What are the responsibilities of the CIA's Covert Action Staff?

What are the responsibilities of the CIA's Covert Action Staff?

Ronald Kessler (Author of "The Terrorist Watch: Inside The Desperate Race To Stop The Next Attack") gives expert video advice on: What are the responsibilities of the CIA's National Clandestine Service?; What are the responsibilities of the CIA's Covert Action Staff?; What are the responsibilities of the CIA's Special Operations Staff? and more...

The Covert Action Staff deals with covert action, which means influencing governments or organizations in a secretive manner. For example, the Covert Action Staff might introduce articles that favour a more moderate Muslim approach. They might pay off a persons who acts as an Imam and create a more moderate approach. They might pay off real Imams to be more moderate. They in the old days would actually be involved in toppling governments. So it's anything where the CIA uses very aggressive means, and certainly secret means to influence what is going on in the world.