CIA: Covert Action

Rachael Riggs

Henley-Putnam

National American University

CIA: Covert Action

Since the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1947, it has had a very disconcerting relationship with covert actions. Numerous covert operations have taken place under the guidance of the CIA, and many well-known operations have concluded unsatisfactorily. The historical results of covert actions conducted by the presidents and agencies within our country would lead most to conclude that these operations have not been beneficial to the United States. Whatever the reason, so many of these operations have proven to have an undesirable outcome, covert action. Specifically, those which are conducted by the CIA are necessary for the future of our country.

The United States defines Covert Action as:

Activity of the United States Government with the intent to influence political, economic, or military conditions abroad, where the intention is that the role of the United States Government will not be apparent or acknowledged publicly, but does not include—

(1) activities the primary purpose of which is to acquire intelligence, traditional counterintelligence activities, traditional activities to improve or maintain the operational security of United States Government programs, or administrative activities;

(2)traditional diplomatic or military activities or routine support to such activities

(3)traditional law enforcement activities conducted by United States Government law enforcement agencies or routine support to such activities; or

(4) activities to provide routine support to the overt activities (other than activities described in paragraph(1),(2), or (3)) of other United States Government agencies abroad.

The broad definition of covert action leaves the operations open to interpretation as necessary. The goal of each covert action is that it has plausible deniability. Plausible deniability ensures the activities shall take place with nothing to prove or link the United States, even if it is assumed, the intention is that no evidence exists to link the US to such actions.

It is disheartening to see the many times the US has taken chances with a covert action only to see it fail, such as with the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961 (JFK Library, n.d.) The Bay of Pigs was only a fraction of what was taking place behind the scenes. This large scale failure took place publicly, yet behind the scenes, the Kennedy administration and the CIA continued to invest years attempting to eliminate Fidel Castro. (Latell, 2005) The CIA recruited two mafia men to aid them in this effort. (Maier, 2018) They even recruited Castro's former girlfriend and outfitted her with a poison pill to put in his drink. Castro's former lover made it into his bathroom where she realized the pill had ruined in her cold cream, realizing she was in love with him, she confessed to Castro what the CIA had sent her to do. She spent the night with him never to see him again. (Schwab, 2014)

The obsession with assassinating Castro appears that it was more personal than political. (CIA Historical Document, 1967) Situations such as the US involvement in Cuban affairs, it is understood why many citizens would choose to be against the United State's involvement in covert activities. The results of these activities were messy, and if Castro was as massive of a threat as the Kennedy administration proclaimed, time and money could have been spent elsewhere in careful planning to deal with the situation.

During the 1970s, it became a requirement that a presidential finding must be presented to the Congressional Intelligence Committee before the commencement of such activities. Congress does not hold the authority to approve or disapprove of any presidential finding brought before them. Congress does, however, have the authority to withhold financing for the activity from the annual budget. In this way, Congress has the "power of the purse." (Godson, 2004) (Devine, 2019)

Having the president sign off on covert action assures that he is aware of or the originator of the particular covert action, this makes each presidential finding characteristic to his presidency. (Godson, 2004) Without the support of Congress backing a presidential finding, they are less likely to follow through with the activities, not just for financial reasons but also because those conducting the activities would not have support from Congress if things were to go wrong. (Devine, 2019)

Without the support of Congress, things can go very wrong, as Ronald Reagan witnessed during his presidency. In 1986 an investigation took place that revealed the Iran-Contra Affair. Reagan and then CIA Director William Casey began selling weapons to Iran in exchange for American hostages. With the money received from these illegal sales, the CIA clandestinely shipped money for support to the Contra’s in Nicaragua. After the investigation, fourteen people had charges brought against them in connection to the scandal. Some of those charged either got off on technicalities or received minor punishments for their participation. (History.com Editors, 2017)

The deniability of covert actions is vital for many reasons, but one of the most significant reasons for this is because of the legalities involved in such operations. Covert operations almost always break laws in the country where they are conducted. (Godson, 2004) International laws are likely broken as well while running these activities.

In 1953 Allen Dulles of the CIA, together with President Eisenhower, began Operation PBSUCCESS. This operation, directed at Guatemala with the intent of illegally overthrowing their democratically elected government. (Schwab, CIA DECLASSIFIED: The Deadly Phantom Coup, 2014) Though it violated the UN treaty, the CIA had a goal of preventing the spread of communism. They set up a Rebel Force training camp that consisted of Guatemalan Exiles. They also began a clandestine radio broadcast to use psychological warfare against the Guatemalans. (Schwab, CIA DECLASSIFIED: The Deadly Phantom Coup, 2014)

Providing weapons or negotiating with terrorists, (History.com Editors, 2017) assassination’s of leaders during peacetime, assassinations of known or suspected terrorists, drone attacks, attempts to overthrow governments, Psychological Ops, these are just a few of the reasons that covert action is imperative to be plausibly deniable. Besides the legal issues, there are the concerns of humiliation if something goes wrong, backlash, disgrace, negative publicity, and commencement of war.

