This is our interview by an anonymous person within the CIA
1.
How do you believe the CIA impacts the world today? The CIA affects the
world by providing the US government--arguably the worlds leading political,
military and economic power--with fact based intelligence that is used to
develop policy that affects every corner of the globe. Few foreign policy
decisions are made today by the US President without supporting intelligence
analyses provided by CIA based on information not available to the general
public. These analyses result in decisions and actions by the US that are
global in nature.
2.
How do you believe the CIA impacts the US today? As stated above, the
intelligence collected by CIA assets worldwide, and analyzed by CIA subject
matter experts, supports national security decisions made by the President and
his policy advisors that protect US citizens from foreign
threats.
3.
What is the role that the CIA plays in National Security? The CIA
is this country's leading collector of clandestine information on threats to the
national security. CIA assets placed around the world risk their lives
daily to collect and then forward information on security threats to the
US. In recent years, the CIA's actions against foreign terrorist
organizations has foiled numerous attempts to conduct terrorist operations
against US citizens both in the US and abroad. Covert action operations
have preempted many of these planned terrorist operations and have reduced the
ability of terrorist organizations to plan and conduct future
operations.
4.
What are some powers bestowed to the CIA agents to protect the domestic
population? To be clear, the term "CIA agents" refers to individuals we
call "assets". An asset is a foreign national placed overseas usually in
their home country who collects and provides classified information through CIA
officers called "case officers". A CIA asset has little protection from
prosecution in their home country if captured, and has little "power" to do
other than collect and report information. By law, the CIA has no
authority to operate against US nationals either in the US or abroad. The CIA,
its officers and its assets are primarily concerned with collecting and
reporting on the activities of foreign nationals,
overseas.
5.
How do you think National Security can be improved? The national
security can be improved by removing the root cause issues that drive foreign
countries and terrorists to seek to harm the US. These are policy
decisions that must be made by the President and his
advisors.
6.
Do you think the excessive airport security is necessary to preserve
national security? Your use of the term "excessive" when referring to
airport security implies a strong position on the topic, that not everyone would
agree with. I will speak only for myself, and not for CIA on this
topic...I agree with your judgement that security procedures in place today at
US airports are excessive. The implementation of some of these procedures
undermines the very freedoms we are trying to protect. However, without
these stringent security measures it is almost certain that additional terrorist
actions against airliners would occur. US citizens must therefore be
prepared to accept heightened risk when flying on a commercial airliner if we
are to reduce the security measures at
airports.
7.
What do you believe is the purpose of the CIA today? The core
mission of the CIA today has changed from when the Agency was first established
in 1947. At that time the Agency was intended primarily to collect
intelligence against the Soviet Union--the greatest security threat to the US at
that time. Today the Agency's role has expanded to collect and
report on threats originating from numerous sources, including global terrorist
organizations, hostile nations, and even from the threat posed by climate
change.
8.
Do you believe the creation of the CIA was a turning point in history?
I do not. While the CIA has had a significant impact on the foreign
policy decisions made by the US, in the end, in the course of US strategic
foreign policy would likely be little changed in the absence of the CIA.
The Agency has had significant tactical successes--most recently the
action against Usama Bin Ladin--as well as significant failures--reference the
Bay of Pigs fiasco in the 1960s.
9.
How do you think the CIA has helped the US since its creation?
The CIA's greatest achievement, as I said above, has over the years been
to provide the President with intelligence that he has used to develop sound
foreign policy decisions.
10.
What do you think the US would be like without the CIA? Another
organization would exist in its place and would provide the same basic
functions. The US would be little
changed.
How do you believe the CIA impacts the world today? The CIA affects the
world by providing the US government--arguably the worlds leading political,
military and economic power--with fact based intelligence that is used to
develop policy that affects every corner of the globe. Few foreign policy
decisions are made today by the US President without supporting intelligence
analyses provided by CIA based on information not available to the general
public. These analyses result in decisions and actions by the US that are
global in nature.
2.
How do you believe the CIA impacts the US today? As stated above, the
intelligence collected by CIA assets worldwide, and analyzed by CIA subject
matter experts, supports national security decisions made by the President and
his policy advisors that protect US citizens from foreign
threats.
3.
What is the role that the CIA plays in National Security? The CIA
is this country's leading collector of clandestine information on threats to the
national security. CIA assets placed around the world risk their lives
daily to collect and then forward information on security threats to the
US. In recent years, the CIA's actions against foreign terrorist
organizations has foiled numerous attempts to conduct terrorist operations
against US citizens both in the US and abroad. Covert action operations
have preempted many of these planned terrorist operations and have reduced the
ability of terrorist organizations to plan and conduct future
operations.
4.
What are some powers bestowed to the CIA agents to protect the domestic
population? To be clear, the term "CIA agents" refers to individuals we
call "assets". An asset is a foreign national placed overseas usually in
their home country who collects and provides classified information through CIA
officers called "case officers". A CIA asset has little protection from
prosecution in their home country if captured, and has little "power" to do
other than collect and report information. By law, the CIA has no
authority to operate against US nationals either in the US or abroad. The CIA,
its officers and its assets are primarily concerned with collecting and
reporting on the activities of foreign nationals,
overseas.
5.
How do you think National Security can be improved? The national
security can be improved by removing the root cause issues that drive foreign
countries and terrorists to seek to harm the US. These are policy
decisions that must be made by the President and his
advisors.
6.
Do you think the excessive airport security is necessary to preserve
national security? Your use of the term "excessive" when referring to
airport security implies a strong position on the topic, that not everyone would
agree with. I will speak only for myself, and not for CIA on this
topic...I agree with your judgement that security procedures in place today at
US airports are excessive. The implementation of some of these procedures
undermines the very freedoms we are trying to protect. However, without
these stringent security measures it is almost certain that additional terrorist
actions against airliners would occur. US citizens must therefore be
prepared to accept heightened risk when flying on a commercial airliner if we
are to reduce the security measures at
airports.
7.
What do you believe is the purpose of the CIA today? The core
mission of the CIA today has changed from when the Agency was first established
in 1947. At that time the Agency was intended primarily to collect
intelligence against the Soviet Union--the greatest security threat to the US at
that time. Today the Agency's role has expanded to collect and
report on threats originating from numerous sources, including global terrorist
organizations, hostile nations, and even from the threat posed by climate
change.
8.
Do you believe the creation of the CIA was a turning point in history?
I do not. While the CIA has had a significant impact on the foreign
policy decisions made by the US, in the end, in the course of US strategic
foreign policy would likely be little changed in the absence of the CIA.
The Agency has had significant tactical successes--most recently the
action against Usama Bin Ladin--as well as significant failures--reference the
Bay of Pigs fiasco in the 1960s.
9.
How do you think the CIA has helped the US since its creation?
The CIA's greatest achievement, as I said above, has over the years been
to provide the President with intelligence that he has used to develop sound
foreign policy decisions.
10.
What do you think the US would be like without the CIA? Another
organization would exist in its place and would provide the same basic
functions. The US would be little
changed.