Neutering the CIA
by John A. Gentry
Prepublication reviews and pre-sales have set records for Armin Lear. Publication Date is July 26, 2023.
NEUTERING THE CIA describes and explains a remarkable change in the organizational culture of the CIA, which previously had emphasized apolitical public service. Policies of Obama Administration officials were the most important causes of the change, which led current and former intelligence officers to publicly oppose what they perceived to be potential threats to those policies when Donald J. Trump became a serious presidential candidate in 2016, and then president. Hence, the CIA’s effectiveness during the Trump years was undermined by political agendas.
The book is a vivid, yet scholarly, attempt to understand the causes and implications of a startling new political phenomenon. It does not assess or defend the Trump presidency, yet the evidence points to a harsh reality: The CIA President Trump inherited was set up to function with a conflicting agenda.
“The Biden administration has made no effort to address the politicization because it has benefitted from it,” according to author John A. Gentry. Although they have been quiet since 2021, Gentry expects overt political activism by intelligence officers to re-emerge in 2024.
Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer for Midwest Book Review described it as “Eye opening and controversial.”