In Search of Enemies - A CIA Story - John Stockwell

IN SEARCH OF ENEMIES
ground crews. The British/ American mercenaries had drawn world
attention to the program with shocking, psychopathic killings. And
the agency's performance of its primary mission of intelligence gathering
was conspicuously inadequate. The little stolen air force
seemed to have done the job, but the air operations officer returned
from Kinshasa to write a trip report of bungled air operations and
bitter conflict with the Zairians. And, finally, the disengagement
payoffs were clumsy and wasteful; while certain individuals pocketed
almost $2 million, our former allies were left starving.
Most serious of all, the United States was exposed, dishonored,
and discredited in the eyes of the world. We had lost and fifteen
thousand Cubans were installed in Angola with all the adulation
accruing to a young David who has slain the American Goliath.
When Potts returned from his tour of African stations, his secretary
staged a surprise early morning coffee and donuts party to
welcome him back. She assembled the Africa Division staff, and as
Potts walked through the door everyone began singing "for he's a
jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow ... ," to his obvious
embarassment.
I stood to one side, sipping my coffee and watching. "For he's a
jolly good fellow!" Potts was a gentleman, correct and polite in his
dealings with his staff. He and I were on cordial terms despite our
profound disagreements. But I wondered if Mrs. Gearhardt, or the
other widows and victims of our program, would think of us as jolly
good fellows.
Our last task-force function was to produce recommendations for
awards for everyone who had been involved, over one hundred people
altogether. The rationale was that, although things hadn't gone
very well, we had worked hard and the defeat was not our fault.
Medals and awards would bolster morale. Writing these commendations
was the ultimate challenge of my "professionalism," for I was
in no mood to invent flowery platitudes about the things we had
done. But the new director, a consummate politician, had suggested
it, and Potts worked out a list of those to be commended: 26 medals
and certificates, 140 letters of appreciation, and 1 meritorious salary
increase. It took us weeks.
St. Martin, Potts, Colby, and Kissinger. The Jolly Good Fellows.
And Stockwell. In another few years he'll be one too, if he gets his
head straight.