Talk:Central Intelligence Agency

The Kennedy quote has been cited by many historians as fact, and there is no real question that assassination has been part of CIA activities - if you don't put mention of these things back in, then a much more scathing account of the CIA's activities, back to RFK's various CIA assassination plans against Castro, and a laundry list of nasty activities, will go in.

The article was balanced as it was, but these removals make it seriously pro-CIA, which is not neutral for such a controversial agency.

Fix it, or watch it be fixed. 24:By all means, add in all the nasty stuff the CIA is alleged to have done, or tried to do, making sure you attribute your claims. However, a fair treatment would also compare and contrast their actions with those of other intelligence agencies (the KGB weren't exactly candidates for the Nobel), discuss to what extent they were acting under the instructions of their political masters and how much they were themselves a political agency, and acknowledge that the CIA's successes aren't usually publicised - not to mention the argument that the end justified the means.

We all welcome edits that make better articles. We fix or revert those that don't. I also grow kinda weary of the language of threat and confrontation, 24. --Robert Merkel

Don't forget that CIA recently came under a lot of criticism for failing to predict the events of September 11th. You can't really have a complete article without mentioning this, whether or not you actually believe they were at fault. Also, you should leave unrelated information about other intelligence agencies in their own sections. Contrasting the CIA actions against, say, the KGB's would show bias. Instead, people should feel free to list the nefarious activities of the KGB as well (similarly mentioning that the ends justify the means and so forth) --Axon

Oops, was a little like a rant - restored basics of a list to build off - think it important that it be there in some form. Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair! 10:43, 11 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Please don't simply delete things without discussion - for courtesy's sake I have started with an uncontroversial one here - the CIA doesn't even hide the fact that it supported Saddam Hussein right up until the Kuwait invasion. We can pad the site with references if you insist, but I think that would become excessive. Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair! 03:14, 12 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Simply saying the CIA "supported" Saddam Hussein is simplistic, POV, and you have provided no references. Daniel Quinlan 04:16, Dec 12, 2003 (UTC)

It is a statement of fact, and a rather important one given the results. It isn't a matter of POV, since the facts are not really disputed. I have provided references to two well respected news organizsations, how many refs do you want?209.102.126.81 13:16, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

I think references should be used to back up certain facts you mention. You shouldn't just mention "Saddam Hussein" and provide a couple of references that - according to you - might explain that Hussein was supported by the CIA. By the way, why don't you log in? Makes editing, and communication with other users, a bit easier :) Guaka 13:41, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

In all this eagerness to fight over content, nobody seems to have noticed that 209 reverted all my careful copyedits, for instance to link directly to articles rather than through redirs (it's United States not United States of America), to link to the correct article (intelligence agency defines the term, intelligence agencies is just a list), not to mention Wikipedia in article content, etc and nobody has restored them. I'm tempted to do a Wik and just revert all the way back to my version, but I'm going to be good-natured and do them again. Please don't undo them, and logged-in users please check the history before editing on top of a anon's revert. Stan 14:06, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Oops - sorry - I'll try and fix this. 209.102.126.81 14:08, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Thanks! I added some more refs, but a topic like this could easily justify another dozen. BTW if you're Look... accidently logged out, do a last preview and check the upper corner to see if you're still logged in, then open another window to log in without disturbing your edit. It's also OK to go back and fill in your user name if that happens, less confusing for reading the talk page. Stan 14:44, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

To the anonymous user who has been modifying the page: Please include outside references to support the statements ou wish to enter into the article. Thanks in advance. Christopher Mahan 07:59, 4 Feb 2004 (UTC)

    !! I was scrupulous in only naming **easily** substantiated cases.

    !! I've got you're bloody referrences.  here's a taste:

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/latin_america/guatemala.html

       very reputable school.

