The Spy Museum's message: we need them now more than ever. But what's missing from the exhibits?

Since launching his “war on terror,” George W. Bush has touted the need for extraordinary measures in battling shadowy foes such as al-Qaida. However, revelations that such measures include torture, warrantless wiretapping, and the extra-judicial jailing of alleged terrorists in a network of secret CIA prisons have unsettled many Americans. Although such unsavory activities have tarnished the image of America’s covert forces, a snazzy museum in downtown Washington, DC is doing its utmost to remind people just how vital the spooks corps is to the very survival of the republic.
Since opening in July 2002, the International Spy Museum (ISM) has seen nearly three million visitors pass through its doors to ogle all manner of spy gadgetry and paraphernalia. After forking over the $16 dollar admission fee, visitors can spend hours glimpsing the tools of the trade from the espionage world, ranging from a KGB-designed lipstick-gun to a CIA rectal tool kit.
The ISM’s executive director is Peter Earnest, a former CIA man who logged 36 years of service—including two decades as a covert operative, primarily in Europe and the Middle East. Toward the end of his career, from 1979 to 1981, he was the CIA’s chief point man with the Senate. The museum’s advisory board of directors includes former spy supremos like retired KGB general Oleg Kalugin and former CIA director Stansfield Turner. A bevy of leading cryptologists, intelligence-gathering “authorities,” and former CIA officers round out the museum’s stable of advisers.
Given the pedigree of its advisers, the ISM not surprisingly places a heavy emphasis on the 40-year-long Cold War battle waged primarily between the Soviet Union and the United States. And, given its location, it’s also not surprising that Washington’s operatives come off best in this narrative. Missing from the story, however, are some of the less savory aspects of U.S. covert operations. These gaps also help the museum give a particular spin to its post-September 11 message of continued vigilance.

Chile May Raise Copper Production 13% to Meet Increasing Demand

By Tan Hwee Ann
Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Chile, the world's biggest supplier of copper, said miners could raise the country's production of the metal 13 percent by 2010 to meet rising demand.
Production could rise to 6.1 million tons in 2010, from 5.4 million tons last year, Eduardo Titelman, vice president at the Chilean Copper Commission, said today. Codelco, owned by the Chilean government, and BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's largest mining company, mine for the metal in Chile.
Copper prices surged to a record last year as mining companies couldn't expand capacity fast enough and strikes shut down mines. Prices could fall 21 percent this year as supplies increase at a faster pace, the commission said last month.
``We think the trend for this year and next year is to have excess,'' supplies, said Titelman in an interview at a mining conference in Perth, Australia. Prices will be ``oscillating'' this year, he said.
Cash prices for the metal have fallen 14 percent this year on the London Metal Exchange to $5431.50 a ton, or $2.46 a pound yesterday.
Chinese manufacturers are likely to restock inventories this year after cutting back imports last year, which will help to sustain demand and prices, Titelman said.
Chinese imports of copper and copper products fell 19 percent from January to December last year, compared with 2005, the Beijing-based customs office said in January.
Long-term copper prices may settle at between $1.10 and $1.30 a pound, Titelman said.

INNOVATIONS UNDERWAY IN CHILE'S ICE CREAM INDUSTRY

(February 3, 2007) As thermometers climb to 30° C (86° F), ice cream consumption throughout the Chile is at its peak – yet the leading companies of the ice cream industry are already seeking to increase traditionally low winter sales.

Ice cream is associated with hot summer days, and sales reflect the seasonal nature of the cold creamy desert: “Sales between September and March represent about 70% of our total annual sales”, says Paolo Cittadini, head of marketing for Savory, one of Chile’s chief ice cream producers. 40% of these sales are made in the summer months of December, January and February.
The two leaders of the Chilean ice cream industry - Savory, by Nestle, and Brestler, by Unilever - are aiming to increase stagnant winter sales. Marketing strategies in both companies greatly target children – Brestler’s current campaign, “Princesses, Dreams and Strawberries”, features classic Disney princesses, and the “Princess” ice cream bars come with free stickers and temporary tattoos.
Another popular marketing technique concentrates on flavor variety and originality: “Consumers aren’t just looking for a basic ice cream anymore,” says Sergio Olavarrieta, professor of marketing at the University of Chile, “They want a dessert that comes with toppings, fruit, and chocolate”. According to Olavarrieta, this competition has led to the wide variety of ice cream available in Chile: “The two main companies are constantly fighting against each other with promotions and new products, so it’s the consumer who reaps the benefits,” he says. (ST November 5, 2006)
Per capita, Chile is the number-one consumer of ice cream in Latin America and number ten in the world, according to the Chilean government’s Consumer Review (Sernac). On average, Chileans consume six liters of ice cream per person each year, and families spend almost USD$16 per month on frozen treats. (ST November 5, 2006)
As Savory and Nestle battle to increase winter sales, Chileans will see an even broader variety of flavors, greater promotions, and increased marketing campaigns in the coming months.