Washington Whispers
When Younger Is Not Always Better
There's one place where young people aren't being heralded as the saviors of tomorrow: the CIA. Seems almost half of the agency's analysts have less than three years of experience, and the youth bulge is especially acute in the Near East and South Asia divisions. "In an area where Nebuchadnezzar is recent history," frets John Kringen, head of the Directorate of Intelligence, "this is not a good thing." Kringen rarely speaks out, so that makes his comments to an audience of former intelligence officials especially bleak. But there are no easy answers. With the agency on a hiring binge to overcome a Clinton-era hiring freeze, Kringen says it will take five to seven years--"maybe 10"--to correct the shortcomings.
One Newt--and Nation--Under God
God rules! says Newt Gingrich, and he's written a new book to spell out what he means. Titled The Creator's Gifts: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, the former House speaker's book makes the case that the Bill of Rights and Constitution came from God. What's more, he wants people to recognize that everything they hold dear comes from a higher power. "The good things of life are from God," explains Gingrich's publisher, Mark Gilroy of Integrity House. The book by the potential 2008 GOP presidential candidate is out this summer and includes an unusual insert: a guide to God in Washington buildings like the Supreme Court.
Canada's More Than Molson, Eh?
He had heard all the weird stories before, but when then Canadian Ambassador Frank McKenna was whipsawed during a C-SPAN appearance by an Arkansas woman who read a litany of misconceptions about the neighbors up north, he went into action. "Do Canadians have a way to respond to this?" he asked press aide Bernard Etzinger in the car back to the embassy. "We should." Prompted by his C-SPAN experience, the embassy recently created Connect2Canada, a website where ex-pats in the United States tell stories that dispel the myths and poke fun at some Americanisms, like the beer. It's just one part of a broader effort to expose America to the serious side of Canada. The embassy is also placing ads in the Washington Metro system that highlight the nation's military involvement in Iraq.
Did Trigger-Happy Brits Blow 1775?
Today's Army is much more of a thinking person's service, which is why all majors have to take a counterinsurgency class at the Army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. There, Special Forces Maj. Christopher Schmitt teaches a course that suggests alternatives to guns and bombs, like psychological warfare and public relations. During a recent visit, we learned that Schmitt has his students test strategies on the Red Coats' move against Sam Adams and John Hancock, an act that helped spark the Revolutionary War. His question: "Could Sam Adams and John Hancock have been discredited by nonmilitary actions? Could they have looked at nonkinetic ways to address the Colonies' grievances? "Think about it: Instead of a refreshing Sam Adams, a tepid Boddingtons might be our favorite microbrew.
With Suzi Parker, Julian E. Barnes and Kevin Whitelaw
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