The Foreign Service Journal, September 2005

Development Program that seems to have adopted many of the suggestions contained in my paper. I am writing to encourage other FSOs, active and retired, not to be discouraged if their own “long papers” (to refer to George Kennan’s memorandum to Ambass- ador Averill Harriman) take some time to gestate. Sometimes it takes awhile for an idea to reach a listening ear. But never give up on a good idea. David Timmins FSO, retired Salt Lake City, Utah Going Over the Overworld Review There is something fishy about the Larry Kolb book, Overworld: the Life and Times of a Reluctant Spy , reviewed in your May issue by William Marjenhoff. At the latter’s recommendation I have read the book. Some of it may actually be true, but it is hard to know exactly what. It is full of insignificant detail, such as what clothes people were wearing and what they had for lunch, but is vague on essential details such as dates, what agency Kolb’s father was with and the nature of his arrangements with the personalities discussed: Muhammad Ali and Adnan Kashoggi, among oth- ers. I would like to know whether they have ever heard of Kolb. The description of the late Miles Copeland, whom I knew fairly well, rings true, although I would like to think that his account of Copeland’s planned use of forged documents to libel someone is not true. Kolb hints that he himself was caught participat- ing in such a scheme directed against the Indian prime minister, but the reader is left wondering what, if any- thing, actually happened. Copeland never claimed in my hearing to be a “co-founder” of the CIA (and I missed that phrase in the book, wherever it was). I would not have believed him if he had, because it would have seemed highly improb- able, given his flamboyant personality, loquacity and general unpredictabili- ty. Kolb described a Copeland “white paper” on the need for a Marshall Plan for the Middle East. That was hardly a new idea, but even if it had been new it is hard to imagine any administration taking such a paper by Miles seriously. That would not pre- vent him from writing one and claim- ing it had been influential. Copeland had left the CIA’s employ by 1961 when I first met him in Beirut, but described himself as a loyal alumnus and gave the impres- sion that he enjoyed privileged access to the movers and shakers in Wash- ington and elsewhere. He enter- tained us for many hours with his sto- ries, but like most skilled raconteurs he embroidered, so one had to be careful about accepting what he said at face value. He also had a habit of retelling the same stories every time you met him. I know no American official who took him seriously, but some businessmen did and sub- scribed to his newsletter and consult- ing services. He was knowledgeable and had contacts in the Middle East that could have been useful to them. Kolb seems to claim (the relation- ship is never spelled out) to have worked as understudy to Copeland in London, where the latter had gone after leaving Beirut and where he continued to act as a consultant and to publish a newsletter. Kolb claims, with considerable circumstantial detail, that Copeland gave him lessons in espionage tradecraft, but for what purpose is not clear. I doubt that any of these lessons would be useful to FSOs unless they were seeking to be declared persona non grata. Kolb seems to have been an apt pupil, but as usual where Miles was concerned, one wonders what the real story was. I would not recommend the book for serious reading by anyone, but someone with time to spare could have fun trying to corroborate some of the stories to make sure the whole thing is not a send-up. Richard B. Parker Ambassador, retired Washington, D.C. Commit to Cultural Centers It was heartening to read of David Timmins’ apparent optimism about the potential for American cultural centers in the Middle East (Letters, May). From 1951 to 1960 and from 1969 to 1970, I had cultural center experience in Korea and Japan. Since 9/11, I have wondered whether differ- ent social and cultural conditions would make the Middle East a less appropriate environment than North- east Asia for cultural centers. Cultural centers should blend with their local (foreign) societies to a con- siderable extent. They should, and do, serve local (foreign) as well as American purposes. Sudden center closings can be very harmful, and such closings should be avoided. I hope that an ambitious effort will be made to create cultural centers in the Middle East, and that there will be determination to stick to it as long as it takes. Should it not be a permanent com- mitment? Robert G. Flershem USIA FSO, retired Kanazawa City, Japan n S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 15 L E T T E R S u Send your letters to: journal@afsa.org. Note that all letters are subject to editing for style, format and length.