    !! But now I've got to write it all over again

I found the history eventually.  :p

Contents

1 Terrorism 2 Assassinations 3 "Other" Section 4 POWs and Daisy Cutters 5 Reversion of article to stable version 6 Text that was removed 7 NPOV flag 8 Facts section missing 9 Successful programs? 10 SPAM block on external link to 100777.com 11 this article needs... 12 Links Section... 13 Other foreign intelligence agencies

Terrorism

"It also maintains a vast covert military apparatus, which during the Cold War was responsible for a number of terrorist campaigns and assasinations against foreign governments, leaders, and citizens." I added this because its not controversial - it should not be taken as POV, since it's only factual. If you want to debate the meaning of terrorism, and the distinctions between who does what to whom and what you then call it do that at Talk:Terrorism. Respectfully,-SV(talk) 21:36, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Even the Al-Qaieda page doesn't actually say that the organisation is a terrorist organisation, it just says that it is considered to be one by many. Most people do not see the CIA as having committed terrorist acts, and "terrorist" is a loaded term which means different things to different people. I agree with you that the CIA has been involved with terrorism, but something so controversial cannot be stated simply as a fact. --Cadr

Also, the word "terrorist" adds nothing to the factual content of the article. If we just mention the coups and assasinations (as the page already did) people can decide for themselves whether those actions come under terrorism.

Well, I almost agree. But this article is but one among many. It cant work both ways. Either WP limits the use of terrorism to its logical stated definition (in which case it would apply) or it's just a term in polemical use (see Talk:terrorism). It's not just the problem with this article (or Wikipedia, for that matter). I would in most cases (includjoin me in 'rooting out terror,' ( rather typical misuse of the term) from other articles, as described on Talk:Terrorism and Talk:Terrorism/Draft. -SV(talk) 10:35, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

But none of the articles you mention describe their subjects as terrorist; they just mention (truthfully) that they are regarded as terrorist by cing this one) prefer to limit the word terrorism, and replace it with paramilitary — but not if its not consistently applied. If things remain strictly POV-based ("most people do not see...") as they seem to be, then my position would be to amend the article with "the CIA is the largest, most influential state-sanctioned espionage and terrorist operations organization in the world." Sincerely,-SV(talk) 00:24, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

The terms "terrorist" and "paramilitary" are not the same. Hence no such general replacement can occur. Also, there is an ongoing debate on the terrorism article, and Stevertigo's implication that there is currently an accepted "logical stated definition" for terrorism on Wikipedia is false. Isomorphic 00:39, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I agree. To my mind, we should not use a word as controversial as "terrorist" without citing a definition (of which there are several). If we're going to cite a defintion anyway, we may as well just use that defintion instead of the word "terrorist" and avoid needless and fruitless controversy. As I've said before, the article already mentions the various terrorist acts of the CIA. Any intelligent reader can make up their own mind about whether or not they're terrorist. I wouldn't mind if the article mentioned that many people regard some of the CIA's actions as terrorist, so long as a reference to an article/whatever expressing that opinion was given. — Cadr

I agree. And I would apply this standard to other articles as well, not just Al Qaeda, but to Yasser Arafat, the PLO, and any other nationalist or ideological paramilitaries whom the CIA itself might selectively call "terrorist." So, we're all in agreement, right Iso? -SV(talk) 07:50, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

OK, so if you agree, will you revert (or modify) your edit? —Cadr

Yes, I will, if you will join me in 'rooting out terror,' ( rather typical misuse of the term) from other articles, as described on Talk:Terrorism and Talk:Terrorism/Draft. -SV(talk) 10:35, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

But none of the articles you mention describe their subjects as terrorist; they just mention (truthfully) that they are regarded as terrorist by certain groups of people. —Cadr

We must be reading different encyclopedias. -SV(talk)

I was referring the the pages on Yasser Arafat, Al-Qaida and the PLO. As I said, none of those articles actually says that their subject is terrorist, they just say that they are considered to be terrorist by certain groups. In any case, let's concentrate on this article. Can we now stop labelling certain actions of the CIA as terrorist, rather than attributing this interpretation to particular (groups of) people? —Cadr

Of course, its considered a weasel term to use the 'some people think this/that' method. By 'certain groups', and for certain reasons, thats reasonable. My change here was largley to tread the line, relative to the clear definitions of the terrorist term. -SV(talk) 16:11, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

On second thought - I change my mind a bit - we have to be clear - if the definition of terrorism has any use (thereby meaning) in other articles, it's use also belongs where it can be applicable. The objection is to the use of characterization of 'terrorist' in association with terrorism. This seems to run in circles, but we can agree to stick to definitions in international law, and there are uncontroversially certain CIA actions which qualify. The question as to whether this makes the CIA a terrorist organization is solved, but to term these particular acts as such, I doubt any intelligent person at Langley HQ would argue.-SV(talk) 16:18, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

