how did the cia begin

What does the CIA really do?

What is CIA? The CIA is a U.S. government agency that provides objective intelligence on foreign countries and global issues to the president, the National Security Council, and other policymakers to help them make national security decisions.

Why and how the CIA was created?

Who created the CIA and why? The Central Intelligence Agency was created on July 26, 1947, when Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act into law. A major impetus for the creation of the agency was growing tensions with the USSR following the end of World War II.

Which president started the CIA?

Truman himself had similar concerns, but as the Cold War heated up, he became more open to its development. After much discussion and debate over structure, Truman finally signed the National Security Act in September 1947, which gave birth to the CIA.

What degree do you need to work for the CIA?

Individuals wanting to work for the CIA are required to earn at minimum a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as International affairs, International business, national security, foreign studies, business administration or political sciences. The candidate needs to possess a bachelor degree with a minimum score of 3.0 gpa.

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How was the CIA created?

The National Security Act of 1947 established CIA as an independent, civilian intelligence agency within the executive branch. The Act charged CIA with coordinating the Nation's intelligence activities and, among other duties, collecting, evaluating, and disseminating intelligence affecting national security.

What was the initial purpose of the CIA?

When the CIA was created, its purpose was to create a clearinghouse for foreign policy intelligence and analysis. Today, its primary purpose is to collect, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate foreign intelligence, and to carry out covert operations.

Why did Truman create the CIA?

While Truman may have envisioned the CIA as a daily newspaper providing information on developments around the globe that could affect American foreign policy, the agency quickly evolved into an organization that also conducted covert operations similar to its OSS predecessor.

How much do CIA agents make?

Job outlook and salary The Bureau of Labor Statistics includes CIA officers along with all law enforcement officers in its pay estimates for police officers and sheriffs. According to the BLS, these individuals earn a median annual salary of $64,610. Compare other careers that are part of the CIA's roster of careers.

What are CIA agents called?

Contrary to popular belief or what is seen in film and television series, US-born, professional employees trained to work as Intelligence Officers for the National Clandestine Service (CIA) are never referred to as "secret agents", "spies", "agents" or "special agents", they are known as 'Operations Officers' or 'Case ...

What was the precursor to the CIA?

In January 1946, President Truman created the Central Intelligence Group (CIG), which was the direct precursor to the CIA.

Why is CIA called the company?

It is sometimes claimed that this name originates from the association of the initials CIA with cia., which is the Spanish abbreviation of the word compañía, i.e. 'company'.

What did the CIA do during the Cold War?

During the Cold War, CIA technical operations included the bugging of the Soviet military's major communications line in East Germany and the development of reconnaissance aircraft such as the U-2 and spy satellites capable of photographing targets as small as a rocket silo.

What was the original purpose of the CIA quizlet?

Agency created by the National Security Act of 1947 to expand the government's espionage capacities and ability to thwart communism through covert activities. - CIA functions came to include propaganda, sabotage, economic warfare, and support for anti-Communist forces around the world.

What was the role of the CIA in the Cold War quizlet?

What was the role of the CIA in the Cold War? To gather intelligences and to carry out secret operations against unfriendly govts.

What was the role of the CIA in the Cold War?

During the Cold War, CIA technical operations included the bugging of the Soviet military's major communications line in East Germany and the development of reconnaissance aircraft such as the U-2 and spy satellites capable of photographing targets as small as a rocket silo.

What was the CIA called during ww2?

Office of Strategic Services (OSS)Office of Strategic Services (OSS), agency of the U.S. federal government (1942–45) formed for the purpose of obtaining information about and sabotaging the military efforts of enemy nations during World War II.

When did the CIA start?

With many of the former OSS leaders still on hand in Washington, he first established a Central Intelligence Group and a National Intelligence Agency in 1946. Then, in 1947, Congress passed the National Security Act, which led to the formation of the National Security Council and the CIA as it’s known today.

What is the CIA?

Sources: The CIA, or Central Intelligence Agency, is the U.S. government agency tasked primarily with gathering intelligence and international security information from foreign countries. The controversial spy agency’s history dates back to World War II, and it played a key role in U.S. efforts to combat the Axis powers during that conflict, ...

What was the CIA behind the Bay of Pigs invasion?

For example, declassified government records suggest that the CIA was behind the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. The agency recruited Cuban exiles living in the United States and trained them in military tactics for an invasion of the island nation that had come under the leadership of communist Fidel Castro following a revolution.

