The 'CIA Canoe Pool' and other revelations from declassified government papers

The lobby of the CIA Headquarters Building in McLean, Virginia, August 14, 2008. (REUTERS/Larry Downing)
The lobby of the CIA Headquarters Building in McLean, Virginia, August 14, 2008. (REUTERS/Larry Downing)

The Central Intelligence Agency’s motto: “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

So what truths have we learned from the CIA's declassification of more than 200 articles this week from its in-house journal, Studies in Intelligence?

Well, on the lighter side:

- An employee boated to work in the 1970s and '80s as a member of the “CIA Canoe Pool.” From the author’s eight-page essay in the spring of 1984:

“There are other problems that a non-canoeist might not anticipate. Mud, for example. I have an agreement with my wife that my method of commuting will not add significantly to her laundry pile, and my muddy trousers often test the limits of that agreement.”

- The fall of 1982 brought forth the “Bestiary of Intelligence Writing,” described as “specimen samples of clichés and misused or overused word combinations that CIA editors have encountered frequently over the years.”

From the Bestiary of Intelligence Writing (Screen shot)
From the Bestiary of Intelligence Writing (Screen shot)

The 16-page report — complete with beast sketches — welcomed snitches: “It is hoped that with their new awareness of the Bestiary, analysts and other authors will keep their eyes peeled, noses to the grindstone, and ears to the ground, to call the attention of editors to other candidates for possible inclusion in the collection.”

- Not to be outdone was a compilation of quotes extracted from real CIA performance reviews, where the supervising agent had missed the mark. The writer added a personal commentary above the intended critique. Here’s a sample, but you can read all of the “Par-Faits (and Other Faits)” here:

The officer who kills with kindness:

“He is endowed with a certain lethal gentleness.”

The open-minded supervisor:

“I both like and dislike this officer.”

The successful obscurantist:

“He has a promising relationship with an obscure government official.”

The CIA’s in-house journal is defined as a “collection of articles on the historical, operational, doctrinal and theoretical aspects of intelligence.”

Anyone surprised that each article comes with a caveat?

All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed in Studies of Intelligence are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect official positions or views of the Central Intelligence Agency or any other US Government entity, past or present. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying US Government endorsement of an article’s factual statements and interpretations.

Not even canoeing to work?

Follow Jason Sickles on Twitter (@jasonsickles).