In my view, "X is terrorist" is an inherently POV statement given that there's no official Wikipedia definition of terrorism, and their is, in general, a lot of disagrement about which groups/people/organisations are terrorist. —Cadr

Ah you made an edit. OK, I've got not problem with 'calandestine'. —Cadr

Assassinations

Do we have any proof the CIA ever assassinated anyone, much less during the Cold War? If it's uncertain (as I suspect), it shouldn't be stated, and furthermore in any case "clandestine campaigns" seems explanatory enough for an opening paragraph, when details of those campaigns follow. -- VV 22:55, 7 May 2004 (UTC)

The page does not specifically state that the CIA successfully assassinated anyone, much less, it states that the CIA attempted assassinations. If any succeeded, we probably would not know about it. However, there is evidence that Che Guevara's killer met with a CIA officer shortly before Guevara's assassination. -- Prospero

!!! There's a *suspicious* lack of evidence on CIA complicity in assassination. They obviously [consider it (http://www.foia.cia.gov/search.asp?pageNumber=1&freqReqRecord=Guatemala.txt)]. But the crucial documents always seem to be missing (Nixon liked his paper-shredder). This [State Department (http://foia.state.gov/Reports/HincheyReport.asp)] report on Chile follows the usual tack:

"On 15 September President Nixon informed the DCI that an Allende regime in Chile would not be acceptable to the United States. He instructed the CIA to prevent Allende from coming to power or unseat him and authorized $10 million for this purpose. The President specifically directed that this action be carried out by the CIA without advising the Departments of State or Defense" [which is nonsense because Kissinger was elbow-deep in this, I've seen the documents ;]

but then when it comes to the dirty work we hear:

"The US Government and the CIA were aware of and agreed with Chilean officers? assessment that the abduction of General Rene Schneider, the Chilean Army?s Commander in September 1970, was an essential step in any coup plan. We have found no information, however, that the coup plotters? or CIA?s intention was that the general be killed in any abduction effort."

Ok. And as for Allende himself we have the chilling line:

"The Chilean National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation in 1991 also concluded that Allende took his own life. There is no information to indicate that the CIA was involved in Allende?s death."

Sure, maybe Allende's rifle wound was self-inflicted; not inflicted by one of the armed rebels storming the presidential palace at the time of his death.

-xhris

"Other" Section

I have removed the following statements from the section labeled "Other":

Because of its blunders, some people think that a better meaning for the acronym CIA is caught in the act.

In the movie The Hunt for Red October there's a line which says: "Central Intelligence Agency - now that's a contradiction in terms"

They are clearly POV and have no place in a serious encyclopedia. Taco Deposit 21:12, Jun 10, 2004 (UTC)

I disagree on the quote from The Hunt for Red October. It's from a book/movie that largely portrays the agency in a positive light, and is written by a fan of the agency. You could put the quote back, along with something along the lines about the theory that the CIA likes people thinking they're inept, because then they don't expect the successes, many of which are probably still secret, and they've had some spectacular ones that are public, but not well publicized. -Joseph 01:26, 2004 Aug 30 (UTC)

The CIA is one of "the initials", or "Three Letter Agencies". The CIA is a spy agency that theoretically has no jurisdiction in the U.S., although they're so secretive no one could tell anyway. A common group in conspiracy theories. Some people think the CIA shot JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr., and many other important people in the latter half of this century. Its motto is "...and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." John 8:32, a fact not pointed out in its web site. Creepy, when you think about it....

POWs and Daisy Cutters

This is in response to :

(These are very strong accusations. Back it up with a source, a link, or something.) (cur) (last) 02:11, 21 Sep 2004 67.150.1.158 (cur) (last) 01:51, 21 Sep 2004 N328KF (Clandestine operations - Can anyone confirm or deny this story? I will leave it in for the moment under a probationary period)

Who erased my 2 articles? My source for both articles is TV news and CNN. I have another article for the CIA. Your probationary period lasted only 20 minutes. Please respond N328KF.