What was Air America used for?

However, reports suggest that agency operatives became involved with groups engaged in the Asian opium and heroin trade, and that Air America was used to ship drugs around the region.

What was the purpose of Air America?

From the 1950s through the 1970s, a CIA-operated cargo and passenger airline company—called Air America—was created to enable the agency to access the areas in Southeast Asia that the U.S. military could not have a presence in under the Geneva Convention.

Who was the first CIA director?

The post of CIA Director has been held by a number of important figures, including former Democratic Congressman Leon Panetta, who was President Barack Obama ’s first CIA Director. Panetta was in charge when the agency’s “harsh interrogation” techniques—used in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks—were publicly revealed.

Who was the first president to establish the Office of Strategic Services?

With that in mind, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner to today’s CIA, and appointed New York lawyer and World War I hero General William J. Donovan to head the fledgling agency. The original mandate of the OSS was to collect and analyze “strategic information” for use in war.

What was the CIA's purpose in World War 2?

From the onset, the OSS was intended to be a temporary agency with plans to dissolve it upon the end of the War.

What did Americans fear after World War 2?

Coming off of World War II (and the defeat of a totalitarian Nazi regime), many Americans feared our own government would become what we just had defeated. Truman himself had similar concerns, but as the Cold War heated up, he became more open to its development.

Did the CIA appear overnight?

The establishment of the CIA as we know it did not appear overnight. It was the product of debates among military, state and defense leaders, with input from the public, thanks to key leaks that took the issue to the newspapers.

When was the Central Intelligence Agency created?

Army and Navy command-restructuring proposal presented by James Forrestal and Arthur Radford to the U.S. Senate Military Affairs Committee at the end of 1945.

How many applications did the CIA receive in a week?

According to CIA representatives that spoke with the New York Times, pre-9/11 the agency received approximately 500 to 600 applications a week, in the months following 9/11 the agency received that number daily.

How many stars are on the CIA Memorial Wall?

The lives of 113 fallen CIA officers are represented by 113 stars on the CIA Memorial Wall in the Original Headquarters building. The United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was created on July 26, when Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 into law. A major impetus that has been cited over the years for the creation ...

What was the ORE in 1946?

The ORE drew its reports from a daily take of State Department telegrams, military dispatches, and internal CIG reports that went to specialized analysts. The ORE's main products quickly became popular, they were the "Daily Summary", and the "Weekly Summary". The ORE also produced "Intelligence Highlights" for internal consumption, and "Intelligence Memorandums" for the DCI, who could distribute them at his discretion. These reports dominated the work of the ORE at the expense of its work on Estimates.

How many people were starved in Somalia?

Half a million people had starved in Somalia when President George H. W. Bush ordered U.S. troops to enter the country on a humanitarian mission. As clans started fighting over the aid, the humanitarian mission quickly became a struggle against Mohamed Farah Aideed. The CIA station in Somalia had been shuttered for two years. The CIA was given an impossible mission in Somalia, as was the military. Casualties came quickly and were high in the eight man team the CIA sent. A post mortem carried out by now FISA member Admiral Crowe stated that the National Security Council had expected the CIA to both make decisions, and give them the intelligence to base those decisions on. The NSC couldn't understand why intelligence didn't advise them correctly on what to do. Bill Clinton entered the ranks of Presidents unhappy with the results of the CIA; Clinton's inattention to the CIA did not help the matter.

Why did Sam Adams leave the CIA?

Sam Adams, a junior CIA analyst with responsibilities for estimating the actual damage to the enemy, eventually resigned from the CIA, after expressing concern to Director of Central Intelligence Richard Helms with estimates that were changed for inter-agency and White House political reasons.

Why did Eisenhower want to use the U-2?

After the Bomber gap came the Missile gap. Eisenhower wanted to use the U-2 to disprove the missile gap, but he had banned U-2 overflights of the USSR after the successful meeting at Camp David with Nikita Khrushchev. Another reason Eisenhower objected to the use of the U-2 was that, in the nuclear age, the intelligence he needed most was on their intentions, without which, the U.S. would face a paralysis of intelligence. Eisenhower was particularly worried that U-2 flights could be seen as the preparation for first strike attacks as he had high hopes for an upcoming meeting with Khrushchev in Paris. Conflicted, Eisenhower finally gave into CIA pressure to authorize a 16-day window for flights, which, because of poor weather, was later extended for another six days. On May 1, 1960 the USSR shot down a U-2 flying over the USSR. To Ike, the ensuing coverup destroyed one of his biggest assets, his perceived honesty, and the biggest hope he had, leaving a legacy of thawing relations with Khrushchev. It also marked the beginning of a long downward slide in the credibility of the Office of the President of the United States. Eisenhower later said that the U-2 coverup was the greatest regret of his Presidency.

