CIA: history and current situation. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) overview

Each country has its own secret services that deal with the security of the state, as well as foreign intelligence. For example, in Russia they are called FSB and GRU, in Great Britain - MI-6. They are no exception and In this country there are more secret services than in any other. Two organizations are engaged in foreign intelligence in the United States at once - these are the NSA and the CIA. The decoding of the abbreviation, as well as a description of the activities of the Intelligence Directorate, are given in this article.

CIA

Now more about this special service. The CIA is a US federal agency that collects and analyzes any information about the activities of foreign states, their citizens and organizations. This body is considered the main one in the intelligence system of the United States.

History of the CIA. Abbreviation decoding

After the defeat of Germany, the United States needed to create a powerful intelligence system, since the USSR was considered a potential enemy. And he had to fight. The Cold War began almost immediately, during this period this organization was formed. The CIA came into being in 1947 after the National Security Act was passed. It was signed by the then President of the United States, Harry Truman. The law came into force on October 18, 1947.

What is the CIA and how was it formed? It was created on the basis of the strategic service department that already existed at that time, which was active during the Second World War. The new body took over all its functions, and in 1949 a personal law creating the CIA was signed. The abbreviation is given below. Fun fact: some people think CIA stands for Central Homicide Investigation. That's not right, that's right - the Central Intelligence Agency.

Organization leadership

Until 2005, it was headed by the director of the Intelligence Directorate. This position was approved in 1946. Beginning in 1947, all the functions of the leadership of the CIA were added to it, and the director received the status of adviser to the President of the United States on security and intelligence issues. Already in 1981, he completely controlled absolutely all foreign and domestic intelligence activities of the United States.

What does the CIA do

The main responsibilities of the organization include obtaining various information. It is collected through a network of agents and through other means. But the CIA does not have policing powers and domestic security functions. That is, the organization does not have the right to interfere in the affairs of the police and other law enforcement agencies. Also, the CIA cannot subpoena a citizen. The Directorate performs all duties and functions that relate exclusively to intelligence activities.

The answer to the question of what the CIA is has already been received. Now let's take a closer look at the responsibilities of this organization. The CIA evaluates and compares the results collected by intelligence, analyzes them, makes forecasts. Based on them, the organization submits its recommendations to the government. The directorate also provides general management and coordination of all departments that collect national intelligence data. The CIA monitors all potential threats to the US, as well as hostile individuals engaged in American or NATO territory.

Does the US Central Intelligence Agency use torture to gather information?

In 2007, the CIA acknowledged the fact that 2 cassettes were destroyed, which contained video recordings of interrogations conducted by their agents. The agency said the procedure was "tough" enough. Michael Hayden, who was director at the time, argued (with reference to the opinion of the security services) that all methods used were completely legal. However, evidence of the brutal actions of American intelligence agencies was destroyed.

The Union for the Protection of the Freedoms of American Citizens commented on this situation. His spokesman said that the destruction of the tapes was part of a long and extensive process by which individuals were spared criminal prosecution for abuse of office.

In 2008, Hayden admitted that the interrogations used the "flooding" method using water. But the Office does not consider this torture, but simply calls it a tougher interrogation. A total of 18 similar "no torture" cases were used. In Congress, a proposal was made to ban the use of such influences to obtain the necessary information, but Bush threatened to veto this law. But already in 2009, Obama signed a document prohibiting torture.

secrets

How does CIA stand for? Central Intelligence Agency. Accordingly, like any similar organization, especially on such a scale, it has its own big and small secrets. For example, it turned out that the CIA has its own prisons, which were previously unknown to anyone. They contained persons who were suspected of terrorism.

In 2006, Bush Jr., being at that time the President of the United States, officially admitted that such places really exist. According to him, prisons are necessary to ensure the security of the country and citizens, and only especially dangerous criminals are kept in them. In 2009, Obama issued an executive order to shut down all classified CIA facilities. And not only in the United States, but also abroad.

CIA activities in recent years

Great changes have taken place in the world community, and the Office had to make changes in its structure. Special centers have been set up to address issues of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism, counterintelligence, international crime and drug trafficking, arms control and environmental protection.

In addition, partnerships were organized between the information collection system of the countries of the European Union and a similar department of the CIA. The decoding of the intelligence data of the EU intelligence services is now available to America. A general analysis of sources is carried out on all issues that relate to US security.

The CIA made an active contribution to social activities in the form of regulation of services that are of interest in data collection. Closer cooperation has been established with other intelligence agencies, especially in the field of new developments and research that involve technical means.

The CIA places an emphasis on adaptation in the process of gathering information and often develops a tailor-made approach to analyzing key information. It also provides invaluable assistance in solving many problems that constantly arise after the end of the Cold War. Actively cooperates, if necessary, with many other countries.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the coordinating center for US civilian and military intelligence.

Created in 1947

In the USA, as in any developed country, there is a whole network of secret services involved in intelligence activities. In 1908, a special investigative department was created in the Ministry of Justice, which the following year became known as the Bureau of Investigation, and since 1935 - the FBI. In addition to the tasks of political investigation and counterintelligence, the department was and is still actively engaged in international intelligence operations.

There is an intelligence directorate of headquarters american army G-2, which deals with tactical and strategic intelligence, Naval Intelligence, Headquarters Intelligence Directorate air force A-2, etc. But not a single secret agency has such a powerful potential, an extensive spy network, and solid financial support as the US Central Intelligence Agency.

The history of this department dates back to 1940, when a special SIS department was created under the FBI, designed to conduct intelligence operations abroad. E. Hoover, who worked as head of the FBI under eight presidents, from K. Coolidge to R. Nixon, was approved as the head of the new structure. Parallel with SIS similar operations The Office of Strategic Services, created during the Second World War, was also involved.

