SPRING MEETING IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WITH GEORGE TENET OQUIRRH INSTITUTE MEETS GEORGE TENET ON RED-LETTER DAY Tenet entertains Oquirrh Institute at CIA headquarters mere hours before he resigns George Tenet says the CIA is not a place of happy stories, but the Oquirrh Institute contingent who took a tour of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and visited privately for an hour with then-Director Tenet, came away with some happy—and surprisingly historic—memories. When the Oquirrh entourage disembarked from the bus in front of the unmarked building at 2:30 p.m. on June 3, 2004, little did anyone know what a red-letter day it was going to be for their host, George Tenet, who resigned his post as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency mere hours after charming his guests in the boardroom of the CIA headquarters. After leaving all personal electronic devices behind, Institute guests were shown an array of innocent-looking, low-tech gadgets, such as writing pens, umbrellas, and cigarettes that could instantly become lethal weapons. Particularly chilling were the guns sleek enough to be carried within the fold of a newspaper. The display, part of the CIA’s onsite museum, even contained special tools designed to retrieve and replace the contents of a sealed envelope without detection. At first glance, the museum could have passed for the prop room of the James Bond 007 movies; but in actuality, the collection features an historical progression of artifacts that are no longer classified as top secret, including weapons, spy equipment, important documents, and photographs. Of special note were the cameras that came in every size and shape, from the large, high-powered equipment on tripods, to those disguised within a woman’s broach. We were also shown a micro-dot, the size of a period at the end of a sentence, capable of transmitting information; and were told how animals—both real and robotic—are used in undercover work, including robotic dragonflies, robotic fish, and trained birds. So, in other words, when a CIA agent says that “a little birdie told him,” he just may be telling the truth. In a quick lesson delivered around a large aerial photograph of Washington, D.C., inlaid in the floor at the far end of the museum, the tour guide helped the Oquirrh group analyze the photograph to determine the season, the time of day (the Washington Monument is the world’s largest sundial), and nearly the day of the week on which the picture was taken. But her tutorial did not help our group pick up on any clues as to George Tenet’s impending resignation. Or perhaps it was Tenet’s years of training and CIA experience that allowed him to maintain his down-to-earth, affable front, without revealing a trace of what lay ahead for him. In fact, true to his well-known charismatic persona, Tenet regaled his guests for over an hour with tales of the highs and lows of his exhausting seven years as leader of the nation’s intelligence community. He obviously took great pride in the quality—and quantity—of new CIA recruits, stating that the best and brightest students and graduates are applying to the CIA because they love their country and want to be of service. After 9/11, the CIA had over 100,000 applicants for 2,200 slots,” Tenet said, “in comparison to 20,000 pre-9/11. Students who would have previously gone on to become medical doctors or pilots are now applying with us.” Tenet impressed all with his seasoned blend of intelligence, humor, and candidness as he opened the session up for questions. Paradoxically, amid the obvious burden he bore as CIA boss, he had everyone roaring with laughter at his off-the-cuff one-liners. To paraphrase the Director: “If you see any of my men stopping to smell the roses, it’s probably because they’re searching for dead bodies.” But he didn’t hide the fact that the core business of the CIA is nothing but worries. Paraphrasing again: “Oh yeah, we worry. That’s all we do is worry. My single greatest worry every day is that terrorists will strike again on U.S. soil. Any day in which that doesn’t happen is a good day for me. It is the main thing that I am focused on.” When Tenet’s shocking announcement that he was leaving the CIA for “personal reasons” hit the airwaves the next morning, stunned Oquirrh Institute members hoped that at least now he will actually have a chance to stop and smell the roses . . . without the dead bodies.