BTL:Former CIA Field Agent Asserts U.S. Intelligence Agencies Broken

Former CIA Field Agent Asserts U.S. Intelligence Agencies Broken

Interview with Robert Baer, former CIA agent and author, conducted by Scott Harris

The September 11th attacks were a wakeup call to the nation about the deep flaws in U.S. intelligence agencies that failed to detect and prevent the worst attack on the American mainland since the War of 1812. Although President Bush was thwarted in his attempt to block the formation of the 9/11 Commission to examine those failures, many critics believe that in the end the commission itself was unsuccessful in completing that important task.

The movie "Syriana," directed by Steven Gaghan, presents a compelling story that links the issues of Middle East oil, corruption, politics and terrorism. The film was based in part on the book, "See No Evil, The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism," written by Robert Baer, a retired 21-year veteran of the CIA. During his work as a field agent in the Middle East and South Asia from 1976 to 1997, Baer witnessed Washington's inability to confront the rise of terrorist networks that culminated in the 9/11 attacks.

Between The Lines’ Scott Harris spoke with Robert Baer who explains why he believes Washington politics, corruption and corporate influence have hurt America’s fight against terrorism.

"See No Evil, The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism" is published by Three Rivers Press. Director Steven Gaghan based his movie "Syriana" on Baer's book.

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