Both departments were disbanded in 1947. In the same year, the CIA was created on their basis by the National Security Law, signed by President Truman. Rear Admiral R. Hillenkotter became the first director of the CIA. In 1953, he was replaced in this post by his deputy A. Dulles - a man who was called "spy number 1." He headed the department until 1961.

It was under Dulles that CIA operations began to be carried out on a global scale, and it was then that the agency began to turn from an intelligence agency into one of the main centers where US foreign policy is shaped.

The heads of intelligence agencies are required to inform the top leadership of the United States about direct or indirect threats to the country, state, nation and president. The CIA has the authority to carry out illegal operations on the territory of other countries.

With the active participation of the CIA and its ramified agents, coup d'etat was carried out in a number of countries, and leaders and politicians who were objectionable to Washington were eliminated. In 1953, Iranian Prime Minister M. Mossadegh was overthrown, and he began the nationalization of oil production, which was detrimental to American TNCs. A year later, J. Arbens was removed from power in Guatemala, who was trying to nationalize the lands belonging to United Fruits. In 1959, the head of the Ceylon government, S. Bandaranaike, was killed. In 1961, the Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo, P. Lumumba, was overthrown and assassinated by rebels supported by the CIA. Since that time, the CIA has repeatedly attempted to poison the leader of Cuba, F. Castro, and the leader of the Libyan revolution, M. Gaddafi.

The victims of the American intelligence service and its hirelings were the leaders of many countries that pursued a policy that was contrary to the interests of American capital.

The further, the more the CIA borrowed the practice of medieval Jesuits with their principle "the end justifies the means." 1970s marked by a considerable number of high-profile scandals involving the CIA in the drug trade and the illegal arms trade. The proceeds went to finance bloody dictatorial pro-American regimes in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Afghanistan.

The large-scale activities of the CIA against the USSR, on which billions of dollars were spent, are described by N. Yakovlev's book “The CIA Against the USSR”, which has survived several reprints in many languages.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the CIA, oddly enough, did not curtail its activities, its budget increased, which indicates that the CIA fought not with communism, but with Russia, and as long as Russia exists, it is too early for him to calm down.

Like any overbureaucratized structure, the CIA is becoming less and less effective. The giant failure of the CIA is the tragedy of September 11, when terrorists attacked not only the shopping center, but also the Pentagon.

The Israeli Mossad or the Russian SVR, FSB and GRU are much more productive in terms of price-quality ratio. The CIA's annual budget, for example, is estimated at up to $30 billion, more than Russia's entire military budget.

The CIA tried to compensate for its failures by searching for weapons mass destruction in Iraq. The CIA report became the basis for US aggression. What was the embarrassment when the weapons were not found! The lack of intelligence and professionalism is compensated by cruelty. The "human rights activists" of the CIA have slipped into the Middle Ages.

In 2005, a major scandal was caused by reports of the existence in the territory of countries of Eastern Europe secret CIA prisons where terror suspects are being held. According to Swiss intelligence released in November 2005, there are secret prisons in Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Kosovo, Macedonia and Bulgaria. In June 2004, the British newspaper The Observer claimed that the Al-Tamara prison in Morocco, the Mulhak al-Mazra prison in Egypt, as well as detention centers in Azerbaijan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, etc.

European human rights activists claimed that both Al-Tamara and Mulhak al-Mazra used torture. The use of torture on a prisoner officially allows the so-called. "advanced interrogation technique" used since March 2002 at secret bases in Europe and Asia.

The main task of the CIA since its inception has been active opposition to the Soviet Union and all-round subversive activities against the strategic enemy and his allies. With the direct participation of the US intelligence agency, the "velvet revolutions" in the countries of Eastern Europe were planned and carried out, as well as the split of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The CIA developed and financed the change of power in many CIS republics through "color revolutions". The Americans managed to fully realize this scenario in Yugoslavia, Georgia and Adzharia, Ukraine and partly in Kyrgyzstan.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Created at the very beginning of the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency is rightfully the most famous of modern American intelligence agencies. Indeed, how many of the non-specialists know what is hidden, for example, behind the abbreviations RUMO or NSA? Everyone who has read or watched some American spy thriller at least once in their life has heard about the CIA.

However, the leading position of the CIA in the US Intelligence Community is not determined by the fact that it is the largest or most funded of its members. Neither in terms of the number of employees, nor in terms of the size of the budget, it takes first place, yielding to the same NSA. The leading role of the CIA is that it coordinates the activities of all the many and varied American intelligence agencies. For this, in fact, it was created at one time by President Truman. The director of the CIA reports directly to the President of the United States, in his position he simultaneously holds the post of director of central intelligence and, in this capacity, is the de facto operational head of the Intelligence Community.

However, the CIA itself is a powerful organization that collects and processes intelligence, recruits agents and manages all US covert operations abroad.

Structure of the Central Intelligence Agency

Unlike the NSA, which strives for maximum secrecy and reacts painfully to any publications about itself, the CIA leadership, on the contrary, attaches great importance to informing the public about its activities, believing that a reasonable amount of publicity helps to increase the authority of the native intelligence service in the eyes of the American inhabitants. Thanks to this "openness" the structure of the CIA is known more or less in detail.

As already mentioned, unlike the heads of other American intelligence agencies, the director of the CIA is directly subordinate to the President of the United States and at the same time is the director of central intelligence, i.e. heads the US Intelligence Community and coordinates the intelligence activities of its constituent agencies.

