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(U//FOUO) InSIDer's View of History : 'Local Support' as Stress
Management
FROM:
Chief, Weapons & Space, Operational Analysis Division (S2J4)
Run Date: 07/01/2004
FROM:
Chief, Weapons & Space, Operational Analysis Division (S2J4)
(S//SI//REL) Note from SIGINT Communications: To mark the 25th
anniversary of the Special Collection Service (SCS, aka F6) , we
asked former SCS'ers to contribute stories. Here's one from
(S//SI//REL) At a location where the F6 daily "local support" folder
for the Embassy leadership included untranslated
counterterrorism-related reports and drug lord transcriptions (the
latter often included such colorful language that even a native
speaker might stumble over some of the phrases), I was
summoned one day to the Ambassador's office to answer some
questions.
(S//SI//REL) The Ambassador, a highly sophisticated, educated and
well-known New York lawyer who prided himself on his knowledge
of the local language, called his Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) and
me into his office and closed the door. Given the dangerous
terrorism situation in the country -- terrorists had just blown the
entire front off of our Embassy the week before -- I was sure that I
was about to hear about the most serious threat yet and sat poised
on the edge of a chair, notepad at the ready.
(U//FOUO) The Ambassador turned to me and asked
how
do you translate ((long string of foreign-language expletives))?"
Well, my tested proficiency in even the polite form of the language
was only 3/3, but I could sort out enough of the drift of the
expletives to be rendered totally speechless. Rather than belt out
to our dapper, distinguished Ambassador a long string of words
more unsavory than most have ever heard, I told him I had no
idea; such reporting wasn't, after all, my specialty, and this was
pretty esoteric language.
(U//FOUO) The Ambassador then turned to his deputy and
repeated the question. The DCM, a very polished yet wonderfully
down-to-earth and dutiful man, was as stunned as I and was silent.
His face started to redden, and after about half a minute, the
Ambassador asked him again more sternly, since he knew that the
DCM was fluent in the language. Well, perfect deputy as he was
when questioned by his boss, he eventually took a deep breath and
let fly with a perfect translation into English. The Ambassador
leaned back, grinned and said, "I thought that's what it meant!"
(U//FOUO) Moral: interagency collaboration is truly rewarding,
though at times the subjects are unspeakable...
(U//FOUO) See other editions of InSIDer's View of History :
A Lesson in Personal Accountability
SERIES:
(U) InSIDer's View of
History '04
1. InSIDer's View of
History ... A Lesson
in Personal
Accountability
2. InSIDer's View of
History : How a Four
Star General Once
Waited for a Lowly
Captain to Finish
Eating Lunch
3. InSIDer's View of
History : In SHAPE,
In France
4. InSIDer's View of
History : 'Soviet
Rocket' Strikes
Chicksands
5. InSIDer's View of
History: Onboard Air
Force Two Bound for
Moscow
6. InSIDer's View of
History : Testifying
Before Congress...
Who Turned Out the
Lights?
7. InSIDer's View of
History : Resourceful
NCOs at Goodfellow
8. InSIDer's View of
History : Desert One
- The Iranian
Hostage Rescue
Mission
9. InSIDer's View of
History : SIGINT
Appearing in the
Press
10. InSIDer's View of
History : Meeting
President Reagan
11. InSIDer's View of
History : 'Local
Support' as Stress
Management
How a Four Star General Once Waited for a Lowly Captain to
Finish Eating Lunch
In SHAPE, In France
"Soviet Rocket" Strikes Chicksands
Onboard Air Force 2 Bound for Moscow
Testifying Before Congress... Who Turned Out the Lights?
Resourceful NCOs at Goodfellow
Desert One - The Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission
12. In SID er's View of
History : Quite a
Welcome!
13. In SID er's View of
History : The
Adventure Continues
-- Evacuation from
Belgrade
(U//FOUO) Do YOU have a story to tell? We want to hear it! Please
see the kickoff article for details.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108