Guest Column: D-Day

August 9th, 2007 | Trento's Take | | Leave a comment

For most Americans, June 6, 1944 is remembered as D-Day.

For me, it’s August 10, 1949.

Far more meaningful to me in terms of America’s long-term history – largely because the results of what happened that day continue to reverberate – it’s anniversary will, not at all surprisingly, once again pass virtually unnoticed.

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Trento’s Column: Bobby and J. Edgar – A New Secret History

June 12th, 2007 | Trento's Take | | Leave a comment

My colleague Burton Hersh has a new book out that is well worth reading to understand the context of contemporary history. I recommend Bobby and J. Edgar: The Bitter Face-Off Between The Kennedys and Hoover (Carrol & Graf, $27.95). Hersh understands the Kennedys better then any other living historian. He also has something rare for a historian – Hersh understands the intelligence community and how its leadership targets and manipulates Presidents through the men around them. The lessons in this book about the 1950s and 60s apply very well to how easy it is to manipulate the politically ambitious.

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Trento’s Column: The Silence of Ira Silverman

April 26th, 2007 | Trento's Take | | Leave a comment

The Robert Levinson saga continues with the former FBI agent still in custody in Tehran. NBC producer Ira Silverman, who first introduced Levinson to American fugitive Dawud Salahuddin (formerly known as David Belfield), has yet to explain his role in Levinson’s trip to Iran. Levinson and Salahuddin met on Kish Island March 7 just before the FBI veteran was detained by the Iranian intelligence service.

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Trento’s Column: Levinson Had Damaging Information on Iranian Leadership

April 20th, 2007 | Trento's Take | | Leave a comment

David Belfield in Istanbul in October 1996.
David Belfield in Istanbul in October 1996.
Iran is dissembling. Despite official denials, the government there has had former FBI agent Robert Levinson under their control since March 8. The semantic game they are playing has to do with who in Iran is holding Levinson. New information from the last man known to meet with Levinson may demonstrate that the Iranians may have a very good reason for not owning up to be holding Levinson. It seems the former FBI agent in their custody may have brought highly embarrassing allegations of wrongdoing about at least one top-tier former Iranian leader. The National Security News Service has obtained the name of the former Iranian leader in question but is not releasing it at this time. 

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