As you know, the immediate predecessor of the CIA - created in January 1946, the Central Intelligence Group (CIC) - was largely paramilitary in nature, and all of its leaders were representatives of the armed forces. The first two directors of the CIA were also military men. This was explained by the specifics of the moment, since most of the American intelligence units, whose activities were called upon to coordinate the new structure, belonged to the military. The first to break this "tradition" was the famous Allen Welsh Dulles, who became director of the CIA in February 1953 and held this post for 8 and a half years (a record that has not yet been surpassed by any of his successors). Since then, civilians have been appointed as the heads of the CIA, although occasionally generals and admirals have been appointed to this post. In general, the CIA is civilian in nature, and those of its employees who are military personnel are in the cadres of the Department of Defense.

Under the National Security Act of 1947, the Director of the CIA is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. This post is currently held by George Tenet.

Since the director of the CIA is also head of central intelligence, his direct reports fall into two categories. Some of them are the top leaders of the CIA, the other part are the heads of the Intelligence Community structures, who are not CIA employees. The latter have already been mentioned in the chapter on the Intelligence Community.

As already mentioned, special position is occupied by the Deputy (in fact, 1st Deputy) Director of the CIA, who replaces his boss in both of his roles. Under an amendment to the National Security Act of 1947 passed by Congress in April 1953, he, like the director, is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The 1st Deputy assists the Director in running the CIA and the Intelligence Community and replaces him in case of absence, illness, etc. This position is currently held by John McLaughlin

In addition to the director and first deputy, the leadership of the Central Intelligence Agency includes:

General Inspector. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Reported only to the Director and 1st Deputy Director of the CIA. Heads the department of the Inspector General, which is responsible for conducting disciplinary checks and official investigations activities of the CIA. The inspector general's department has its own budget and autonomous (within the CIA) personnel apparatus. The current Inspector General of the CIA is L. Britt Snider.

General Counsel. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, pursuant to an amendment to the Intelligence Powers Act of 1997. Reported only to the Director and 1st Deputy Director of the CIA. He is a legal adviser to the director on all matters relating to the legal activities of the CIA. He heads the department of the general adviser, whose employees monitor the observance of the employees of the department by the Constitution and laws, the criminal code, as well as existing rules and regulations. Robert McNamara currently serves as General Counsel and has approximately 90 lawyers in his department.

Executive Director. This position is currently held by A.B. Krongard. Appointed by the director of the CIA. Is the third person in the hierarchy of Management. Carries out day-to-day management of the CIA and chairs the Executive Board, which consists of five officials responsible for the following matters:

Finance,

Information Support,

Homeland Security Service,

Human resources,

Global support.

Thus, the members of the Executive Council, who took over the functions of the administrative directorate, which was liquidated in 2001, head the support services designed to provide the operational and analytical units of the CIA with everything necessary for their hard work in the field of protecting American democracy.

All structures of the Central Intelligence Agency are operationally subordinate to the executive director, with the exception of those directly subordinate to the director of the CIA.

Three deputy directors heading individual directorates:

deputy Director of Intelligence, currently Winston Wiley;

deputy director of science and technology, until recently it was Joanne Isham (Joanne Isham), but on August 3, 2001, she was replaced in this post by Donald Kerr (Donald Kerr);

deputy Director of Operations, currently James Pavitt.

The headquarters of the CIA is located in the small town of Langley, Virginia, located near Washington. On October 20, 1998, President Clinton named it the George W. Bush Intelligence Center. On April 26, 1999, a solemn ceremony was held on this occasion, which was attended by CIA officials, senior officials of the American administration, former directors and deputy directors of the CIA, as well as the hero of the occasion himself - ex-president USA George Bush with his wife Barbara, family members and friends.

Of course, such a high honor is given to George W. Bush, not so much as the former director of the CIA, who held this post for a year, but as the president under whom the United States won a complete and final victory in the cold war. President Clinton's letter, read by CIA Director J. Tenet during his speech at the ceremony, made this very clear:

"Dear George!

I want to join the men and women of the Intelligence Community - and all Americans - in welcoming you as our nation has decided to rename the Central Intelligence Agency complex the "George Bush Intelligence Center."

When you took office as Director of Central Intelligence in January 1976, the nation had just gone through one of the most turbulent times in its history. Many Americans have lost faith in government. Many have asked if the CIA should continue to exist.

As a director, you have done a lot. You have restored morale and discipline to the Office while publicly emphasizing the importance of intelligence to national security. You have also restored America's trust in the CIA and the rest of the Intelligence Community.

Of course, today we honor you not only as a former director: during your life in service to America, you served her not only as head of the Intelligence Community, but also as President, as the main user of intelligence. As President, you have stood for American leadership throughout the world - leadership for freedom and democracy, peace and prosperity.

As you know, as President, I repeatedly turned to you for your wise advice, which was extremely useful to me. And I have been well served by the talented and competent men and women of the organizations that make up the Intelligence Community, which you have done so much to preserve and strengthen.

On behalf of all Americans, I want to thank you for your patriotism and leadership, and I want to extend my warmest congratulations to you on receiving this tribute of appreciation.

Sincerely, Bill Clinton."

Well, it remains only to envy the Americans - they know how to pay tribute to their former leaders for their contribution to the greatness and prosperity of the United States, instead of spitting on their memory in a revealing frenzy, as has been customary in our country in recent decades.

But back to the story about the headquarters of the CIA. As you know, compared with the harsh rules of the USSR (and today's Russia), the American approach to secrecy looks a little frivolous. It is not surprising that some Russian readers have erroneous ideas about this. In particular, about the fact that the CIA residence in Langley is accessible to outside visitors and there are almost organized excursions for onlookers from the street. In fact, American openness to secrecy has its limits. In particular, only those who are entitled to it on duty can enter the headquarters of the CIA. Nevertheless, open American sources allow us to describe it in sufficient detail.

