Central Intelligence Agency

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is a department of the United States government that is responsible for intelligence. Its headquarters are at the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley, Virginia.

CIA headquarters

History

The United States has a history in intelligence services dating back to its origins. During the American Revolution, George Washington and other Founding Fathers of the United States such as Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, and Patrick Henry used espionage networks.

The CIA was formed in 1947, after World War II. Many of the people who started the CIA, including General John K. Singlaub, had been part of the Office of Strategic Services. This was the United States' main spy agency during the war.

In 1992, Saddam Hussein tried to kill former United States President George H. W. Bush, who was once Director of the CIA, during a visit to Kuwait. The assassination plot failed. President Bill Clinton reacted by firing cruise missiles at Iraq's main intelligence headquarters. However, the missiles were fired at night, so the people who had planned the assassination were not killed; the building's cleaners were.

Since March 19, 2021, William Joseph Burns has been Director of the CIA.

Operations

CIA has many clandestine, (secret) operations. Some CIA employees have been killed during their work. Their names are on a CIA memorial with a star for them, but some of the names are still secret. The number of stars is deliberately inaccurate.

The CIA also uses open sources to gather information. Analysts read foreign newspapers and watch foreign news broadcasts to learn information, which can be pieced together to make a conclusion.

The CIA used to report to the President. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, a reorganization made the CIA and other intelligence agencies report to a Director of National Intelligence.

Portrayals

The CIA has been featured in many television and film productions, including:

• The American television show "The Agency"
• The American television mini-series "The Company"
• The film "Spy Game" (starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt)
• "Night Flight to Moscow" (starring Yul Brenner)
• "Scorpio" (starring Burt Lancaster)
• "Clear and Present Danger" (starring Harrison Ford)
• "The Recruit" (starring Colin Farrell and Al Pacino)
• "Ice Station Zebra"
• Several James Bond films (featuring the CIA agent Felix Leiter)

Other websites

• Central Intelligence Agency website