CURVY. I've been told by people with experience in such things that the relationship between handler and source in the intelligence community tends to be quite close. Thus, I'm not at all surprised that the Germans are still protecting Curveball, even after the information he provided has been proven demonstrably false. The situation is similar to that between a police officer and an informant, and we have ample evidence of the potential for abuse in that relationship. The cultivation of this kind of source creates not only a personal relationship, but often also leads to professional advancement. Burning the source means burning the handler, and this has all kinds of consequences for organizational trust, amity, etc. Thus, mistakes go unpunished, and Curveball lives a comfortable life.
--Robert Farley
