The Hidden Hand

Written by a history professor with some direct experience of intelligence work, this book has been endorsed by his peers and traces the history of the agency since its inception in 1947. It was the subject of editorial review by the agency itself, which means there are several blanked out passages, especially dealing with more recent events. An important figure in the early days was George Kennan, who gives a good definition of a covert operation as one that does not precipitate an armed conflict involving recognised military force, but is designed to influence the thought, morale and behaviour of people in such a manner as to further the accomplishment of national aims. With this in mind, many key operations are described, including those surrounding the Shah of Iran in 1953 and the Cuban missile crisis. Significantly, the section on Carter is described as a calamity and that on Reagan as a revival. It is interesting to read that Clinton was much more concerned about Al Qaeda than his successor was initially, since Bush's advisers were more concerned about Saddam Hussein. The treatment of 9/11 and especially of the 9/11 Commission is entirely conventional, and does not raise any of the concerns detailed in the work of David Ray Griffin, which I have reviewed in these pages. The discussion of the events surrounding the 2003 invasion of Iraq is balanced, observing that the key report conflated fact with assumptions and failed to identify grass in intelligence. The author does not believe that Colin Powell took sufficient responsibility for his role in promoting the invasion. The book is arguably more suitable for policy analysts than general reader.