Barry Wirth

There are two threads to that. The first is that until 1946 or 1947, the United States never had a permanent spy service. We had espionage services on an ad hoc basis during wartime. So the CIA was formed right in the aftermath of World War II. The other thing, just moving up a couple of years, in 1949, two things happened that really upset and upended America.

There are two threads to that. The first is that until 1946 or 1947, the United States never had a permanent spy service. We had espionage services on an ad hoc basis during wartime. So the CIA was formed right in the aftermath of World War II. The other thing, just moving up a couple of years, in 1949, two things happened that really upset and upended America.

There are two threads to that. The first is that until 1946 or 1947, the United States never had a permanent spy service. We had espionage services on an ad hoc basis during wartime. So the CIA was formed right in the aftermath of World War II. The other thing, just moving up a couple of years, in 1949, two things happened that really upset and upended America.

One was that the Soviets exploded the first atomic bomb. We thought we were years and years ahead of them, and it turns out we weren't. And the other is that the People's Republic of China was formed, that Mao's forces overtook the Nationalist Coalition and And Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalists moved to Taiwan. So from 1949 on, there were two Chinas.

One was that the Soviets exploded the first atomic bomb. We thought we were years and years ahead of them, and it turns out we weren't. And the other is that the People's Republic of China was formed, that Mao's forces overtook the Nationalist Coalition and And Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalists moved to Taiwan. So from 1949 on, there were two Chinas.

One was that the Soviets exploded the first atomic bomb. We thought we were years and years ahead of them, and it turns out we weren't. And the other is that the People's Republic of China was formed, that Mao's forces overtook the Nationalist Coalition and And Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalists moved to Taiwan. So from 1949 on, there were two Chinas.

We only recognized one of them, the nationalist government on Taiwan, which was then called Formosa. So there was a kind of a panic, and there was a brand new organization that was assigned to address the panic. And that's where the two streams converge.

We only recognized one of them, the nationalist government on Taiwan, which was then called Formosa. So there was a kind of a panic, and there was a brand new organization that was assigned to address the panic. And that's where the two streams converge.

We only recognized one of them, the nationalist government on Taiwan, which was then called Formosa. So there was a kind of a panic, and there was a brand new organization that was assigned to address the panic. And that's where the two streams converge.

Well, it really accelerated. So because we didn't have a permanent spy service, the CIA adopted the persona of an existing spy service, which was Britain's MI6. At the same time, it took its cues from the American spy service during World War II, which was the famous OSS. And it took on an unearned swagger. As I write in the book, the early CIA could strut sitting down.

Well, it really accelerated. So because we didn't have a permanent spy service, the CIA adopted the persona of an existing spy service, which was Britain's MI6. At the same time, it took its cues from the American spy service during World War II, which was the famous OSS. And it took on an unearned swagger. As I write in the book, the early CIA could strut sitting down.

Well, it really accelerated. So because we didn't have a permanent spy service, the CIA adopted the persona of an existing spy service, which was Britain's MI6. At the same time, it took its cues from the American spy service during World War II, which was the famous OSS. And it took on an unearned swagger. As I write in the book, the early CIA could strut sitting down.

So as soon as they got the power and the money and the assignment to address communism, they were off and running. I should say that during World War II, the most famous, even legendary operatives of the OSS were the so-called Jedburgh teams. And these were

So as soon as they got the power and the money and the assignment to address communism, they were off and running. I should say that during World War II, the most famous, even legendary operatives of the OSS were the so-called Jedburgh teams. And these were

So as soon as they got the power and the money and the assignment to address communism, they were off and running. I should say that during World War II, the most famous, even legendary operatives of the OSS were the so-called Jedburgh teams. And these were

These were American spies trained in espionage, trained in political warfare, who airlifted into occupied Europe ahead of the D-Day invasion in order to pave the road, so to speak. And as soon as the CIA got going, they did two things. They adopted the plans of the British as their empire was beginning to shrink to instigate secret wars against opposition governments, communist governments.

These were American spies trained in espionage, trained in political warfare, who airlifted into occupied Europe ahead of the D-Day invasion in order to pave the road, so to speak. And as soon as the CIA got going, they did two things. They adopted the plans of the British as their empire was beginning to shrink to instigate secret wars against opposition governments, communist governments.

These were American spies trained in espionage, trained in political warfare, who airlifted into occupied Europe ahead of the D-Day invasion in order to pave the road, so to speak. And as soon as the CIA got going, they did two things. They adopted the plans of the British as their empire was beginning to shrink to instigate secret wars against opposition governments, communist governments.

And then they took the model of the Jedbergs as their preferred method. So the first thing that happened was that we tried to launch a secret war against Albania. sprinkling in so-called pixies. And this was a disaster for both the pixies and their families and extended families.

And then they took the model of the Jedbergs as their preferred method. So the first thing that happened was that we tried to launch a secret war against Albania. sprinkling in so-called pixies. And this was a disaster for both the pixies and their families and extended families.