Central Intelligence Agency

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government.

Organization

History

The Agency, created in 1947 by President Harry S. Truman, is a descendant of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) of World War II. The OSS was dissolved in October 1945 but William J. Donovan (aka Wild Bill to both his friends and enemies), the creator of the OSS, had submitted a proposal to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 calling for a new organization having direct Presidential supervision, "which will procure intelligence both by overt and covert methods and will at the same time provide intelligence guidance, determine national intelligence objectives, and correlate the intelligence material collected by all government agencies." Despite strong opposition from the military, the State Department, and the FBI, Truman established the Central Intelligence Group in January 1946. Later under the National Security Act of 1947 (which became effective on September 18, 1947) the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency were established.

Related Topics:
1947 - Harry S. Truman - Office of Strategic Services - World War II - 1945 - William J. Donovan - Franklin D. Roosevelt - 1944 - Covert - State Department - FBI - 1946 - National Security Act of 1947 - September 18 - National Security Council

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In 1949, the Central Intelligence Agency Act (also called "Public Law 110") was passed, permitting the agency to use confidential fiscal and administrative procedures and exempting it from many of the usual limitations on the use of federal funds. The act also exempted the CIA from having to disclose its "organization, functions, officials, titles, salaries, or numbers of personnel employed." It also created a program called "PL-110" to handle defectors and other "essential aliens" outside normal immigration procedures, as well as give those persons cover stories and economic support. http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/tenetvdoe-petresp.pdf

Related Topics:
1949 - Central Intelligence Agency Act

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During the first years of its existence, other branches of government did not exercise much control over the Agency. This was often justified by a desire to defeat and match the activities of the KGB across the globe, a task that many believed could only be accomplished through an equally ungentlemanly approach. As a result, few in government inquired too closely into CIA activity. The rapid expansion of the Agency and a developing sense of independence under DCI Allen Dulles added to this trend.

Related Topics:
KGB - Allen Dulles

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Things came to a head in the early 1970s, around the time of the Watergate affair. One dominant feature of political life during this period were the attempts of the Democratic Congress to extend its powers and oversight over other branches of government. Revelations about past CIA activities provided both the opportunity and the motive to carry out this process in the sphere of intelligence operations. The involvement of ex-CIA agents in the Watergate break-ins and the fact Nixon tried get the CIA to block Watergate investigations by appointing James R. Schlesinger as DCI hastened the Agency's fall from grace.

Related Topics:
Watergate - James R. Schlesinger

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Schlesinger had commissioned a series of reports on past CIA wrongdoing produced while he was DCI. These reports, known euphemistically as "the Family Jewels", were kept close to the Agency's chest until an article by Seymour Hersh in the New York Times broke the news that the CIA had been involved in the assassination of foreign leaders and kept files on some seven thousand American citizens involved in the peace movement (Operation CHAOS). Commissions were ordered and the CIA fiercly investigated. Around the christmas of 1974/5, another blow was struck by Congress when they blocked covert intervention in Angola.

Related Topics:
Seymour Hersh - Operation CHAOS - Angola

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The CIA was subsequently somewhat emasculated. While collection of foreign intelligence on U.S. citizenry has always been prohibited by its charter, the restrictions and oversight of the 1970s cut into the CIA's intelligence-gathering powers at home. Any such operation against a U.S. citizen must fall within its counterespionage or antiterrorist purview and requires senior approval, up to and including the Director of National Intelligence or the Attorney General for certain operations.

Related Topics:
Counterespionage - Director of National Intelligence - Attorney General

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Today, the Central Intelligence Agency reports to U.S. Congressional committees but also answers to the President directly. The National Security Advisor is a permanent cabinet member responsible for briefing the President on pertinent information collected from all U.S. intelligence agencies including the National Security Agency, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and others.

Related Topics:
Congressional - President - National Security Advisor - Cabinet - National Security Agency - Drug Enforcement Agency

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Some critics have charged that this violates the requirement in the U.S. Constitution that the federal budget be openly published.

Related Topics:
U.S. Constitution - Federal budget

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In 1988, President George H. W. Bush became the first former head of the CIA to become President of the United States.

Related Topics:
1988 - George H. W. Bush

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On January 25, 1993, Mir Amir Kansi murdered 2 people and injured 3 others in their cars in front of CIA headquarters in Langley. Kansi was later captured and was executed in 2002.

Related Topics:
January 25 - 1993 - Mir Amir Kansi - 2002

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Structure

CIA activities fall into four categories. The Directorate of Intelligence (DI) deals with the collection and processing of information on foreign targets. The Directorate of Operations is responsible for the clandestine collection of foreign intelligence and covert action. The Directorate of Science and Technology creates and applies innovative technology in support of the intelligence collection mission. Finally the Directorate of Support ensures the smooth running of the Agency as a whole.

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Relationship with other agencies

The CIA has strong links with other intelligence organisations, namely its Canadian counterpart, CSIS, which is headed by Jim Judd. The CIA acts as the primary American provider of central intelligence estimates. It makes use of the surveillance satellites of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the signal interception capabilities of the NSA, including the Echelon system, the surveillance aircraft of the various branches of the U.S. armed forces and the analysts of the State Department and Department of Energy. At one stage, the CIA even operated its own fleet of U-2 surveillance aircraft. The agency has also operated alongside regular military forces, and also employs a group of clandestine officers with paramilitary skills in its Special Activities Division. Micheal Spann, a CIA officer killed in November 2001 during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, was one such individual.

Related Topics:
CSIS - Jim Judd - Satellite - National Reconnaissance Office - NSA - Echelon - State Department - Department of Energy - U-2 - Paramilitary - Special Activities Division - Micheal Spann - 2001 - U.S. invasion of Afghanistan

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Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

The head of the CIA is given the title Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (DCIA).

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Before April 21, 2005, the DCIA was known as the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and was not only the head of the CIA but also the leader of the entire U.S. Intelligence Community. In this role, he was the President's principal advisor on intelligence matters until introduction of the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) was created in response to the 9/11 Commission's recommendations.

Related Topics:
April 21 - 2005 - Intelligence Community - Director of National Intelligence - 9/11 Commission

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The current Director of the CIA is Porter Goss, who was nominated by President George W. Bush on 10 August, 2004 and was confirmed by the Senate on 21 September. Goss inherits the post previously held by John E. McLaughlin, who served as interim director after longtime director George Tenet resigned on 3 June, 2004 and left the post on 11 July. Goss previously served as head of the House Intelligence Committee as a representative from Florida.

Related Topics:
Porter Goss - George W. Bush - 10 August - 2004 - Senate - 21 September - John E. McLaughlin - George Tenet - 3 June - 11 July - House Intelligence Committee - Florida

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