The Stormy History of the CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency was founded 60 years ago tomorrow. President Harry Truman wanted no more surprises--like the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. But from the beginning, the CIA has been asked to do more than gather intelligence. Subsequent presidents have demanded that secret agents also conduct secret missions, and that has corrupted the CIA's ability to speak truth to power. That's the thesis of Pulitzer-Prize winner Tim Weiner of the New York Times, whose latest book is Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA.