Tim Weiner, Columnist

A Long History of Untruthiness by U.S. Intelligence

July 3, 2013 at 10:24 PM UTC

Tim Weiner has reported on national security for the New York Times and won the National Book Award for "Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA."

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America’s chief intelligence officers have a longstanding history of untruthiness -- testifying falsely and fearlessly.

They are caught in a dilemma -- sworn to secrecy yet sworn to tell the truth. Sometimes they get their facts wrong; that’s human error. But sometimes their untruths are conscious. Soldiers can die as a consequence.