First of all, it should be said that the Central Intelligence Agency complex in Langley consists of two buildings - old and new. The decision to build the CIA residence at Langley was made by President Truman, but this idea was put into practice already in the presidency of Eisenhower. The building was designed in the mid-1950s by the New York firm of Garrison and Abramovich, who had previously designed the UN building in New York. The foundation stone was laid on November 3, 1959, and construction was completed in November 1963. The building is built of concrete and looks like a university campus. The usable area of ​​its premises is 1,400,000 square feet.

Together with him, the building of the assembly hall was also built. It is a free-standing domed structure connected to the old headquarters building by an underground corridor. Its 7,000-square-foot auditorium seats 650 people.

The new CIA headquarters building was designed in the early 1980s. Detroit architectural and engineering firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. Construction began in May 1984. The foundation stone was laid on November 1, 1985 by US Vice President George W. Bush. The occupancy of the new building began in June 1988, and by March 1991 it was fully completed. The new building is a steel and glass structure. It adjoins the western facade of the old building and consists of two six-story towers, interconnected by a four-story inner building. Its usable area is 1,100,000 square feet.

When approaching the CIA complex, you can see three monuments. At the main entrance to the old building is a 1973 copy of the statue of Nathan Hale, the original of which was made by the famous American sculptor of the early 20th century Bela Lyon Pratt for the state of Connecticut. Nathan Hale, veteran of the Revolutionary War, captain of the American army, was captured and hanged by the British in 1776 while on a reconnaissance mission.

At the northeast corner of the new building is the sculpture "Kryptos", made by James Sanborn, which is a kind of stele in the form of a paper scroll on which a cipher text is carved. Finally, at the southwestern entrance to the CIA, there is a composition dedicated to the fall of the Berlin Wall, opened on December 18, 1992 and symbolizing the US victory in the Cold War.

Engraved on the wall of the main lobby of the old building is a saying from the Bible:

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (Gospel of John. 8, 32).

It should be noted that this statement looks rather ambiguous, especially if you look at the context where it comes from:

"Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him: If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

However, according to the official version, this quote "characterizes the role of intelligence in a free society."

In the same lobby, on one of the walls is the "Book of Glory" - a memorial plaque on which the memory of CIA officers who died in the line of duty is immortalized: their names are listed in chronological order in a column, and in memory of those who still remains classified (there are more than half of them), asterisks are simply knocked out. The author of the memorial is the sculptor Harold Vogel.

Other outstanding employees of the Office are not forgotten either. In the same foyer are a statue of Major General William Donovan by sculptor Larry Ludtke and a bas-relief by Allen Dulles. A bust of Donovan is also installed in the assembly hall. In addition, in one of the two corridors leading from the old building to the new one, oil-painted portraits of all directors of the Office, from Donovan, who headed the CIA's predecessor, the OSS, to the penultimate director, John Deitch, are hung out. The portrait of the current director, George Tenet, is not yet available.

The main part of the CIA structure is made up of three directorates.

The Intelligence Directorate processes and analyzes intelligence information received from various sources and prepares summaries based on it for the President, the National Security Council and Congress, as well as for members of the US Intelligence Community. In other words, this directorate is the analytical body of the CIA. The number of its employees is estimated at 4,000.

After the liquidation of the Warsaw Pact and the collapse of the USSR that followed soon after, the "image of the enemy" in the eyes of American voters faded significantly. That is, of course, even without the communists, Russia remains a "source of evil", but this "evil" has clearly shrunk in size and, as a result, has become less frightening. As a result, voices began to be heard in the United States about the need to reduce the activities of special services and, accordingly, their funding. And indeed, from 1991 to 1997, the budget of the American intelligence community decreased every year.

As part of these developments, in 1994, the then CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence, Douglas J. McEachin, created a commission to reorganize and reduce his directorate. The commission worked for three years, after which, in 1997, a radical reorganization of the Intelligence Directorate really took place. True, at the same time, the head of the Intelligence Directorate was also replaced - he became John E. McLaulin. Whether there was a reduction in staff is unknown. Even if it was, then, since the budget of the intelligence community began to increase again starting in 1998, in subsequent years these personnel losses were more than compensated for. But the reorganization of the structure of the intelligence directorate was really serious. If before 1997 it had five territorial departments, now there are three of them: the departments of Russia and Europe were merged, and the department of Africa and Latin America was divided between two other departments. As a result, the directorate currently has:

Department of Russia and Europe;

Department of the Middle East, South Asia and Africa;

Asia Pacific and Latin America Division1.

In addition to the territorial departments, the Intelligence Directorate currently includes:

Department of transnational problems. Engaged in the analysis of various issues that go beyond a single country or region and, as a rule, belong to one of four main groups: weapons, foreign technologies, economic security, social conflicts. Among these issues, the following stand out.

The study of foreign weapons, especially missile systems, their technical characteristics and the impact that their appearance will have on political stability and the position of US military forces in the respective region.

Examination of foreign achievements in the field of information technology and telecommunications in order to protect the national infrastructure of the United States from possible attacks and prevent unwanted technological surprises.

Expertise on the state of international energy, trade, and finance to assist US officials responsible for US energy stability and the security of international financial markets.

An assessment of the situation in the "hot spots" of the planet: the food situation, the flow of refugees, etc., so that the subsequent intervention of the American "peacekeepers" could be planned.

Expertise in criminal activities such as money laundering, arms trafficking, foreign smuggling and sanctions violations.

