CIA Director Panetta Honors Two Spies

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

At the CIA, winning the prized Trailblazer Medal is like getting into the Spook Hall of Fame. And our spies over there tell us that CIA Director Leon Panetta gave out two last Friday, the agency's 62nd birthday. One went to a current secret techie who was recognized for building "amazing tools he and his teams brought online." The other was to the late John Guilsher, a 52-year vet of the agency and Russia pro, who recruited Soviet scientist Adolf Tolkachev at the height of the Cold War. Secrets from Tolkachev helped influence U.S. military planning. At the ceremony, Panetta said that Guilsher was "a rare combination of careful planner and audacious operator. He was practical yet imaginative. An expert at detecting and evading surveillance. And a master of disguise—even if it meant adding a dash of garlic and vodka to his clothes."

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