Jezebel: spies

Meghan Thinks The GOP Is Scared; Pat Thinks You're Gay

Megan — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Meghan McCain thinks older Republicans are scared shitless at the thought of changing their position on same-sex marriage. She doesn't realize that it's because their boyfriends might start demanding it. [Huffington Post]

American journalist Roxana Seberi has been jailed in Iran on charges of spying that even Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad considers specious. [NY Times]
That's slightly different than Congresswoman Jane Harman trying to get actual charges for actual spies dropped in exchange for lobbyists to work on getting her a Committee gavel. [CQ]
Hey, y'all, apparently Rahm Emanuel needed some guy in Israel to remind him he's Jewish. Was there a picture snapped of him eating bacon? [Jerusalem Post]
At the Summit of the Americas, there was no violence and Obama promised to pay attention to human rights abuses and not assassinate Bolivian President Evo Morales. [NY Times]
Republicans, naturally, are pissed. [Politico]
Former CIA-chief and torture apologist Michael Hayden says that Obama, by releasing details of all the ways Hayden liked to torture people, Obama is putting America at risk. And, by America, he means "Michael Hayden." [CNN]
He should be scared, because the UN is calling for his prosecution. Just kidding! [ThinkProgress]
Rush Limbaugh says that John McCain is proof that torture works. He doesn't care that he just announced his support for re-making the American government in the image of North Vietnam. [ThinkProgress]
Senator Claire McCaskill and lots of other people think it's unseemly to have a torture-advocate on the federal bench as a judge, and so they might try to impeach him. [ThinkProgress]
There's a dude in the White House whose sole job it is to read letters and give 10 a day to Obama. [NY Times]
Pat Robertson called the bureaucrats at DHS a bunch of closet cases. For one, Pat Robertson should know. For two, members of the party of Larry Craig should probably be careful of starting gay witch hunts. [ThinkProgress]

Julia Child: International Woman Of Mystery

Sadie — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:20:00 EDT

Awesome! It seems that during World War II, French Chef Julia Child was a spy — one can only assume the least inconspicuous spy in the history of the world. It has just been revealed that Child was part of an international anti-Nazi spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA. The previously classified files will identify the "nearly 24,000 spies who formed the first centralized intelligence effort by the United States." The OSS, which included civilians from all walks of life, "studied military plans, created propaganda, infiltrated enemy ranks and stirred resistance among foreign troops." Post-war, the agency was absorbed into the nascent CIA, and the many spies in the network never spoke about their covert activities. "I was told to keep my mouth shut," says 93-year-old Walter Mess. Or, in the case of Julia, to fill it with foie gras. [AP]

Badass British Broad Led Thousands Of French Fighters To Glory

Jessica — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EDT

The exploits of Pearl Cornioley, a British spy who led thousands of French Resistance fighters in guerrilla missions against the Germans, were just declassified by English intelligence, says today's International Herald Tribune. We wrote about her death earlier this month, and now that more information has come to light about her daring, it's clear she was a total badass. According to the IHT, Pearl, who went by the alias Genevieve Touzalin, concealed secret messages in the hem of her skirt when she was parachuted in from England. She started her spying career as a secretary for the Air Ministry, but she really wanted to get her hands dirty, so she used her French fluency (she was raised by British expats in France) to secure a position as a Special Operations Executive agent. At first, her superiors didn't think she was anything special, but her aim with a pistol was "Probably the best shot (male or female) we have had yet," according to recently-declassified documents.

According to the IHT, after parachuting into France, Pearl "interrupted the Paris-Bordeaux railway line more than 800 times and attacked convoys in June 1944, the month of the D-Day invasion." In fact, says the paper, Pearl was so pivotal to the French Resistance effort that "the Nazis issued a 1 million franc award for her capture."

Her story gets even more novelistically romantic post-WWII. Apparently, during the war, Pearl fell in love with a French fighter named Henri, and their affair is allegedly the basis for the Sebastian Faulks novel Charlotte Gray.

The British government tried to honor Pearl with a civilian award for her service after the war, but she refused it. In a letter to the Air Ministry, Pearl wrote, "The men have relieved military decorations, why this discrimination with women when they put the best of themselves into the accomplishment of their duties? I must say that the MBE looks puny. If I wear a decoration, I wish to be proud of it."

Pearl finally received her military honor — "parachute wings" — in 2001. I can already picture Cate Blanchett (who starred in the movie version of Charlotte Gray!) in the film adaptation of Pearl's life, her blond tresses glinting in the Normandy sun while she leads the French Resistance fighters to glory.

Female British Spy's Exploits During World War II Are Revealed [IHT]
The Brave Secretary Who Became One Of Britain's Top Women Wartime Secret Agents [This Is London]

Earlier: Strong Women

Al Gore Not Running For President, Son In Rehab: Coincidence? We Think Not

Jennifer — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 19:15:28 EDT

Al "I'm The Man Who Was Elected President, But Whatever I'm A Movie Star Now" Gore has "fallen out of love" with politics, he says. And thus will not be running for president... again. If this is true, what a drama queen! If this isn't true, what an even bigger drama queen! Simmer down, Al! (And if you need some help with that, we're sure your son has some pills that could help.) [CNN]
We [heart] brave kittens. Especially when they're better swimmers than we'll ever be. [ABCNews]
The list of that D.C. madam's hooker-hiring politicians goes public! God, this is going to be more entertaining to watch than an America's Next Top Model. [The Smoking Gun]
Taking "til death do us part" to a whole other level, a Welsh couple commit joint suicide after finding out that the husband had only a few weeks to live. In their suicide notes, they said they knew they could not live without one another. Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro: You guys are jokes. [Daily Mail UK]

Our mother always told us that swimming pools were scary places. And just now had we mustered up the strength to buy our first-ever bathing suit in attempt to get over our fears. Then we read this. Bathing suit: Now in a drawer forever. [ABCNews]
MTV has ordered a 4th season of Laguna Beach. What's that sound? Oh yes, our souls shattering. [Star]
Good news for Russia: You're all over the runways! Bad news for Russia: It's looking more and more like you poison your own kind. [NYT]
DailyCandy-ites rejoice: Sex and the City: The Movie is going to happen, at last. [E!]
6 U.S. casualties identified. [DoD]