Long-term strategic assessments of regional military, economic, and political dynamics and their impact on American global interests.

Political Support Division (established in 1998). Ensures the delivery of intelligence to senior US officials, as well as agencies responsible for American security. The first of the main "clients" of the department is the President's Analytical Support Staff, whose staff, in turn, prepare three written reviews daily and, again daily, conduct intelligence briefings for the president, vice president and others. senior officials of the country responsible for national security.

The department's second major client is the CIA operations center. It analyzes incoming information around the clock in order to identify signs of maturation. crisis situations threatening US national security and immediately informing the CIA leadership about this.

In addition, the political support department maintains a small staff that checks the quality of the analytical "products" issued by the directorate.

Department of Advanced Analytical Tools. Created at the end of 1996 as a joint department of intelligence and scientific and technical directorates. Chief - Susan Gordon (Fall 1997). Engaged in the acquisition, installation and modernization of hardware and software, as well as the introduction of new mathematical methods, providing CIA analysts with the computing resources necessary for their work. In particular, in 1987, the latest CRAY supercomputer was installed in the Intelligence Directorate.

Support Services Department. Supports and develops information and application systems, provides other departments of the directorate with maps, equipment for audio and video recording, and provides publishing services. Also provides training and consultations on information systems, software, etc.

Headquarters for the collection of requirements and evaluation. Sets tasks for intelligence collectors. Responsible for ensuring that the bodies that obtain intelligence information of all kinds - whether it be photographic intelligence, electronic intelligence or undercover intelligence - collect exactly the information that analysts of the intelligence directorate need. He also prepares various reviews, information releases, etc. for the directorate.

Council for the replacement of intelligence posts. Established in 1997 in order to ensure a high level of preparedness of the staff of the Directorate. Works in close cooperation with the heads of the directorate and plans to fill future vacancies by attracting new employees, as well as training and promoting existing ones.

An important part of the council's work is the advanced training of intelligence personnel. He has developed a professional development program for all employees of the directorate. Employees are trained in the following courses:

political intelligence;

military intelligence;

economic intelligence;

scientific, technical and military-industrial intelligence;

collection of information;

study of foreign leaders;

information systems and services;

production support;

administrative support;

pattern recognition;

management.

The structure of the Intelligence Directorate also includes three centers created at different times under the director of the CIA and performing the tasks of coordinating efforts in the relevant field not only of the CIA, but of the entire US Intelligence Community:

Center for International Crime and Drugs. In April 1989, the Counternarcotics Center (CNC) was established under the director of the CIA. In 1994, the functions of this center were expanded and it also became involved in international organized crime, having received a new name, but retaining the old abbreviation (Crime and Narcotics Center, CNC). The center is staffed by representatives of all three directorates of the CIA, in addition, representatives of most of the structures of the Intelligence Community involved in the fight against crime and drugs are directly involved in its work.

Center for the Environment (established in 1997). Coordinates all activities of the Intelligence Community related to environmental issues. Naturally, the political, economic and scientific aspects of these problems are analyzed insofar as they affect American interests.

As part of its activities, the center:

gives an assessment of international crimes against the environment;

provides support to US officials in the negotiation of environmental agreements, evaluates foreign policy in the field of environmental protection;

evaluates the role played by the state of the environment in the country under study, regional conflict, etc.;

supports efforts to international arena other US government agencies in the field of environmental protection;

provides environmental data to private US agencies.

Center for Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (established in September 1991). He is engaged in the analysis of the technical aspects of weapons and space systems of other countries, the analysis of information on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear energy, tactical and general purpose, air defense systems, policy in the field of scientific and technological progress. Coordinates the activities of the entire Intelligence Community on these issues.

At one time, the Intelligence Directorate also included a department for analyzing information about foreign leaders, whose task was to provide the US leadership, as necessary, with characteristics of foreign political leaders and organizations. However, the new structure of the Intelligence Directorate, posted on the official CIA website on the Internet, does not include this department. Whether this means that this unit fell victim to the 1997 reorganization, or whether there are limits to CIA openness remains an open question.

The Scientific and Technical Directorate conducts research and development in the field of technical means of collecting information, maintains equipment designated purpose and exchanges information with the largest scientific centers in the United States.

The structure of the directorate includes:

Department of research and development of technical systems. Engaged in fundamental and applied scientific and technical research and development in the most various fields- communications, sensors, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, computer simulation, etc.

Interception department. Develops, operates and maintains the latest equipment necessary to perform with maximum efficiency the tasks of collecting and analyzing information.

Department of technical support. Carries out research, development and production of various operational equipment - means of cryptography, eavesdropping, covert photography, coding and decryption.

Information support service for foreign broadcasting. Manages a network of radio stations that listen to and record radio and television broadcasts.

The Operations Directorate (called the Planning Directorate until 1972) is the most closed of the CIA directorates. At one time, it was so secret that a photograph of its leader could not even be printed. And today, on the official website of the CIA on the Internet, there are biographies of the director of the CIA and his deputies, but there is no biography of the deputy director of operations of the CIA, only his last name is indicated - James L. Pavitt. However, this precaution is purely symbolic, as evidenced by the biography of Pavitt given in this book, obtained from open American sources.

The Operations Directorate solves tasks related to the search and collection of information by undercover intelligence, organizes and carries out covert operations, counterintelligence support of undercover and operational activities, and fights against terrorism and drug trafficking. Thus, the Operations Directorate is the "mining" and the Intelligence Directorate is the "processing" body of the CIA. Although under US law the CIA is not allowed to operate in the United States, these rules provide for an exception in cases where the information comes on a voluntary basis from citizens or organizations from the United States.