What is the CIA?

www .cia .gov. The Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA; / ˌsiː.aɪˈeɪ / ), known informally as the Agency and the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world, ...

When was the CIA's first training facility?

The CIA established its first training facility, the Office of Training and Education, in 1950. Following the end of the Cold War, the CIA's training budget was slashed, which had a negative effect on employee retention. In response, Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet established CIA University in 2002.

How many people worked for the CIA during the Korean War?

At the outset of the Korean War the CIA still only had a few thousand employees, around one thousand of whom worked in analysis. Intelligence primarily came from the Office of Reports and Estimates, which drew its reports from a daily take of State Department telegrams, military dispatches, and other public documents. The CIA still lacked its intelligence-gathering abilities. On August 21, 1950, shortly after, Truman announced Walter Bedell Smith as the new Director of the CIA. The change in leadership was took place shortly after the invasion of South Korea, as the lack of a clear warning to the President and National Security Council about the impending North Korean invasion was seen as a grave failure of Intelligence.

How many stars are on the CIA Memorial Wall?

The 113 stars on the CIA Memorial Wall in the original CIA headquarters, each representing a CIA officer killed in action. The Central Intelligence Agency was created on July 26, 1947, when Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act into law.

Why did the CIA use a doctor?

The doctor was later arrested and sentenced to a lengthy prison term on allegedly unrelated charges. Médecins Sans Frontières criticized the CIA for endangering and undermining trust in medical workers and The New York Times reported that the CIA's action had increased resistance to vaccination programs in Pakistan.

What is the purpose of the CIA?

Today, its primary purpose is to collect, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate foreign intelligence, and to carry out covert operations.

How much did the CIA spend in 2013?

According to the 2013 mass surveillance disclosures, the CIA's fiscal 2013 budget is $14.7 billion, 28% of the total and almost 50% more than the budget of the National Security Agency.

What is the CIA?

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), principal foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency of the U.S. government. Formally created in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) grew out of the World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Previous U.S. intelligence and counterintelligence efforts had been conducted by ...

Who created the Central Intelligence Group?

In 1946 Pres. Harry S. Truman, recognizing the need for a coordinated postwar intelligence establishment, created by executive order a Central Intelligence Group and a National Intelligence Authority, both of which recruited key former members of the OSS.

How many directorates does the CIA have?

The CIA is organized into four major directorates. The Intelligence Directorate analyzes intelligence gathered by overt means from sources such as the news media and by covert means from agents in the field, satellite photography, and the interception of telephone, mobile phone, and other forms of communication.

What was the Directorate of Operations responsible for during the Cold War?

The Directorate of Operations is responsible for spying (i.e., espionage, or the clandestine collection of intelligence) and special covert and often illegal operations, including subversion.

Which country was the last to have a civilian intelligence agency?

The United States was the last of the major powers to establish a civilian intelligence agency responsible for the collection of secret information for policy makers. Indeed, prior to 1942 the country lacked any civilian intelligence agency.

Why did Roosevelt create the Office of the Coordinator of Information?

A similar office for this purpose, the Office of the Coordinator of Information, created in July 1941, had floundered as the result of hostile pressure from the State Department, the military intelligence services , and the FBI. William J. (“Wild Bill”) Donovan, who had spurred Roosevelt into creating an information agency, became head of the OSS upon its founding and was largely responsible for building the organization and for improving its ability to perform economic and political intelligence analysis for senior policy makers. (Roosevelt described Donovan as a man who had 100 new ideas a day, of which 95 were terrible—though he added that few men had 5 good ideas in their lifetimes. Donovan supported the use of exotic poisons against enemy targets and once proposed the use of bats to deliver incendiary weapons against Japan.)

Where did the CIA recruits go?