It was me. The first comment was what the probationary period was about, and then the second addition was much more incendiary. You added the portions in question without citing names or sources. A name is pretty much necessary for the first portion, IMHO. For the second one, the incidents in the Hussein hunt did not involve daisy cutters. They involved bunker busters. There is a big difference. And I don't remember the immolation angle being part of the news coverage. In any event, for major details and accusations such as this, you should add a link or source or date or something. The information added was very nonspecific. -02:32, 2004 Sep 21 (UTC)

You could alter and correct the article instead of erasing it completely. You are probably right about the bunker busters. I do remember the bones turning to powder. Do you work for Wikipedia? If I get names and sources, will you let my articles exist?

We all work for Wikipedia. And yes, if you provide names and sources, I'll not interfere. The whole thing read like POV conjecture—that's why I axed it. The text is still there in the history, it can be recovered easily enough. In fact, I'll do it for you:

During a mission to save American POWs in Vietnam, the team leader (the most decorated Green Beret in U.S. history) reported that he saw the CIA selling illegal drugs in Vietnam. According to him, the U.S. government threatened him with a court martial if he told anyone what he saw.

and

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the U.S. led coalition forces, the CIA heard a rumor that a terrorist meeting was to take place in a certain building, and that Saddam Hussein might attend it. The CIA revealed this questionable intelligence to the U.S. military. The U.S dropped 4 daisy cutter bombs on the building, killing enemy and civilian alike in an area of destruction larger than a city block. Their bones were turned to dust by the intense heat, so there was no identification of the bodies. Saddam was not there, and the CIA was wrong again. Furthermore, civilians from nearby buildings were killed too. The news media picked up the story and embarassed the CIA worldwide.

-Joseph (Talk) 02:52, 2004 Sep 21 (UTC)

Reversion of article to stable version

I have reverted the article to a recent stable version, after a large number of recent edits have turned much of this article into a rant unsupported by cites. Please, if you want to add controversial claims, back them up with independent, verifiable citations. If you do so, they are more likely to stay in the article. -- The Anome 09:56, 21 Sep 2004 (UTC)

The cites are the specific names & dates included, which can easily be searched for on the internet. Much of the information was from the news or is general information. The theory about the CIA and drugs is everywhere - on TV as well as the 'net. It wouldn't take you long to find this stuff on news sites.

Well then, you won't have any problem finding specific and verifiable cites? (For example, a reference to a news source or book, with dates, page numbers etc. so someone else can check it.) For example, the stuff about releasing prisoners early and making them informers, that would be good for a start. It might be useful to note here that Steven Seagal films are fictional, and not useful as citation material. -- The Anome 10:20, 21 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Anonymous User, The Anome expanded upon the point I was trying to express to you. The burden is upon you, as the person adding the material, to do the research and cite sources, not on us, as your co-editors, nor on the readers. -Joseph (Talk) 11:11, 2004 Sep 21 (UTC)

If you want to see how to do it, see the GWU National Security Archive at http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/index.html -- a site that is very critical of the CIA, but bases its criticism on verifiable sources, many of which are declassified old CIA documents, or recently revealed FOIA documents. -- The Anome 12:35, 21 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Text that was removed

Just for reference purposes, here is the text that I removed from the article:

Criticism of CIA Informants & Drugs

The CIA releases prisoners early, as informants. During the criminal's trial, his lawyer can make a deal with the CIA, if the criminal is involved in a crime organization. If the criminal pleads guilty, the CIA will consider him to be reformed and release him from prison long before his real-time sentence is finished. In exchange, the criminal agrees to act as an inside spy for the CIA, giving them inside information, such as names, times, and places such as where illegal drugs are being made or stored. This improves the CIAs ability to catch more criminals.

The CIA is criticized for releasing many drug lords, hitmen with multiple 1st degree murders, and other dangerous criminals over the years. Many feel that the criminals are not truly reformed after a few years in prison. Some criminals are released by the CIA without serving any time at all. Local police and FBI are amazed to see the dangerous criminals they just caught and convicted, walking around free on the streets. This upsets the victims, police, FBI, prosecuting attorneys, and community members who spent years of proof gathering to build a case and alot of money to place that criminal behind bars. These criminals are encouraged by the CIA to go back to the lifestyle of organized crime as informants, where they often repeat their crimes. Most released criminals tell the crime organization that they are informants, because they are still loyal to the crime organization. They mislead the CIA by giving them false information. When the CIA finally busts the drug dealers, they confiscate the drug money. Critics say that CIA agents skim some of the money for their own personal use, though the government gets most of it. Stealing drug money is easy because the CIA isn't required to report anything, unlike other law enforcement agencies and departments. The CIA can hide its crimes with their power to keep missions secret. The CIA has been accused of selling drugs on American streets by witnesses in those neighborhoods. The CIA claims that it must work close to drug dealers, so it may seem like they are selling drugs.

