Understanding Indian Insurgencies

[Ray]

JMM,

I posted links of what is felt around the parts.

Personally, I know many Peace Corps workers did real good work.

In fact, IIRC when I quoted the Ugly American, I did say that organisations like the Peace Corps did some yeoman's work to change the perception about the US.

It is known that ideal organisations where one can park human resources intelligence assets are organisations which appear benign and work unhindered with the people and can travel without raising suspicion. NGOs, religious organisations, news agencies etc are known to be areas where agents are parked, apart from other organisations.

[Dayuhan]

I posted links of what is felt around the parts.

If you're dealing with local perception, then yes, every PCV, missionary, NGO Worker etc is a CIA agent. When I was in the Peace Corps (many many years ago) it was simply taken for granted that we had something to do with the CIA. Of course it didn't make sense, but people believed it anyway: people believe all kinds of stuff.

It is known that ideal organisations where one can park human resources intelligence assets are organisations which appear benign and work unhindered with the people and can travel without raising suspicion. NGOs, religious organisations, news agencies etc are known to be areas where agents are parked, apart from other organisations.

Anyone actually familiar with the way the Peace Corps works (and the way the CIA works) will see immediately that PCV cover would be far from ideal - in fact close to useless - for an intelligence operation. Of course that reality will not affect perceptions at all.

[Ken White]

In every case, the overall tone of the volunteers was effectively anti-US government to at least some extent (protective coloration in some cases) and they were far more likely to aid our nominal opponents than us...

In fact, in two nations, they did just that and we were able to get, respectively, one person and several removed from those countries.

Not that the Agency in many cases is much different...