See No Evil

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In this gripping memoir, a former top CIA field officer recounts his experiences running agents in the Middle East, shedding light on the inner workings of terrorism and the political obstacles that hindered the agency's efforts to combat it. Robert Baer offers a stark portrayal of how the CIA's bureaucratic evolution post-Cold War led to a failure in recognizing and addressing the escalating threat of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism. The devastating attacks on September 11, 2001, starkly illustrated the consequences of this intelligence failure, leaving many to question how such a coordinated plot went undetected. Having served 21 years in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations before his departure in 1997, Baer witnessed firsthand the agency's decline, as it prioritized political maneuvering over effective field operations. His career involved risking his life to gather intelligence in volatile regions, only to see the CIA drastically reduce its overseas presence and fail to employ operatives familiar with local cultures. Baer reveals alarming insights from his tenure, including the strategic alliance between Osama bin Laden and Iran, the aborted coup against Saddam Hussein, and the CIA's withdrawal from critical operations in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. His narrative serves as a candid critique of an agency that must refocus on its core mission of safeguarding national security and the American way of life.