Final Word from Monday, March 11, 2019

When espionage writer John le Carré appeared at the Hay Festival in May 2013, he was asked whether it was difficult to get a security clearance to join the British intelligence services given that his father, Ronnie Cornwell, was a "five-star conman" who was "really, seriously bent." "You don't understand at all," he responded. "The attractiveness of someone with a semi-criminal background is practically irresistible to the spooks," he said. "You've got to be looking for the aberrant people." The rules, of course, have traditionally been different for politicians, given how prominent they are in democratic society, but when the larcenous, secret and conventional worlds (to use le Carré's terminology) happen to intersect, it makes the job of the spymasters all that much easier. At CIA headquarters in Langley, Andrej Babiš was able to speak not only fluent English, but also perfect spy-talk. He didn't need any translation or prepping when he was told what was expected of him. [ Czech Republic VA Virginia Washington, DC United States Donald Trump visit ]

Glossary of difficult words

conman - a man who cheats or tricks someone by means of a confidence trick;

bent - dishonest; corrupt;

spook - spy;

aberrant - departing from an accepted standard;

larcenous - related to the theft of personal property;

to prep - to prepare (someone).

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