According to unofficial data, about 8,000 people work in the Operations Directorate. Its structure includes:

Department of Foreign Intelligence. Supervises the operational activities of regional departments, evaluates the reliability of information sources and develops practical recommendations for operational units. Includes departments responsible for geographic regions. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, there were six such departments:

USSR and Eastern Europe,

Western Europe,

latin america,

East Asia,

Middle East,

In turn, each department has sections responsible for specific countries.

Counterintelligence Center (established in 1988). Ensures the security of the intelligence activities of the CIA residencies, carries out undercover penetration into foreign intelligence services, works with defectors.

Covert operations department.

The Department technical services. Responsible for the technical support of covert operations. During presidential visits outside the States, it provides protection for communication channels.

Financial and planning department. Provides planning and financing of all activities of the Directorate.

Center for Combating Terrorism (established in 1986 at the initiative of the then Vice President of the United States, George W. Bush). The main goal of the Center is to suppress terrorist acts at the earliest possible stage. To do this, methods such as provoking splits within terrorist groups, weakening their infrastructure, cooperating with friendly intelligence agencies of foreign states, and pursuing and capturing terrorist leaders who are abroad are used. The tasks of the Center include:

Development and support of large-scale programs to combat terrorism with intelligence and limit the capabilities of international terrorist groups and the states that support them;

compiling, on the basis of intelligence, all types of analytical reviews on groups and states responsible for international terrorism;

coordinating the anti-terrorist activities of the CIA units, as well as other organizations that are part of the Intelligence Community.

During so-called "anti-terrorist operations" such as the current war in Afghanistan, the Center must provide direct intelligence support to the units of the United States armed forces participating in them.

According to his status, the head of the Center is a special assistant to the director of the Central Intelligence Agency for combating terrorism.

However, on September 11, 2001, the employees of the Center were clearly not up to par, having failed to either prevent the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, or at least warn about them.

Until recently, the CIA also had a fourth directorate - the Administrative Directorate. He dealt with the selection, training and retraining of personnel, ensured the security of CIA personnel and facilities, provided encrypted communications with the residencies, was responsible for supply, finance and medical care. The number of its staff was estimated at 5 thousand people. Its structure included:

Human Resources Department,

Department of training and retraining of personnel,

Security Department,

Financial department,

Information storage and retrieval department,

Department of Computer Engineering,

Communication department,

medical department,

Maintenance department.

However, in June 2001, the Administrative Directorate was disbanded, and the heads of its divisions were reassigned directly to the CIA executive director.

In addition to directorates, the CIA structure includes:

Department of Financial Auditor. Controls all financial activities of the CIA.

Public Relations Department. Responsible for dealing with the media, politicians, and the general public, not just the CIA, but the entire Intelligence Community as a whole. The director of the department reports directly to the director of the CIA and is his adviser on these matters.

The department consists of two divisions: for work with mass media and for public relations.

The Media Division is responsible for bringing "accurate information about the CIA, its mission, and the agency's contribution to national security" to the American public. In other words, his task is to create a favorable image of the CIA in the American media. To do this, the department's employees work daily with journalists, prepare and distribute press releases and other similar materials. Maintaining the CIA website on the Internet is also part of their function.

At the same time, the department is engaged in the analysis of publications and public statements about the CIA in the American and foreign media, reporting on the results to the Director of the CIA and other leaders of the Agency. At the same time, special attention is paid to those publications that may jeopardize the exposure of CIA agents.

Employees of the public relations department are responsible for answering letters, faxes, phone calls lecture about the CIA and its role in the Intelligence Community at colleges, universities, other institutions and organizations, and the like.

Congressional Relations Department. As it is easy to guess from its name, it is responsible for the contacts of the CIA with American legislators. His boss also reports directly to the director of the CIA.

Center for the Study of Intelligence. Engaged in the study of the history of the CIA. It publishes a quarterly secret journal on this subject, an unclassified yearbook "Studies in Intelligence", as well as various monographs, collections of documents, etc., organizes conferences and seminars. The head of the Center reports directly to the executive director of the CIA.

The total number of CIA employees is 16-18 thousand people. The CIA's annual budget is estimated at $3-4 billion. In addition, a significant portion of the CIA's spending goes under the closed budget of the Department of Defense.

The CIA has a number of intelligence schools to train its agents. The main one is located at the US military base Camp Pirie near Williamsburg (Virginia). Its students are career CIA officers who receive 18 weeks of "operational intelligence" training there. master the technique of espionage. In particular, they are taught to secretly open and reseal postal envelopes, to take hidden photographs, to use various disguises, and so on. Those who complete the courses are usually assigned to the Operations Directorate.

Another CIA training center is at Harvey Point, North Carolina. Some staff members of the Office receive training in educational units US Special Forces located in Panama or in remote areas of the United States.

CIA structure

Unlike the NSA, which strives for maximum secrecy and reacts painfully to any publications about itself, the CIA leadership, on the contrary, attaches great importance to informing the public about its activities, believing that a reasonable amount of publicity helps to increase the authority of the native intelligence service in the eyes of the American inhabitants. Thanks to this “openness”, the structure of the CIA is known more or less in detail.

As already mentioned, unlike the leaders of other American intelligence agencies, CIA director reports directly to the President of the United States. Until 2005, he was simultaneously director of central intelligence, that is, he headed the US Intelligence Community and coordinated the intelligence activities of its constituent departments.

