◆ SpookStack

Oh Scarcity of Linguists 9. Very few project personnel spoke Spanish or had Latin- American background knowledge. In a number of instances those senior operating personnel in the field stations that did speak Spanish had to be interrupted in their regular duties merely in order to act as interpreters. This lack occurred in part because of the scarcity of Spanish linguists in the Agency and in part because WH Division did not transfer to the project sufficient numbers of its own Spanish speakers. 10. There were many other examples of improper use of skilled personnel. In many instances, case officers were used merely as “handholders" for agents and technical specialists were used as stevedores. Some of the people who served the project on contract turned out to be incompetent. ll. Staffing of the project was defective because the whole Clandestine Services staffing system, with absolute power being exercised by the division and branch chiefs, is defective. Each division seeks to guard its own assets; scanty recognition is given to the respective priorities of the various projects. 12. In spite of the foregoing, there were a great many excellent people in the project who worked effectively and who developed considerably in the course of their work. It should also be emphasized that, almost without exception, personnel