It was definitely eye-opening for me to read "Blowback". The well known CIA cases like Iran and S. American were mentioned. But the author's expertise is in the Asian region. And he mentioned some USA actions down there that have not been so heavily advertised.

The two incidents I remember reading about were Indonesia and S. Korea. The US govt proped up dictators there, thru the CIA, in the fight against Communism. I don't remember the guy's name in S. Korea. But the atrocities committed by his govt surpased those of another incident at the time, Tienamen (sp?) Square. That of course was heavily publicized in the US, where the S. Korean episode was kept quiet here.

>This is why I have a difficult time with posters who will insist that the U.S. has no covert activities going on in some countries. Of course, it is never publicized, but when I have friends somewhere specific doing something specific, it is difficult to read the absolute statements I see sometimes.
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>>>Listen, one may find enough web links saying that USA supported Saddam in the war with Iran and Bin Laden in the war with Soviets.
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>>Right - who is that guy Brzezinsky to say the latter in his interview - find "Le Nouvel Observateur's Interview with Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter's National Security Adviser, Published 15-21 January 1998"
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>>Le Nouvel Observateur: Former CIA director Robert Gates states in his memoirs: The American secret services began six months before the Soviet intervention to support the Mujahideen [in Afghanistan]. At that time you were president Carters security advisor; thus you played a key role in this affair. Do you confirm this statement?
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>>Zbigniew Brzezinski: Yes. According to the official version, the CIA's support for the Mujahideen began in 1980, i.e. after the Soviet army's invasion of Afghanistan on 24 December 1979. But the reality, which was kept secret until today, is completely different: Actually it was on 3 July 1979 that president Carter signed the first directive for the secret support of the opposition against the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul. And on the same day I wrote a note, in which I explained to the president that this support would in my opinion lead to a military intervention by the Soviets.
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>>Le Nouvel Observateur: Despite this risk you were a supporter of this covert action? But perhaps you expected the Soviets to enter this war and tried to provoke it?
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>>Zbigniew Brzezinski: It's not exactly like that. We didn't push the Russians to intervene but we knowingly increased the probability that they would do it.