Its core function is to preempt threats and further U.S. national security by collecting foreign intelligence, producing objective analysis, and conducting covert action as directed by the President.
This article delves into the concept of central intelligence, exploring its historical origins, the "intelligence cycle" that drives its operations, the delicate balance between secrecy and democracy, and the technological revolutions reshaping its future. Central Intelligence
: Declassified documents, available through the CIA Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Reading Room , reveal the agency's involvement in major historical events, including the 1953 coup in Iran and involvement in the Iraq-Iran war. Its core function is to preempt threats and further U
Future spies may not steal documents; they will steal DNA. The ability to identify individuals by gait, heartbeat, or facial thermography will make anonymity impossible. : Declassified documents, available through the CIA Freedom
These failures are not bugs; some argue they are features of an unaccountable power. The Church Committee hearings of the 1970s revealed that the CIA had opened domestic mail, administered LSD to unwitting citizens, and plotted assassinations of foreign leaders.