Inside_the_Cia

Inside the CIA Let’s admitted, we have all atleast heard of it once before. We have seen it from the news documentary to the action-pack blockbusters movies. Its acronym and meaning has been widely known throughout the entire world. It comes to no surprise why people are so curious about the CIA. The Central Intelligence Agency belongs to one of the many agencies that protect the United States, for a safer life to the civilians in this country. Rising from the cold war, through their first initiation as a full service organization in 1947, their operations and even methods of solution has been kept secret from the public eyes, even domestic. But for us to understand their purpose of keeping everything a secret, including the people who work for the agency, we need to know why the CIA was created for. What jobs does it provides compared to regular jobs, and what was their purpose at the end of the cold war and after World War II. The CIA was created in 1947 after President Harry S. Truman passed the National Security Act of 1947. Before the CIA, there was previously another organization that used to hold the same position as the CIA. It was named the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), and it was created in 1944 after it was proposed to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After the cold war, the organization became part of the state and war department, putting an end to the OSS. The reason why was the organization created was because of the serious threats during the cold war that involve the United States. During this time there was a war going on between countries with spies gathering intelligence for war purposes. Although War World II was over, there was still a war going on. The function of the Central Intelligence Agency is to assist the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in carrying out the responsibilities outlined above. The CIA describe is function as “Advises the National Security Council and other Executive branch agencies concerning intelligence matters. Coordinates federal intelligence activities and provides centralized services for other agencies. Develops and disseminates intelligence, counterintelligence, and foreign intelligence information. Engages in intelligence and counterintelligence activities outside the United States.” (“National Archieve” 2428). The main purpose of the agency isabout gathering as much information from enemy countries to counter war in a near future. Placing the job of being a spy aside, there’s also other jobs the CIA offers. Sure, the fact of being a spy and going to other countries to gather information, driving in high expensive cars, jumping roof-tops, and fighting your way out of a secret hide-out kind of like James Bond sounds interesting enough, this is far and unrealistic from the real job. Although, that is not saying that you don’t see any action on the job. On the contrary, you might be surprise what you expect on a certain mission. The actual name for this job is called Clandestine Services. “The CIA is not the same thing as the FBI. First of all, they're spelled differently. Second, the FBI is basically concerned about law enforcement, whereas the CIA is concerned with getting information to help aid the US make foreign policy decisions”(“Soyouwanna”1-5). It belongs to one of the job offer there along with the Science and Technology, and directorate of support. The CIA offers a lot of different jobs that are diverse and unique on their own way. The agency has been both subjects of heroism as well as controversy. So much that sometimes their secret operations are questioned to find out if they are breaking the law somehow. Now in days you might say that the CIA involvement with the United States has increased over the years. During the end of World War II, it marks the ending of any dispute between foreign countries. But even though, the idea of gathering more advantage than your enemy was crucial and important to their own countries affairs. Over the years we have heard of secret operations being carried over years later. The history of CIA deals with several things, certainly including covert action, but also clandestine and overt intelligence collection, intelligence analysis and reporting, and logistical and technical support of its activities (Allan and Michael 6). They have even been some controversies around the agency. “Areas of controversy about inappropriate, often illegal actions include experiments, without consent, on human beings to explore chemical means of eliciting information or disabling people”(“CIA Handbook”4-5). Another area involved torture and clandestine imprisonment. There have been attempted assassinations under CIA orders and support for assassinations of foreign leaders by citizens of the leader's country, and, in a somewhat different legal category that may fall under the customary laws of war, assassinations of militant leaders. Despite all of this the CIA is great contributor to this country. It was created in 1944, and is the successor of the OSS. Their main purpose is to collect information for the United States. On 1947 the CIA became a full service organization. Although there had been some controversies that surround the agency, they still are one of the most important agencies in the United States. Today the CIA reports regularly to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as required by the Intelligence Oversight Act of 1980 and various Executive Orders. By emphasizing adaptability in its approach to intelligence collection, the CIA can tailor its support to key intelligence consumers and help them meet their needs as they face the issues of the post-Cold War World (CIA). The Agency also reports regularly to the Defense Subcommittees of the Appropriations Committees in both houses of Congress. Moreover, the Agency provides substantive briefings to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Armed Services Committees in bodies as well as other Committees and individual members. Work Cited _1. About CIA. CIA, 19 Feb. 2006. Web. 15 Apr. 2010. ._ _2. Central Intelligence Agency,_ Factbook on Intelligence, December 1992, pages 4-5. _3. Matchette, Robert B. "Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States." National Archives and Records Administration. 1995. Web. 2010._ _4. Melton, H. Keith, and Robert Wallace. The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception. New York: William Morrow, 2009. Print._ _ 5. "SOYOUWANNA WORK FOR THE CIA'". SOYOUWANNA. 2003 http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/cia/cia5.html._ 6. _Smith, S.E. Wisegeek. 01 Apr. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2010. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-the-cia-fbi-and-nsa.htm._ 7_. Swenson, Allan, and Michael Benson. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the CIA. Indianapolis: Marie Butler-Knight, 2003. Print._ 8. _Weiner, Tim. Legacy of Ashes: the History of the CIA. New York: Doubleday, 2007. Print._