Clicking on banner ads enables JWR to constantly improve
Jewish World Review March 27, 2000 / 20 Adar II, 5760

Chris Matthews

Matthews
JWR's Pundits
World Editorial
Cartoon Showcase

Mallard Fillmore

Michael Barone
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
David Corn
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Larry Elder
Don Feder
Suzanne Fields
Paul Greenberg
Bob Greene
Betsy Hart
Nat Hentoff
David Horowitz
Arianna Huffington
Marianne Jennings
Michael Kelly
Mort Kondracke
Ch. Krauthammer
Lawrence Kudlow
Dr. Laura
John Leo
David Limbaugh
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Michael Medved
MUGGER
Kathleen Parker
Debbie Schlussel
Wes Pruden
Sam Schulman
Roger Simon
Tony Snow
Thomas Sowell
Cal Thomas
Jonathan S. Tobin
Ben Wattenberg
George Will
Bruce Williams
Walter Williams
Mort Zuckerman

Consumer Reports
Newswatch

Econophone

Trakdata


The secret life of a CIA wife


http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- JOE KIYONAGA was an unknown American patriot.

Born in Hawaii of Japanese descent, he dedicated his life to his country, first as an officer with the "Go for Broke" 442nd regiment in World War II, then as an operative with the Cold War CIA.

Joe's first bit of renown came after his death in 1977. A New York Times obituary cited his direct descent from a famous Japanese woodcut artist, his service in the highly-decorated 442nd and his career with the Central Intelligence Agency in Japan, El Salvador, Panama and Brazil.

It was this last item that made history. Joe Kiyonaga was the first CIA operative ever to be "surfaced" in this way, to have his career of heroic undercover service to be exposed in the press.

His wife, Bina, knows a story of even deeper subterfuge: that of a CIA operative's spouse. A neighbor of mine, she shared Joe's life as an operative in Japan, then as a station chief in El Salvador, Panama and Brazil.

"We lied about our husbands' jobs, stalled inquisitive policemen, befriended ministers' wives, kept our ears open at parties, deflected the children's questions and worried in silence, alone. We were the CIA wives. You never even knew us."

Obeying her husband's dying wish, Bina has just ended the mystery with "My Spy," her first-hand account of those trying, exciting years undercover.

"Here I was, serving on charity boards and attending ladies' lunches. You keep your eyes and ears open, even at something as mundane as a school tea."

What Bina Kiyonaga also did was raise children who could keep secrets as well as their parents.

"They experienced the extraordinary patriotism of an American posted abroad, even if they couldn't say what their father did."

As for her own feelings about the dangers that daily faced her Japanese-American spouse?

"A deep-cover wife lives with the knowledge that her husband is expendable. If he is caught, neither the U.S. government nor the CIA will rise to his defense. He's in deep trouble unless he can talk his way out of it."

The United States did not deserve the old Central Intelligence Agency -- the CIA. We in the United States were too unsophisticated, too democratic, too open -- and too dumb -- to realize that for a secret agency to succeed it had to be just that, secret.



JWR contributor Chris Matthews is the author of Hardball. and hosts a CNBC show of the same name. Send your comments to him by clicking here.

Up

03/22/00: 'We're suckers for underdogs'
03/20/00: Bush's California dream vs. reality
03/06/00: Scary Gore vs. hopeful Bush
03/06/00: McCain's appeal to 'Reagan Democrats'
03/01/00: John McCain fits a hero's profile
02/28/00: Grading the American presidents
02/25/00: Clinton remains No. 1 issue
02/23/00: Will Ross Perot aid POW McCain?
02/18/00: McCain faces fury of GOP establishment
02/17/00: Citizen Springer
02/14/00: McCainia and the frisky independents
02/07/00: A prime-time primary for California
02/02/00: Clinton's final campaign: Take the blame
01/31/00: Which GOPer is willing to pay for his positions?
01/27/00: John McCain's gay radar
01/25/00: This time, candidates get 'authenticity' check
01/18/00: AIDS dooms 1 in 4 in tiny Swaziland
01/13/00: Complacency might be the campaign key
01/10/00: A choice, not an echo
01/06/00: The role of a lifetime
01/03/00: Dangers in Gore's dirty war
12/30/99: Churchill's fighting words saved the century
12/28/99: Candidate Gore's separation anxiety
12/17/99: Catch 22: Leading candidates don't lead
12/17/99: New Democratic leader on the horizon
12/15/99: Is Hillary clueless?
12/08/99: Taking Buchananism to the streets
12/03/99: Why are we so obsessed with 'spin'?
12/01/99: Donald Trump, 'Sinatra of Steel'
11/29/99: Why AlGore will be our next president
11/23/99: After the fall
11/17/99: Our conveniently forgetful president
11/15/99: Next president: Male, WASP, self-selected
11/10/99: Backroom Bill
11/08/99: Please don't feed the 'pander bears'
11/03/99: Battle of the Bubba clones
11/01/99: Pat Buchanan, kamikaze candidate
10/27/99: The year of the woman... voter
10/25/99: The Curse of the Bubba
10/21/99: GOP gives Clinton his finest hour
10/18/99: Clinton's last hurrah
10/13/99: Rough seas for Capt. Ventura
10/11/99: Gore targets Bradley's strength
10/06/99: Bradley's got the right Rx
10/04/99: Buchanan, Churchill and Hitler
09/30/99: Who'll spin political gold in Golden State — Gore or Bradley?
09/27/99: Here's a millennial checklist for candidates
09/22/99: The biography battle
09/20/99: Buchanan's new book is a must-read
09/15/99: Don't rule out Beatty
09/13/99: The man with the sun on his face
09/08/99: W. vs. Jr. on dope and the draft
The FALN: Hillary's Willie Horton
08/26/99: Bill's guilt fuels Hill's race
08/25/99: The seemingly inexhaustible strength of America's free enterprise
08/23/99: GOP candidates are weak also-rans
08/16/99: Bubba on Bubba
08/11/99: Hillary's agonizing attempts to understand
08/09/99: With warm regards, Richard Nixon
08/04/99: Weicker: real third party is on the Left
08/02/99: Dubyah's last hangover
07/27/99: Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh; capitalism is gonna win

© 2000, NEA