After private missions to save American POWs in Vietnam, Bo Gritz, the most decorated Green Beret in U.S. history, taped an interview with heroin kingpin Kun Sah. The drug lord said that US government officials are his biggest customers and that the CIA was profiting from drugs sold in Southeast Asia. According to Gritz, the U.S. government threatened him with a court martial if he told anyone about this. He told everyone, but the court martial never happened.

Alleged Crimes Against the People

Some agents quit the CIA in disgust. They wrote books about their experiences in the CIA. They claim to have seen other CIA agents commiting crimes against innocent people, including theft, rape, murder, wrongful interrogations, beatings, and surveillance for personal reasons (peek shows). The crimes were never reported. It is difficult to prove that the quitting CIA agents were ever really CIA agents, because the CIA keeps its list of employees secret. CIA agents have a licence to kill, meaning they can kill anyone without a justifiable reason, and don't have to report it. There are many claims by victims who often say a CIA agent drugged and raped them. The CIA is called the 'new KGB' by some.

Possible End of the CIA

Many are calling for the elimination of the CIA. The CIA was originally formed to fight Communism during the the Cold War. Now that the Soviet Union has converted to Democracy, there is no need for the CIA, they feel. The CIA is thought of as a dangerous Cold War relic, like nuclear missiles. During the Red Scare, people were so panicked, that they developed nuclear weapons and organizations with too much power. The CIA was given great power, more than all other law enforcement, to save everyone from the invading Communists. Thomas Jefferson once said,"Absolute power corrupts absolutely." The CIA became corrupted by too much power, according to critics.CIA agents that commit crimes against innocent people have turned against the taxpayers who pay the CIA's salaries. Furthermore, the many CIA intelligence blunders makes them unuseful to the country.

This text is highly POV, highly subjective, and contains numerous grammatical/spelling errors. -Joseph (Talk) 13:55, 2004 Sep 21 (UTC)

I heard the part about the CIA letting many drug lords out of prison from CIA agents themselves, who wrote books about their experiences at the CIA. They were on a TV interview. I wish I could find their names, the titles of their books, and other specific information. I was unable to find them by browsing the internet casually. The news report of the CIA selling drugs on America's streets was equally elusive. Perhaps these could be placed on a seperate theories, claims, or conspiracies page in Wikipedia. I figured that the names, dates, and places of the bombing of the building in Iraq (4 bunker busters) and the Bo Gritz story were specific enough, that they didn't need cites. Many pages in Wikipedia have specific names and places with no cites. If people want to know more , they can do searches on the internet, using the specific names typed into the Search box. -- anonymous author

I agree with the initial person. Highly subjective POV. Untill someone provides heavy proof and evidence, it needs to be omited --Mitchowen 16:43, Nov 17, 2004 (UTC)

Cites & Info

• 4 bunker buster bombs http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C83495%2C00.html

• INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999 (House of Representatives - May 07, 1998) http://www.webcom.com/~pinknoiz/covert/MOU.html

• CIA Sued For Not Reporting Drug Trade http://www.pdxnorml.org/ii/990316.html
• CIA & Cocaine http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/story23.html
• CIA informant killer http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b54d1c52151.htm
• Guns_and_Drugs_The_CIA's_Admissions http://erippy.home.mindspring.com/Guns_and_Drugs_The_CIA%27s_Admissions.html
• My 'CIA' Duties http://www.kimsoft.com/Korea/eyewit30.htm
• CIA's drug confession http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/mexico/usa/cia_drugs.html
• CIA Drugs http://www.ciadrugs.com/
• DOES THE CIA DEAL DRUGS? http://forum.c0balt.com/viewtopic.php?t=1358
• THE POWs, CIA and DRUGS http://www.aiipowmia.com/sea/sarinpw.html
• CIA, Drugs, and Wall Street http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ciadrugs/dontblink.html
• CIA Narco-colonialism http://www3.uakron.edu/worldciv/pascher/narco.html
• Whiteout: the CIA, Drugs and the Press http://www.counterpunch.org/hammond0702.html
• CIA complicity with Burmese drug trade http://www.angelfire.com/id/ciadrugs/burma01.html
• Bo Gritz http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Gritz