The Recruits. In April 1960, several CIA officers traveled to Miami, Florida. They were searching for members of the Frente Revolucionario Democratico (FRD), an active group of Cuban exiles who had fled Cuba when Castro took power.

Why did Kennedy give the CIA four days to come up with a new plan?

He was adamant the hand of the US Government remain hidden at all costs. Kennedy thought changing the invasion site from Trinidad would make future deniability of US involvement more plausible, so he gave the CIA four days to come up with a new one.

What happened in 1961 in the Bay of Pigs?

Bay of Pigs Invasion. The Situation Falters: In April 1961, more than a thousand Cuban exiles stormed the beaches at the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, intending to ignite an uprising that would overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Many people know the story of the failed Bay of Pigs operation, but you might not know all the details.

How many aircraft did Castro have?

Assuming Castro had an inventory of as many as 30 combat aircraft, that left six functioning aircraft available at his disposal on the day of the Bay of Pigs invasion.

What did Castro do in 1960?

Castro and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev signed a series of pacts that resulted in large deliveries of economic and military aid in 1960. Within a year, Castro proclaimed himself a communist, formally allied his country with the Soviet Union, and seized remaining American and foreign-owned assets.

What was Castro's goal?

Castro’s goal was to overthrow Batista, the US-backed leader of Cuba. After three years of guerrilla warfare, Castro and his ragtag army descended from the mountains and entered Havana on January 1, 1959, forcing Batista to flee the country.

Why did Stevenson hold up pictures of the planes?

Stevenson held up pictures of the planes as he adamantly stated the US had nothing to do with the airstrikes. He insisted that the attacks were conducted by defectors from Castro’s own air force. The pictures, however, proved to be the unraveling of the cover story.

Who was the first civilian director of the CIA?

Dulles had just become the first civilian director of an agency growing more powerful by the day, and the speech provided an early glimpse into his priorities for the CIA. “In the past few years we have become accustomed to hearing much about the battle for men’s minds–the war of ideologies,” he told the attendees.

Where was the CIA in 1955?

In 1955, on 225 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, the CIA was devoting substantial attention to decorating a bedroom. George White oversaw the interior renovations. Not much of a decorator, White had a storied career in the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. When the CIA moved into drug experiments, bringing White on board became a top priority.

What was the CIA program that Dulles approved?

Three days after his speech decrying Soviet tactics, Dulles approved the beginning of MK-Ultra, a top-secret CIA program for “covert use of biological and chemical materials.” “American values” made for good rhetoric, but Dulles had far grander plans for the agency’s Cold War agenda.

What was the fear of brainwashing in the 1950s?

Fear of brainwashing and a new breed of “brain warfare” terrified and fascinated the American public throughout the 1950s, spurred both by the words of the CIA and the stories of “brainwashed” G.I.’s returning from China, Korea, and the Soviet Union. Newspaper headlines like “New Evils Seen in Brainwashing” and “Brainwashing vs. Western Psychiatry” offered sensational accounts of new mind-control techniques and technologies that no man could fully resist. The paranoia began to drift into American culture, with books like The Manchurian Candidate and The Naked Lunch playing on themes of unhinged scientists and vast political conspiracies.

What happened in the 1940s?

In the late 1940s, the CIA received reports that the Soviet Union had engaged in “intensive efforts to produce LSD,” and that the Soviets had attempted to purchase the world’s supply of the chemical.

When did the CIA stop using LSD?

The Demise of MK-Ultra. The CIA’s experiments with LSD persisted until 1963 before coming to a fairly anticlimactic end. In the spring of 1963, John Vance, a member of the CIA Inspector General’s staff, learned about the project’s “surreptitious administration to unwitting nonvoluntary human subjects.”.

Who was the director of the CIA in 1953?

On April 10, 1953, Allen Dulles, the newly appointed director of the CIA, delivered a speech to a gathering of Princeton alumni. Though the event was mundane, global tensions were running high. The Korean War was coming to an end, and earlier that week, The New York Times had published a startling story asserting that American POWs returning ...

Why did the CIA create the term "assassination"?

This conspiracy theory claims that the CIA invented the term in 1967 to disqualify those who questioned the official version of John F Kennedy’s assassination and doubted that his killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, had acted alone. There are even two versions of this conspiracy theory. The more extreme version claims that the CIA literally invented ...

What document did the CIA use to describe the smoking gun?