As you know, the immediate predecessor of the CIA - the Central Intelligence Group (CIC) created in January 1946 - was largely paramilitary in nature, and all its leaders were representatives of the armed forces. The first two directors of the CIA were also military men. This was explained by the specifics of the moment, since most of the American intelligence units, whose activities were called upon to coordinate the new structure, belonged to the military. The first to break this tradition was the famous Allen Welsh Dulles, who became director of the CIA in February 1953 and held this post for eight and a half years (a record still unsurpassed by any of his successors). Since then, civilians have been appointed as the heads of the CIA, although occasionally generals and admirals have been appointed to this post. In general, the CIA is civilian in nature, and those of its employees who are military personnel are in the cadres of the Department of Defense.

Under the National Security Act of 1947, the Director of the CIA is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The current position is Leon Edward Panetta, who has been in office since February 13, 2009.

In addition to the director, the top leadership of the CIA includes:

First Deputy Director(Deputy Director) Under an amendment to the National Security Act of 1947 passed by Congress in April 1953, like a director, he is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The First Alternate assists the Director in the management of the Office and replaces the Director in the event of absence, illness, etc. The Principal is currently Michael J. Morell, who has been in this position since May 6, 2010.

Assistant to the First Deputy Director(Associate Deputy Director). This position was introduced on 5 July 2006 to replace the previously existing position executive director. The Assistant to the First Deputy Director is the third person in the hierarchy of the Office and carries out the day-to-day management of the CIA. The post is currently held by Stephanie O'Sullivan, who was appointed in December 2009.

Chief of staff. He is subordinate to:

Executive Secretariat;

Analytic Support Team;

Support staff (Executive Support Staff);

Protocol department.

The headquarters of the CIA include:

General Counsel(General Council). Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, pursuant to an amendment to the Intelligence Powers Act of 1997. Reported only to the director and the first deputy

director of the CIA. He is a legal adviser to the director on all matters relating to the activities of the CIA. Heads the department of the general adviser, whose employees monitor the observance of the employees of the department by the Constitution and laws, as well as existing rules and regulations. About 90 lawyers currently work in this department.

Congressional Relations Department(Congressional Affairs). As you might guess, he is responsible for the CIA's contacts with American legislators.

Public Relations Department(Public Affairs). Responsible for working with the media, politicians and the general public. Consists of two divisions: on work with mass media and on public relations.

The Media Affairs Division is responsible for bringing "accurate information about the CIA, its mission, and the agency's contributions to national security" to the American public. In other words, his task is to create a favorable image of the CIA in the American media. To do this, the department's employees work daily with journalists, prepare and distribute press releases and other similar materials. Maintaining the CIA website on the Internet is also part of their function.

In addition, the department analyzes publications and public statements about the CIA in the American and foreign media, reporting on the results to the director of the CIA and other leaders of the Office. At the same time, special attention is paid to those publications that may jeopardize the exposure of CIA agents.

The public relations staff is responsible for answering letters, faxes, phone calls to the Office, giving lectures about the CIA and its role in the Intelligence Community in colleges, universities, other institutions and organizations, etc.

Inspector General. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Reported directly to the director and first deputy director of the CIA. He heads the department of the inspector general, which is engaged in conducting disciplinary checks and internal investigations of the activities of the CIA units. The inspector general's department has its own budget and autonomous (within the CIA) personnel apparatus. From April 2002 to March 2009, John L. Helgerson served as Inspector General of the CIA. This post is currently vacant.

Assistant Director of Military Affairs(Associate Director for Military Affairs).

Head of Financial Service(Chief Financial Officer). Controls all financial activities of the CIA.

Head of information service(Chief Information Officer).

Head of Human Resources(Chief of Human Resources).

Operations center(Operations Center). 24/7 analyzes incoming information in order to identify signs of brewing crisis situations that threaten US national security and immediately inform the CIA leadership about this.

Department of Strategic Management(Strategy Management).

Diversity Plans and Programs Department(Diversity Plans and Programs). It implements the ideology of political correctness, tolerance and multiculturalism that prevails today in the West, creating conditions for the recruitment and promotion of representatives of national and other minorities.

Equal Employment Division(Equal Employment Opportunity). Its functions largely coincide with the functions of the previous department (in most other US intelligence agencies, these two structures are combined). Ensures that CIA personnel are not discriminated against in any way.

Department of Political and Corporate Coordination(Policy and Corporate Coordination).

Department of Relations with Foreign Intelligence(Foreign Intelligence Relationships).

Open Source Center for National Intelligence(DNI Open Source Center).

The headquarters of the CIA is located in the small town of Langley, Virginia, located near Washington. On October 20, 1998, President Clinton named it the George W. Bush Intelligence Center. On April 26, 1999, a solemn ceremony was held on this occasion, which was attended by CIA officials, senior officials of the American administration, former directors and deputy directors of the CIA, as well as the hero of the occasion - former US President George W. Bush, along with his wife Barbara, members family and friends.

Of course, such a high honor is given to George W. Bush, not so much as the former director of the CIA, who held this post for a year, but as the president under whom the United States won a complete and final victory in the Cold War. President Clinton's letter, read by CIA Director George Tenet during his speech at the ceremony, made this clear:

"Dear George!

I want to join the men and women of the Intelligence Community - and all Americans - in welcoming you as our nation has decided to rename the Central Intelligence Agency complex the "George Bush Intelligence Center."

When you took office as Director of Central Intelligence in January 1976, the nation had just gone through one of the most turbulent times in its history. Many Americans have lost faith in government. Many have asked if the CIA should continue to exist.

As a director, you have done a lot. You restored morale and discipline to the Office while publicly emphasizing the importance of intelligence to national security. You have also restored America's trust in the CIA and the rest of the Intelligence Community.

