A Soul On Trial: A Marine Corps Mystery at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
Robin R. Cutler. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007. 371 pp. Illus. Notes. Bib. $26.95.
In 1907, Marine Second Lieutenant James Sutton died suddenly near the Corps' officer training school at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. A formal Navy inquiry quickly ruled his death to be a suicide; by 1909, however, another formal inquiry indicated that the lieutenant might have been murdered. In those intervening two years, Sutton's mother, Rosa, a devout Catholic and also a spiritualist had challenged the original findings of military authorities and sparked the second hearing. Among other things, she claimed to have received visits from her dead son during which he disputed the Navy's verdict and asked her to get him justice.
An incredible deluge of press coverage followed the outcome of the second inquiry, most of it vehemently arguing against the proceedings' certain facts, including that "a quarrel took place" and "Sutton was the aggressor" in a fight with another young Marine officer. The Baltimore Sun, for example, regarded "the suicide 'theory' as a joke."
Rosa Sutton continued to pursue the case and was successful in gaining yet another autopsy of her son's remains. While the results seemed as inconclusive as those of the two formal inquires, Rosa remained convinced of foul play.
This book promised to convey a real-life mystery and successful resistance to the bureaucratic inertia of government. But in the words of artist James Whistler, "If you cannot manage your palette, how are you going to manage your easel?" Alas, Robin Cutler's historical palette becomes so mixed up with the Progressive politics and culture of the early 1900s that it detracts from a truly fascinating story.
Gatekeeper: Memoirs of a CIA Polygraph Examiner
John F. Sullivan. Dulles, VA: Potomac Books, 2007. 292 pp. Illus. Index. $27.95.
The author served 31 years as a CIA polygraph examiner and conducted more tests during that time than anyone in the history of the agency's program. The so-called lie-detector tests were designed to prevent foreign agents, unsuitable applicants, and employees guilty of misconduct from penetrating or harming the CIA. Here, Sullivan describes his methods and techniques, stressing the importance of psychology and examiner skills in successful testing. He admits that, while using the polygraph effectively is art as much as science, it is a highly effective screening method more so and far less costly than background investigations.
The book's introduction, "The Art of the Polygraph," sets the background for the CIA's initial use of the system in 1948. The device's overwhelming successes are described, as well as its significant misses, such as Aldrich Ames, the infamous Soviet mole. It is clear that "The examiner's ability is what makes a polygraph work; the subject's fear of detection is why it works."
Beyond lie detecting Gatekeeper delves into quite engaging administrative and organizational matters. One example is the Directorate of Operations meeting that took place after President Bill Clinton's unpopular appointee as director of Central Intelligence, John Deutch, peremptorily fired two CIA agents and punished seven others. Sullivan describes the scene as officers wearing black armbands arrive to loudly boo and hiss Deutch.
This is a well-written work that should prove a most valuable source for those interested in intelligence matters.
In the Common Defense: National Security Law for Perilous Times
James E. Baker. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. 404 pp. Notes. Index. $30.
Along with many other nations, the United States faces the threat of terrorist attack with weapons of mass destruction. Our success in preventing those attacks will depend on how effectively we manage national security processes and apply the law in a manner that enhances security and concurrently upholds American core values.
In the Common Defense written by Judge James Baker, a former Marine who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and has served as an advisor to the National Security Council applies the legal tools of security to the myriad problems confronting the United States. Among other key factors, it explains the scope of the President's war power, pre-emptive use of force in international law, and civilian and military command and control. The book is essential reading for those who seek an honest review of the law and how it relates to U.S. national security.
Given periodic political and public outcries since the 1970s, the chapter, "Electronic Surveillance: Constitutional Law Applied," is especially instructive. The author notes that electronic eavesdropping "reached across the political spectrum." Moreover, "as a general matter the President has broad derived authority over the intelligence function." One section of the chapter presents pro and con arguments about presidential authority to authorize warrantless surveillance.
Other chapters span topics from intelligence to the use of military force and homeland security. The attachments include presidential decision directives dating from 1993 that spell out details of national security organization and authority.
The author has given us a superb and not too arduous guide to comprehending the complexities of our laws and how they relate to national defense.
On the Hunt: How to Wake Up Washington and Win the War on Terror
Colonel David Hunt, U.S. Army (Retired). New York: Crown Forum, 2007. 272 pp. Illus. Notes. Index. $26.95.
In his latest book, the retired Army colonel/TV-analyst sets forth his view of strategy and tactics for U.S. victory in the war on terrorism. In buzz-saw fashion, he proceeds to name the errant officials and politicians responsible for mistakes that have been made at home and abroad.
Hunt's targets range from the Department of Homeland Security to retired Army General Tommy Franks and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He is convinced that "we have a group of leaders in the military, in the bureaucracy, and in elected office who lack the courage to be risk takers." (His criticism of senior U.S. military leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan as having had no "combat experience" needs the perspective that World War II Generals Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley also had no combat experience.)
Chapter 7, "What You Don't Know About Our Borders," presents a stark and uncompromising view of the illegal immigration situation. According to Hunt, "We are approaching border security in the same way that the CIA is still fighting the War on Terror with a pre-9/11 mentality."
Other chapters cover topics such as facts about Iraq, terrorist threats to America, and necessary defense measures. It seems to me that the appendix on "The Threats," with its diagrams of enemy explosive devices and sniper tactics, is the best part of the book.
As on television, Hunt comes off as pretty much of a know-it-all. Nonetheless, his book provides readers with a great deal of useful information.