Although they make differing claims about the origin and development of the term, the proponents of both versions invariably point to an official CIA document called Concerning Criticism of the Warren Report as their smoking gun.

What was the first major instance of conspiracy theorists accused the state of secretly plotting evil?

Another side-effect of this new stigma was that the label conspiracy theory or theorist became a pejorative term. The Kennedy assassination was the first major instance in which conspiracy theorists accused the state of secretly plotting evil and provided alternative accounts that were then labelled conspiracy theories, as in the 1967 CIA document. So it is hardly surprising that conspiracy theorists – who blame events on the intentional actions of evil people – retrospectively see the emergence of the term as a deliberate attempt to uphold the official version of the Kennedy assassination.

When did conspiracy theory start?

As a search on Google Books quickly reveals, the term “conspiracy theory” emerged around 1870 and began to be more frequently used during the 1950s.

When was the Warren Commission released?

It was released in 1976 after The New York Times requested it under the Freedom of Information Act. The document expresses concern about the considerable number of people who doubted the official investigation into Kennedy’s murder, the Warren Commission, which found that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

Is conspiracy theory a derogatory term?

Conspiracy theories have a long history, but the actual term “conspiracy theory” emerged much more recently. It was only a few decades ago that the term took on the derogatory con notations it has today, where to call someone a conspiracy theorist functions as an insult .

Is conspiracy theory used in the singular?

In fact, “conspiracy theory” in the singular is never used in the document. “Conspiracy theories” in the plural is only used once, matter-of-factly in the third paragraph:

What was the CIA involved in?

A number of journalists reported that the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in the Nicaraguan Contras ' cocaine trafficking operations during the 1980s Nicaraguan civil war. These claims have led to investigations by the United States government, including hearings and reports by ...

Who wrote to the CIA about the Webb article?

California senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein also took note and wrote to CIA director John Deutch and Attorney General Janet Reno, asking for investigations into the articles. Maxine Waters, the Representative for California's 35th district, which includes South-Central Los Angeles, was also outraged by the articles and became one of Webb's strongest supporters. Waters urged the CIA, the Department of Justice, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to investigate.

What were the Contra drug links?

The Subcommittee's final report, issued in 1989, said that Contra drug links included: Involvement in narcotics trafficking by individuals associated with the Contra movement. Participation of narcotics traffickers in Contra supply operations through business relationships with Contra organizations.

What is the OIG report?

According to the report, the Inspector-General's office (OIG) examined all information the agency had "relating to CIA knowledge of drug trafficking allegations in regard to any person directly or indirectly involved in Contra activities." It also examined "how CIA handled and responded to information regarding allegations of drug trafficking" by people involved in Contra activities or support.

What was the report on Mercury News?

The report covered actions by Department of Justice employees in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the DEA, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and U.S. Attorneys' Offices. It found that "the allegations contained in the original Mercury News articles were exaggerations of the actual facts." After examining the investigations and prosecutions of the main figures in the series, Blandón, Meneses and Ross, it concluded: "Although the investigations suffered from various problems of communication and coordination, their successes and failures were determined by the normal dynamics that affect the success of scores of investigations of high-level drug traffickers ... These factors, rather than anything as spectacular as a systematic effort by the CIA or any other intelligence agency to protect the drug trafficking activities of Contra supporters, determined what occurred in the cases we examined."

What committee investigated Contra drug links?

A 1986 investigation by a sub-committee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (the Kerry Committee ), found that "the Contra drug links included", among other connections, " [...] payments to drug traffickers by the U.S. State Department of funds authorized by the Congress for humanitarian assistance to the Contras, in some cases after the traffickers had been indicted by federal law enforcement agencies on drug charges, in others while traffickers were under active investigation by these same agencies."

When did the FBI investigate contra cocaine?

In April 1986, Associated Press reported on an FBI probe into Contra cocaine trafficking. According to the report, "Twelve American, Nicaraguan and Cuban-American rebel backers interviewed by The Associated Press said they had been questioned over the past several months [about contra cocaine trafficking] by the FBI. In the interviews, some covering several days and being conducted in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado and California, several of the Contra backers told AP of firsthand knowledge of cocaine trafficking."

Overview

Immediate predecessors, 1946–47

Legislative foundation

New director

Intelligence vs. action

Further reading

Overview

Purpose

Organizational structure

Training

Budget

Employees

Relationship with other intelligence agencies

History