• BO GRITZ: [Gritz, a colorful figure upon whom the character of Rambo was partly based, is the most decorated Green Beret commander of the Vietnam era] In his own words: "What I want to tell you very quickly is something that I feel is more heinous than the Bataan death march . . . What I'm talking about is something we found out in Burma - May 1987. We found it out from a man named Khun Sa. He is the recognized overlord of heroin in the world . . . On video tape he said to us something that was most astounding: that US government officials have been and are now his biggest customers, and have been for the last twenty years. I wouldn't believe him . . . We ran the war in Laos and Cambodia through drugs. The money that would not be appropriated by a liberal congress, was appropriated. And you know who we used for distribution? Santos Trafficante, old friend of the CIA and mobster out of Cuba and Florida . . . Fifty-eight-thousand Americans were killed. Seventy-thousand became drug casualties. In the sixties and seventies you saw an infusion of drugs into America like never was before."

• "There were nine different speakers who addressed the disparate audience at the

historic "CIA-Drugs Symposium" here at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene last weekend. All presented searing accounts and first-hand testimony demonstrating that yes indeed, the CIA and top levels of the US Government have been aware of political drug trafficking for years, and complicit in it." http://www.drugwar.com/../pciadrugsconnections.shtm

NPOV flag

I posted the following to User talk:4.242.153.136:

You added an NPOV flag to the Central Intelligence Agency article. Please discuss your reasons for doing so in the talk page. Flags posted without discussion in talk are removed.

If the user does not post anything here in a couple of days, I will remove the flag. Taco Deposit | Talk-o Deposit 12:39, Oct 22, 2004 (UTC)

I have to say that I concur with it. The text here is (for the most part) out of liberal PoliSci classes (having been in them, I think I can say that.) -Joseph (Talk) 14:03, 2004 Oct 22 (UTC)

Please be more specific. I agree that the article is not comprehensive, but is it inaccurate? Where? "out of liberal PoliSci classes" is not an actionable complaint. DanKeshet 18:56, Nov 20, 2004 (UTC)

Facts section missing

There should be setion with pure facts: how many employees, how big (official) budget is, how these data changed over time, list of directors, structure of the organization. Pavel Vozenilek

Successful programs?

The only successful about the "very successful 1982 CIA operation" seems to be that people believe it happened. Could somebody link to any information about that explosion that isn't based on the Safire story?

Not to mention that if the operation "did" happen, it could have killed thousands of civilians.

Why is it that the people so keen on facts are double blindfolded when it comes to showing the CIA in a good light?

SPAM block on external link to 100777.com

I just tried to repair the link to Philip Agee in the text. However there is currently a spam block in effect due to an external link at the end pointing to 100777.com (A variety of web articles criticising...), preventing any other editing. I would suggest that either an Admin remove the domain from the spam list, as it seems to be not mainstream but related on contents or remove the external link (after discussion) to free up the page again. What do You think? Ernst.schnell 14:41, Jan, 4, 2005

this article needs...

Here are what I see as the most glaring ommissions in his article. I've contributed alot to this article over the years, and I hope to tackle these. But please feel free to do it yourself.

1) more info about the *fleet* of Predator Drones

2) some mention of the church committee

3) some mention of Operation Mongoose

4) some mention of Operation Phoenix

it's tempting to speculate about Bush's ongoing intelligence shake-up, but I think It's too early, and I'm not qualified.

xhris

Links Section...

I can see that the Philip Agee link I put up is gone due to "link overload".

It seems that the "interviews with whistleblowers" link is dead. So I'll delete that and replace it with a book excerpt from a leading whistleblower (Agee).

Other foreign intelligence agencies

More of a question than a debate, but in the beginning paragraph:

"The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, 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. The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Defense Department's Defense Intelligence Agency comprise the other two."

The other two? What about the NSA? That agency certainly specializes in gathering and analyzing foreign intelligence for the Defense Department, as well as the CIA. Perhaps the sentence simply meant the Defense Department as a whole; not just the DIA?

The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the intelligence agencies within the Defense Department comprise the other two.