Moral concerns and ethical considerations involved in covert action also come into question when discussing this very controversial topic. Besides the fact that many of the activities are illegal, are they right? Any person that opposes covert action will lack the ability to justify it as morally acceptable in any form.

To decide that covert actions, clandestine activity, and even war are unethical and morally unacceptable is to choose the fate of the end of our country. The government demands activities such as these. America has them in place for the protection of our country and its citizens. We must assume that other countries are orchestrating against the US. We must acknowledge that other countries will use covert actions for their own political and state benefit just as they have in the past. To assume otherwise would be setting our country up for failure and leaving us in an unprepared state. If we must find evidence of other countries using these activities against us, we need not look far. A simple Google search will corroborate this. There is documentation of this with the 2016 Russian interference in the United States election. (Collins, 2019)

A philosophical set of guidelines for going to war exists that encourages a guided ethical process for decision making. This theory from 4^th century AD is known as Just War Theory. It sets criteria for what must exist to make a war just. According to this theory, Three conditions must be met before one decides to go to war. These criteria include, “the action must be ordered by proper authority, the cause must be just, and the authority must have right intention of promoting good or avoiding evil.” (Barry, 2007) All of the conditions that the Just War Theory demonstrates must exist are consistent with the significance of covert action.

Ethically it is hard to find acceptable reasons for assassinations of other countries leaders when they provide no imminent threat. It is also hard to find a moral basis for using drones to shoot down known or suspected individuals that have associated with terrorist groups. It can, however, be affirmed that even though these actions surprise and disappoint, a proactive country can be forgiven for many things before a country that sits idle and misses the alarm.

More pivotal than attempting to find reasons so that we can view these actions as acceptable, we need to understand that they are mandatory. Some actions are more imperative than others. As is typical of many things, The past has taught us that some decisions could have benefitted from more careful and intentional planning. The history of covert action in the US and the mistakes that history has witnessed are the reasons that a presidential finding is a requirement. History is the reason that Congress reviews these to allow for the budget. These key things are what verifies that laws have been followed and that responsibility adheres to each covert action. (Devine, 2019)

There is so much more structure that could benefit the entire process involved with covert action and with a presidential finding, but making the activities less covert or available to more eyes is not the way to go. Benefits would present themselves with fewer people having involvement or maintaining the already small group that is knowledgeable about such activities. Another consideration is that less aggressive actions would potentially ease public backlash in the event of a catastrophe.

The United States is only as strong as the people protecting it. Playing it safe to please the general public should not be an option. The Intelligence agencies in the United States all perform their specific functions. The CIA concerns itself with Foreign matters and intelligence. The CIA collects and maintains vastly larger information on foreign governments and those governments activities than any other agency. It makes sense to keep non-military covert actions within this agency.

References

Barry, J. A. (2007, May 8). Managing Covert Political Action. Retrieved from CIA.gov: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/vol36no3/html/v36i3a05p_0001.htm

CIA Historical Document. (1967, May 23). Report on Plot to Assassinate Fidel Castro. Retrieved from Archives.gov: https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/104-10213-10101.pdf

Collins, M. &. (2019, April 22). Mueller report: 5 things to know about Russian interference in U.S. elections. Retrieved from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/22/mueller-report-what-know-russian-election-interference/3538877002/

Devine, M. E. (2019, June 14). Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of the Intelligence Community: Selected Definitions in Brief. Retrieved from Congressional Research Service: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/R45175.pdf

Godson, R. (2004). Dirty Tricks or Trump Cards: U.S. Covert Action and Counterintelligence. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.

History.com Editors. (2017, August 10). Iran-Contra Affair. Retrieved from History.com: https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/iran-contra-affair

JFK Library. (n.d.). The Bay of Pigs. Retrieved from JFK Preidential Library and Museum: https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/the-bay-of-pigs

Latell, B. (2005). The Castro Obsession. Retrieved from www.cia.gov: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol49no4/Castro_Obsession_10.htm

Maier, T. (2018, February 24). Inside the CIA’s Plot to Kill Fidel Castro—With Mafia Help. Retrieved from Politico Magazine: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/02/24/fidel-castro-cia-mafia-plot-216977

Olson, J. (2007, May 24). James Olson: Fair Play: The moral dilemmas of spying. Retrieved from Pritzker Military: https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/whats_on/pritzker-military-presents/james-olson-fair-play/

Schwab, J. (Director). (2014). CIA Declassified: Castro and the Cold Cream [Motion Picture].

Schwab, J. (Director). (2014). CIA DECLASSIFIED: The Deadly Phantom Coup [Motion Picture].