“You know I have my ups and downs, but I have a pact with God. The pact is that no matter what problems I have, wherever there is a challenge, I will have all my strength,” asserted a sickly Hafez al-Assad to George Shultz, who grimaced at the firmness of Assad’s grip. Despite Hafez al-Assad’s… Read More "The More Things Change – A Look Back at Syria’s Hafez al-Assad"
Murder in an Embassy, Part II — Paranoid Psychotic or Faked Insanity?
On August 30, 1971, Alfred Erdos murdered his assistant, Donald Leahy, at the small American embassy in Equatorial Guinea. Delusional and paranoid, Erdos accused Leahy of being part of a massive Communist plot against the U.S., tied him to a chair in the communications vault, and stabbed him to death with a pair of scissors.… Read More "Murder in an Embassy, Part II — Paranoid Psychotic or Faked Insanity?"
Murder in an Embassy, Part I — “I am not losing my mind”
A Communist plot, a gruesome murder, a maniacal dictator: all were elements in what would seemingly be the scandal of the decade, if not the plot of a Hollywood thriller. This all-too-real incident, however, has largely fallen under the radar, as only a few now can vaguely recall the remnants of something approaching an urban… Read More "Murder in an Embassy, Part I — “I am not losing my mind”"
Chile’s Coup Against Salvador Allende and the Truth Behind “Missing”
In 1973, political tensions were high in Chile, with conflict arising between the socialist President Salvador Allende and the more conservative Congress of Chile. The Chilean economy was failing, the Supreme Court had denounced Allende’s government, and perhaps more importantly, the military had lost its respect for Allende. During the summer, there had been several… Read More "Chile’s Coup Against Salvador Allende and the Truth Behind “Missing”"
Come Spy with Me: Cold War Espionage Against China
Intelligence services spend a great deal of time trying to recruit new assets, spies who have access to sensitive information and who are willing to provide that intel for ideological or financial reasons. Foreign diplomats often make for attractive targets, especially during the Cold War. Stephen Dachi, who was Public Affairs Officer in Hungary from… Read More "Come Spy with Me: Cold War Espionage Against China"
Burma’s 8888 Demonstrations and the Rise of Aung San Suu Kyi
Political activist. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Political prisoner and inspiration to millions of people around the world. Aung San Suu Kyi won 59% of the national votes in the 1990 general election and 81% of the seats in Parliament. But she was seen as a threat to the ruling military junta and was placed under… Read More "Burma’s 8888 Demonstrations and the Rise of Aung San Suu Kyi"
Qaddafi – The Man and His Rise to Power
On September 1st, 1969 Muammar Qaddafi along with a group of officers part of the Free Officers Movement staged a bloodless coup d’état against King Idris I of Libya who at that time was in Greece undergoing medical treatment. The coup was staged in the city of Benghazi and was over within two hours. Qaddafi… Read More "Qaddafi – The Man and His Rise to Power"
The Assassination of Ambassador John Gordon Mein, Guatemala, 1968
Eight U.S. Ambassadors have died while on duty, six of whom were killed in armed attacks. The most recent was Chris Stevens, who died during the September 11, 2012 attack on Benghazi. (The other two ambassadors died in airplane crashes.) On August 28, 1968, Ambassador John Gordon Mein became the first U.S. ambassador to be… Read More "The Assassination of Ambassador John Gordon Mein, Guatemala, 1968"
In 1968, growing opposition to the failing sociopolitical and economic policies of hard-line Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, led by Antonín Novotný, finally came to a breaking point. Reformist politician Alexander Dubček replaced Novotný as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Slovakia. The period that followed, known as the Prague Spring, saw an expansion in… Read More "A Cold End to the Prague Spring"
Prague Spring as Seen from the Outside – The Utter Impotence of U.S. Policy
Newspapers that had long been the Party mouthpiece were allowed to criticism the government, labor unions were given more rights to speak for their members, people were allowed to speak more freely. The shackles of Soviet totalitarianism were loosened. But only briefly. The Prague Spring, that period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia beginning in January… Read More "Prague Spring as Seen from the Outside – The Utter Impotence of U.S. Policy"