CIA is quick to spy alleged subterfuge

There was nothing covert or subtle about the CIA’s review of an author who accused the agency of trying to censor his book on FBI spy Robert Philip Hanssen.

“What do you do when your new book lands on the market with a resounding thud?” began a statement from CIA spokesman Bill Harlow, posted Friday on the agency’s Web site, www.cia.gov.

The book in question is “Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI’s Robert Hanssen Betrayed America,” by David Wise.

The CIA’s statement said it has “far better things to do than to worry about yet another book on Mr. Hanssen” and speculated that the author would use the agency’s response to publicize “his otherwise unremarkable book.”

What irked the CIA about the book, which was published last month, was an opinion piece by Wise in Thursday’s edition of the New York Times titled “Spies as Censors.” Wise said he came under “intense pressure” from the agency to suppress the name of a CIA officer wrongly suspected of spying for Russia in the case that later led to the capture of FBI mole Hanssen, who had been selling U.S. secrets to Moscow.

From Reuters

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FINALLY

Liza: Nine days after VH1 canceled its reality series about newlyweds Liza Minnelli and David Gest, the couple issued a press release Friday disputing the channel’s contention that they were uncooperative and hadn’t allowed sufficient coverage.

“Obviously, VH1’s idea of reality is not ours,” Gest said.