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The US government has never had a policy against recruiting drug users as intelligence field agents. Just because they aren't public servants doesn't mean they'
by derefr 3y ago
The US government has never had a policy against recruiting drug users as intelligence field agents. Just because they aren't public servants doesn't mean they're not snitches.
- Der_Einzige 3y agoI don't even worry as much about field agents. Analysts (i.e. Snowden types) outnumber them significantly and are more likely to be the ones "checking up" on the kinds of people who post here.
- bigbillheck 3y agoI'd be shocked if there weren't a bunch of people who work for one intelligence agency or another and who read or post here for reasons not connected to their official duties.
- Telemakhos 3y agoIt took me a minute to get the semantic distinction here. People directly working for a government intelligence agency, in the sense of drawing a regular salary, receiving benefits like a pension plan, and probably enjoying the protection of some sort of cover (like attache for cultural affairs at the embassy) are "operatives" or "officers." "Agents" are people in the foreign country whom the officers convince to provide information or services for them. Aldrich Ames, for example, was an "officer" in the CIA, working for the US, but also an "agent" of the KGB, working for the Soviets. So, to return to the article, the US government never had a problem hiring drug users as "agents," but would not hire them as "officers."