I, Spy

The second most fascinating museum I found in Washington DC was the International Spy Museum. And the most fascinating thing I discovered at the museum was that everything I thought I knew about espionage was untrue. I remember reading James Grady’s “Six Days of the Condor” as a teenager and thinking that the James Bond novels were really not all about it at all. Robert Ludlum’s works are closer to the truth, I thought. Or even Tom Clancy. Then I read Efraim Halevy’s “Man in the Shadows” which taught me that the clandestine world of espionage is basically guided by a simple rule – be invisible.

The International Spy Museum invited me to leave my preconceptions behind. I was shown how operatives live the most perfect double lives. I learned that yes, many do use all sorts of gadgets in the pursuit of their spycraft, while others are so ordinary that I may pass them hundreds of times daily and never see them.

I was fascinated to learn how six US diplomats made their way out of revolutionary Iran in 1979, with the help of the Canadian ambassador. I was intrgued by the museum’s interpretation of Moses as a gatherer of intelligence, which he then applied to successfully bring about the collapse of the Egyptian ruling class. Biblical exegesis par excellence!

My visit to the International spy museum taught me not only history, but also the secret history of history. Amazing! I found out that numerous – many – celebrities also led (and I guess still lead) double lives; film stars, sports professionals, academics who have all been in the employ of their nation, while everyone else thought they were singers or actresseses, basketball players or nuclear physicists. So many people whom we all recognize were, in fact, something completely different to what everyone thought they were (and are, I guess).

Naturally, some spies eventually make mistakes and get caught. I gained some insight into the escape and/or capture of such well-know agents as Kim Philby and Roger Aldrich. I was spellbound by the true stories of the counter-espionage methods used by all intelligence agencies in their constant examination of themselves, and entralled primarily by the “invisible-ness” of this entire industry. And what an industry it is!

Entry to the museum is controlled. I was given 5 minutes upon arrival to memorize the details of a fictitious cover (there are about 15 such available to choose from): date and place of birth, fictitious name, destination, purpose, etc. Later on, at selected interactive stations in the museum, I was asked about the details of my identity and how they meshed with parts of the exhibit I had just experienced. Fortunately for me, there was no punishment for being “caught.”

Located in Washington DC’s Penn Quarter neighborhood and built at a cost of some $40 million, this incredibly interesting museum is a private operation and one of few in DC that charge an entrance fee. But, it was a fee for which I got so much more than my money’s worth! Its Board of Directors includes numerous former intelligence operatives - sometimes a source of debate in the beltway - who have lent their expertise to the creation of this captivating, authentic experience.

Or is it perhaps just an illusion of authenticity?

I’ll never know.