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Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

lunarchick - 08:41am Apr 11, 2001 EST (#2154 of 2159)
lunarchick@www.com

A new book: Spies Wives is a collection of true stories, anecdotes, and improbable incidents written by spouses and former spouses of CIA agents about life overseas as mates of operatives. Included are experiences living under "deep cover", humorous encounters with foreign economies, strange customs and traditions, accounts of evacuations, espionage, secret meetings, and passionate love affairs. Of the many books written about the CIA, none are like this one. The authors have culled perspectives of thirty women who lived with, put up with the snoring of, and ironed the shirts of their spy guys. They come to learn that when your husband says they are "sweeping the house" no one shows up with a broom; "making a pass" isn't necessarily about flirting: "bugs" are looked for in telephones rather than four; "The Funny Farm" is a building in Langley, Virginia not an insane asylum; and being "undercover" isn't snuggling beneath a Laura Ashley comforter.

About The Authors Karen L. Chiao grew up in the Midwest and developed wanderlust after reading about Boris a White Russian who grew up in Nepal. She never met Boris, but did once have a drink at his bar, The Yak and Yeti.

Marliellen B. O'Brien was raised in a small town in Connecticut, and has traveled and worked with the CIA in Washington, Austria, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Denmark. She now resides on the outer banks of North Carolina.

From the Critics From Publisher's Weekly "You know you are a CIA dependent when... [y]our husband tells you he's going on a trip and can't tell you where and you don't even wonder why," says one such dependent. Paging through old address books, Chiao and O'Brien, who have lived in many far corners of the world as the wives of spies, tracked down other women like themselves around the globe, leading to "numerous luncheons, afternoon teas, telephone calls, e-mails, conversations and then, this book," a collection of more than 90 true accounts many hilarious, others frightening by 30 spouses and daughters of CIA agents. (Only 16 contributors are credited, since many wished to remain anonymous.) Experiences here include culture shock, cover jobs, hardships, espionage, embassy attacks, evacuations, typhoons, secret love affairs and drunken parties. Particularly poignant are tales of teens suddenly surprised when told the truth by their CIA dads. Most incidents fill two or three pages, and some get only a sketchy paragraph. The contributions have been regrettably fragmented into thematic groupings, so any sense of personalities and cohesion is absent. The unfortunate final effect is that of a distractingly incomplete, unsolvable puzzle, as the reader riddles over which abbreviated anecdotes were once joined together. The book concludes with a two-page glossary explaining such terms as "compartmentation" (being told only what one needs to know) and "dead drop" ("a concealed site established for transfer or passage of clandestine material, information or equipment"). (Mar. 15) Forecast: Although a useful training manual for spies' wives-to-be, this hodgepodge will have little appeal beyond the most espionage-addicted readers. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. http://www.biography.net/barnes1/barn___noble_bookstore/

lunarchick - 09:33am Apr 11, 2001 EST (#2155 of 2159)
lunarchick@www.com

Henry Kissenger (Nobel Peace Prize winner) Should he be charged with war crimes ? [bbc newshour]

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Brazil - military police have been put under the control of civillian police. They carried out murderous torture in the prisons.

lunarchick - 09:40am Apr 11, 2001 EST (#2156 of 2159)
lunarchick@www.com

Southern States Ettiquette was a feature Bush was supposed to bring to washington. His prowling for a rogue State/Nation was hardly gracious. However on the close of the 24crew members of Spy Plane .. commentators once more speak of his graciousness.

lunarchick - 10:37am Apr 11, 2001 EST (#2157 of 2159)
lunarchick@www.com

Paris - meeting of foreign ministers - concerns re former Yugoslavia.

almarst-2001 - 10:53am Apr 11, 2001 EST (#2158 of 2159)

Robert,

I am deeply touched by your attention to my feelings and ideas I have exposed in this forum.

It woud be a great honor for me to know you personally.

Yesterday, while learning more about the nature and significance of your work, I found out about a "Mysteries of the Universe - How the Brain Work" forum and your participation in it. This is a fascinating and, in my view, one of the most importand area of science. It have being for some time as I realised that while we spend tremendous amount of time, energy and resources studying the matter of the Universe, how little, sadly, do we know and understand ourself.

I don't warry for the consequences of placing my e-mail address here:

lavka-chitatelia@worldnet.att.net

Much more do I warry of spending your productive and precious time on conversation with someone amateurish and probably naive who I really am.

Alex

(1 following message)

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