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THE CIA AND THE CULT OF INTELLIGENCE

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by Victor Marchetti and John D. Marks (1974)

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Victor Marchetti was employed as an analyst for the CIA between the years 1955 and 1969. Working as a Soviet military specialist, Marchetti helped uncover key information relating to the Cuban missile crisis (1962). John Marks was not engaged in intelligence work but rather worked for the US Foreign Service. Both Marchetti and Marks cite American conduct in the Vietnam War (1955-1975) as a critical event that helped shape their individual perspectives. This book was written in the hope that the American Congress would act to increase the transparency of the CIA and to limit CIA power. In both regards these hopes proved futile. It was also written to develop a wider public awareness of precisely what the CIA does and what the reasoning behind those actions is. In this, the book wholeheartedly succeeds. The authors define the CIA as the “secret-action arm of US foreign policy.” Which is beholden to an “American political aristocracy” whose membership extends beyond government circles. The authors argue that concealment of CIA activities obscures CIA failures within other nations; hides CIA inefficiencies and waste; and makes budgetary decisions arbitrary because little to no relevant data exists that could be used to accurately and objectively assess CIA needs. Moreover, the main foreign threats to the United States, which are identified as Russia and China, are virtually impenetrable by on-the-ground espionage. Whilst at the same time, technological advancement, in the form of satellites and U-2 spy planes, has made it possible to observe Soviet and Chinese military facilities from the sky. Lastly, the CIA should sell off its proprietaries (in particular, its airline and air transport business) and cease its clandestine activities, which in turn would free up large amounts of government spending for the important areas of American social development. A well organised book with appendix and index. Contains useful information on cultural aspects of the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as the Penkovsky affair, the Vietnam War, the creation of an army in Laos to aid the Americans in Vietnam, the White House “plumbers,” and the Watergate scandal. Also contains original censorship marks after CIA vetting: see DELETED in bold letters. Non-fiction. 365 pages.

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DETAILS:

Title: The CIA and the cult of intelligence

Year: 1974

Author: Victor Marchetti and John D. Marks

Pages: 365

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Book review by Keith Salter