Word: devlin
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Mobutu rose to power in part because of his native ability as a leader and orator and his physical courage in the face of danger, qualities that impressed the CIA and other sponsors. "I was given a number of individuals to spot and assess," recalls Larry Devlin, the CIA agent who guided Mobutu in the early 1960s. "Even though he was only 29 at the time, everyone who saw him recognized his intelligence and personal presence; he acted like an African leader -- understanding his supporters as well as his opponents; he was the best political mind on the scene." Mobutu...
...kids used to say, 'Ha, ha, shut up, shrimp,' " recalls Jonas Devlin. The Stratford, Conn., eighth-grader is not disabled or deformed; he is merely very short. At 13, he is 4 ft. 7 in., or 6 in. shorter than 97% of the kids his age. But Jonas has high hopes: since he began therapy with human growth hormone three years ago, he has started to grow at a normal pace. The height gap between him and his peers is no longer widening, and it may eventually shrink. Jonas already notices the difference: "Now, because I'm growing faster...
...many unhappy kids who suffer from extreme shortness, the prospect of even a couple more inches seems worth the trouble. Jonas Devlin has no dreams of being a Larry Bird or a Michael Jordan. His goal is considerably more modest: "I would like to be tall enough so that when I sit, my feet will reach the floor...