University of Virginia Library

CIA In Laos: Bad Karma (with a K)

By D.E. Ronk

Vientiane (DNSI) — "Damn
the spooks! Talk about
pollution, they've done more
atmosphere poisoning in Asia
than all the smokestacks of
Hong Kong. It's everywhere."

Paranoia. The "spook"
syndrome. The CIA
phenomenon. All are names for
the inevitable conversation in a
Saigon noodle shop, a coffee
house in Manila, a Bangkok
bistro, a hotel bar in Vientiane.
The Central Intelligence
Agency.

For a highly secret group
engaged in highly secret work,
the Agency is remarkable
topical, its reputation
overwhelmingly public, its
image awesomely widespread.
There are few in Asia not
haunted by the CIA's spectre
in one way or another.

General criticism of
America in Asia is probably the
only continuing topic more
pervasive than the CIA, and
"anti-Americanism" gains
heavily from the CIA's
reputation. It's not to the
advantage of the United States.

"Talk about public
relations," an American
observer has said, "the CIA has
it-in reverse. It's the USIA
up-side-down." (The United
States Information Agency is
charged with promoting
America's image abroad.)

But it's not only the image of
America that suffers the aura.
Individual Americans and
Europeans (who all look alike to
Asians?) gather suspicion both
directly and indirectly. "Suspicion,
always suspicion," a young
Canadian newsman complains.

"A lot of fools are necessary to
create a legend, but there's no lack
of fools both inside and outside the
CIA. The legend's there and it's a
crippler for everyone. To hell with
the CIA."

Brave or foolish words his
listeners may feel, but
uncomfortable either way. There
are few who escape the feeling of
"big brother" at least listening and
few who don't vaguely feel that
kind of talk is dangerous.

"Is he or isn't he?" The
question, phrased or imagined one
way or another bothers local
nationals and foreign residents alike.
An ill-defined means of livelihood
for a foreigner is cause for
suspicion.

Johnson suspects Murphy
because Murphy lives well in
Vientiane without obvious
employment while calling himself a
writer. Murphy suspects Johnson
because he lives in the capital while
calling himself a refugee worker.
"There aren't any refugee camps in
Vientiane, and there?" Murphy asks
rhetorically, smiling tightly and
uncertainly. The locals suspect
both.

"People who should know
better-people with experience and
intelligence, get trapped into this
CIA lunacy with subtle reservations
about this or that person's
intentions," says a former
government employee who says he
knows better.

"American volunteers, young,
with over-active imaginations and
egos are bad enough, but there's
also the communist diplomatic
corps looking under all the rugs and
it goes right up the hierarchy in
most diplomatic missions. Local
politicians truly glory in it."

No one really trusts anyone to
be "clean," except their most
intimate friends then . . . .

Though it's practical for
newsmen to be suspicious, some
observers say they have gone
beyond rational limits and have
become the fourth most affected
group after volunteers, communist
diplomats and local politicians.

"Do you really believe," one
skeptic delights in asking the
paranoid, "that the spooks care
what you think, about your pot
and opium smoking, about your
beery conversations, to take the
time, money and personnel to 'bug'
everything-like microphones under
all the tables in all the bars all over
the city? Sounds like an ego thing."

Brought into the open, the
"syndrome" may be laughable,
even the CIA's antics cause for
merriment (what old-timer in Asia
doesn't have a supply of CIA
anecdotes?), but even the most
jaded skeptic finds it hard to avoid
some of the lunacy.

Didn't the ranking USAID
official publicly admit use of AID
by the CIA as a cover?

Didn't the "spooks" try to
infiltrate the press corps in Saigon
last year? (who knows the
difference between the CIA, CIC,
and CIA?)

Isn't the CIA running the war in
Laos, just as they did in Vietnam
while gathering intelligence (good
or bad is moot)?

Aren't the "spooks"
hyper-sensitive about identities,
carrying about titles like Special
Assistant to the Ambassador,
Combined Area Studies, Public
Safety Adviser, Commercial Affairs
Councillor, Political Officer?

Isn't there a "secret city" in
Laos run by and for the CIA?

Don't "they" buy information?
Want to know everything?

And where is that list of
organizations receiving mysterious
contributions from mysterious
philanthropic foundations?

"Yes, the British have an
intelligence agency," a journalist
agreed with an American official
during discussions on American
secrecy in Laos, "but it's for
intelligence work, not military
operations and intelligence at the
same time. How are we to respect
their need for secrecy when they're
doing what needs to be reported,"
he asked.

Every nation in Asia has an
intelligence system locally, more or
less. None, however, are feared like
the CIA. None are so universally
condemned as being out of hand.
Even the Russian Yuri of Noosti,
who tried to "hustle" every
non-American journalist in
Vientiane, escapes that.

Success and the CIA may not fit
together, and CIA omnipotence
may be laughable, but people watch
their acquaintances in Southeast
Asia.