a capital crime to classify anything the government does to cover up a crime or hide incompetence.

+1 # AndreM5 2011-08-29 07:08

I think it is but I can't recall it ever being enforced.

+1 # motamanx 2011-08-29 21:57

In the Spring of 2001, Dick Cheney was given an assignment to form a task force to ascertain the possibility of a terrorist attack in the US. He never held a single meeting. Instead, he built a bunker for himself at a "secret location." Remember? When discussing the details of 9/11, why is this fact always overlooked?

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