DOUBTFUL COMPANY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01350R000200340006-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: March 1, 1975
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

TEE Ecorro .asT
Approved For Release 2bi5/~iif3 : CIARDP88-0135
It tells us much about the origins
Doubtful eo m p a ny Organisation of the CIA, the Various
THE REAL SPY WORLD categories of agents used on both sides,
their motives, niethc ds of recruitment
By Miles Copeland. and operation and their career prospects.
Weidenfeld and Nicolson. 351 pages. Jobs are apparently e .. er to get with s 6 C yl O 1 2-
#3.50, Soviet intelligence than with the CIAO
nd i/ a R C
d
"
a
The CIA is in bad odour these days. For the former pay is goo
robably not more than three
ad
' ;
t
p
y
e
Unlike many of his ex-colleagues who s
exploit their inside knowledge of ,"the out of ten Soviet a4erits get caught,
Company" by fresh and sensational and of those who do, a few get off fairly
disclosures, Miles . Copeland actually lightly, though others; "die of the measles"
rallies to its defence. Not in any officially in circumstances "that are so terrifying
inspired or romantic spirit; but by lead- as to defy description". The CIA's
n
ing us deep into the "special and private: agents arentmriestly many 6tinofs ern
world" of intelligence (of which espion block countries, os ~~ osts. Most
age proper-or improper-forms only government y p
a part), explaining, assessing and' curious of all is the allegedly' large
generally justifying. category of informants who believe
Mr Copeland is no ordinary guide.; they are working for an industrial body,
A former officer of the wartime Office. croupadingare i-tew rap er oriot manipulated
of Strategic Services, he played an im-; intelligence service.
portant part in setting up the CIA b
, by some Co ]and describes the "alterna
ti
became me adviser to competent Preessiddenentt and Nasser,; etive means" for gathering intelligence time
hobnobbed with Philby ("I knew. him .which range from minuscule micro-
as well as anyone did"), and matched, phones to the sophisticated scrutiny of
his viits against, and even conceived'!. scientific journals, official directories
a personal liking for, his Russian and so on and the brain which collates
counterparts ("a friend of mine in the this plethora of 'information-the data
KGB office in Cairo . . ."). He has com- bank. The CIA has become "the world's
biped a career in intelligence with those. repository of political, sociological,
of international business consultant, economic, military and scientific data".
jazz musician and author. "Octopus", the computerised files held
For all its picturesque detail and at the CIA's headquarters at Langley,
anecdotes (sometimes doctored so as Virginia., is proving an effective weapon
for . detecting terrorists and hijackers,
on the secret list) operation) os this' as well as enemy agents. But Mr Cope-
not ques still { on th compromise
techniques
is an informative and sobering book. land - predicts that, by the time the
present drive for data is completed,
its tentacles will . hold "a file of some
kind on practically every person in the
world who in any way comes to the
official notice of his own government
or of the US Government".
Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP88-0135OR000200340006-1