All About The CIA
What is the 'CIA'?
The CIA spies overseas, whereby the FBI tries to uncover intelligence within the United States. The CIA's job is to warn us of threats and the certainty of attacks. So, the CIA has a very simple purpose and that is to gather intelligence that we need to protect ourselves. FACTS: The CIA's primary function is obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and persons.
What does the CIA do?
The CIA uses a variety of means to uncover secrets about possible threats and possible attacks against the US; possible efforts to undermine our security. The CIA uses human intelligence, meaning spies. The CIA also uses technical intelligence, meaning satellite images, intercepts. They analyze all of the information and try to come up with conclusions about factors that might affect our national security.
Where is the CIA located?
The CIA is located in what they call Langley, Virginia, but actually it's McLean, Virginia. Langley doesn't really exist. It's a headquarters that was built under the Eisenhower administration. It's since more than doubled in size. Of course, the CIA also has what they call stations all over the world.
Do other countries have a CIA?
Almost every country has some kind of an intelligence service, because every country is worried about threats to it's own security. They have different names. The Brits have their MI6. Israel has their Mossad. The Russians have the SVRR, which used to be the KGB. They're all differing levels of sophistication and size, but they all do the same thing, which is to try to gather secrets about threats to their own country.
Who runs the CIA?
The CIA reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, who in turn reports to the President.
How many employees does the CIA have?
The CIA has about 25,000 employees. About 5,000 of those are in the Clandestine Service, which is the human intelligence or spy service, and then the rest are in technical intelligence, analytical intelligence, and of course, support. There's a tremendous support element in the CIA because they have to keep everything they do secret. So, for example, if they want to send someone a package or transmit a message, it's all done through all kinds of shenanigans which the CIA specializes in.
What are the different departments in the CIA?
The CIA has the National Clandestine Service, which is the spy service, or the human intelligence. They have the Directorate of Intelligence, which is the analytical side. And then the Directorate of Science and Technology, which has to do, of course, with the technical means for gathering information; not only spy satellite information, but bugs; penetrating embassies, for example, to uncover conversations that are taking place i.e. communicating by computer secretly. Bugging the computers of terrorists would be another thing that that directorate would do. Very, very sophisticated stuff.
What is the difference between a CIA Agent and a CIA Officer?
A CIA officer is the full-time CIA employee who is a patriot in his own country, and he in turn recruits what are called agents. These agents are people, for example, in Russia, who might have secrets, who are Russian citizens, or, for example, may be someone in Al-Qaeda who might turn against Al-Qaeda. Those are traitors to their own cause, and if they're caught they can be prosecuted and killed.
Do all CIA employees lie about being in the CIA?
Only the members of the Clandestine Service lie about being in the CIA. Perhaps other people who are involved in the logistics try to do things secretly. For example, the people who install bugs in foreign embassies might have to lie as well. But generally, it's the Clandestine Service that has cover stories, very elaborate means of disguising their identities. They'll even use masks. They'll have all kinds of phony credit cards. They'll have a whole phony identity assigned to them. It's very, very interesting. Real James Bond stuff.
What is the goal of the CIA?
