Book review: the CIA

The New York Times reviewed the new CIA book. I am old enough to remember the Church Commission (poisonous cigars, anyone?). Even Ian Fleming put the CIA down as mediocre (read the beginning of From Russia From Love - which I was doing about the time of the Church Commission).

But the reviewer does ask a good question: how to have an effective intelligence agency in a democratic government? I suggest asking the British, the French or the Israelis.