Of course, today we honor you not only as a former director: during your life in service to America, you served her not only as head of the Intelligence Community, but also as President, as the main user of intelligence. As President, you stood for American leadership around the world - leadership for freedom and democracy, peace and prosperity.

As you know, as President, I repeatedly turned to you for your wise advice, which was extremely useful to me. And I have been well served by the talented and competent men and women of the organizations that make up the Intelligence Community, which you have done so much to preserve and strengthen.

On behalf of all Americans, I want to thank you for your patriotism and leadership, and I want to extend my warmest congratulations to you on receiving this tribute of appreciation.

Sincerely yours, Bill Clinton."

Well, it remains only to envy the Americans - they know how to pay tribute to their former leaders for their contribution to the greatness and prosperity of the United States, instead of spitting on their memory in a revelatory frenzy, as has been customary in our country in recent decades.

But back to the story of the CIA headquarters. Compared to the harsh rules of the USSR (and today's Russia), the American approach to secrecy looks a little frivolous. It is not surprising that some Russian readers have erroneous ideas about this. In particular, about the fact that the CIA residence in Langley is accessible to outside visitors and there are almost organized excursions for onlookers from the street. In fact, American openness to secrecy has its limits. In particular, only those who are entitled to it on duty can enter the headquarters of the CIA. Nevertheless, open American sources allow us to describe it in sufficient detail.

The CIA complex at Langley consists of two buildings - the old one and the new one. The decision to build the CIA residence at Langley was made by President Truman, but this idea was put into practice already in the presidency of Eisenhower. The building was designed in the mid 1950s. by the New York firm of Garrison and Abramovich, which had previously completed the design of the UN building in New York. The foundation stone was laid on November 3, 1959, and construction was completed in November 1963. The building is built of concrete and looks like a university campus. The usable area of ​​its premises is 1,400,000 square feet.

Together with him, the building of the assembly hall was also built. It is a free-standing domed structure connected to the old headquarters building by an underground corridor. Its 7,000-square-foot auditorium seats 650 people.

The new CIA headquarters building was designed in the early 1980s. Detroit architectural and engineering firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. Construction began in May 1984. The foundation stone was laid on November 1, 1985 by then US Vice President George W. Bush. The occupancy of the new building began in June 1988, and by March 1991 it was fully completed. The new building is a steel and glass structure. It adjoins the western facade of the old building and consists of two six-story towers connected by a four-story inner building. Its usable area is 1,100,000 square feet.

When approaching the CIA complex, you can see three monuments. At the main entrance to the old building is a copy of the statue of Nathan Hale, erected in 1973, the original of which was made by the famous American sculptor of the early 20th century Belaya Lyon Pratt for the state of Connecticut. Nathan Hale, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, a captain in the American army, was captured and hanged by the British in 1776 while on a reconnaissance mission.

At the northeast corner of the new building is the sculpture "Kryptos", made by James Sanborn, which is a kind of stele in the form of a paper scroll on which a cipher text is carved. Finally, at the southwestern entrance to the CIA, there is a composition dedicated to the fall of the Berlin Wall, opened on December 18, 1992 and symbolizing the US victory in the Cold War.

Engraved on the wall of the main lobby of the old building is a saying from the Bible:

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (Gospel of John. 8, 32).

According to the official version, this quote "characterizes the role of intelligence in a free society."

In the same lobby is the "Memorial Wall", which commemorates CIA officers who died in the line of duty. The author of the memorial is the sculptor Harold Vogel. Each deceased employee is marked with an asterisk carved on the wall (as of June 1, 2009, there were 90 such asterisks), and their names are recorded in chronological order in the “Book of Memory” placed nearby. However, not all - many of them remain classified. As then-CIA director Michael Hayden said at a funeral ceremony on May 21, 2007: “ Among those who are remembered here are 33 people who tied their lives with the CIA, whom we mention only within these walls. They showed unsurpassed devotion to duty, working to protect Americans without expecting public recognition or applause.».

Other outstanding employees of the Office are not forgotten either. In the same foyer are a statue of Major General William Donovan by sculptor Larry Ludtke and a bas-relief by Allen Dulles. A bust of Donovan is also installed in the assembly hall. In addition, in one of the two corridors leading from the old building to the new one, oil portraits of all the directors of the CIA are hung.

The main part of the structure of the Central Intelligence Agency is:

Intelligence Directorate(Directorate of Intelligence);

National Secret Service(National Clandestine Service);

(Directorate of Science and Technology);

Support Directorate(Directorate of Support).

Intelligence Directorate has been in existence since November 1952. The current Director of Intelligence is Fran P. Moore, appointed on May 6, 2010.

As an analytical body, the Intelligence Directorate processes and analyzes intelligence information received from various sources and prepares reports based on it for the President, the National Security Council and Congress, as well as for members of the US Intelligence Community. The number of its employees is estimated at 4,000.

After the liquidation of the Warsaw Pact and the collapse of the USSR that followed soon after, the “image of the enemy” in the eyes of American voters faded significantly. Of course, even without the communists, Russia remains a “source of evil,” but this “evil” has clearly shrunk in size and, as a result, has become less frightening. It is not surprising that voices began to be heard in the United States about the need to reduce the scope of the activities of the special services and, accordingly, their funding. From 1991 to 1997, the budget of the American intelligence community decreased annually.

As part of these developments, in 1994 the then CIA Deputy Director for Intelligence, Douglas J. MacEachin, created a commission to reorganize and downsize his directorate. The commission worked for three years, after which, in 1997, a radical reorganization of the Intelligence Directorate really took place. True, at the same time, its head also changed - it was John Edward McLaughlin.

If before 1997 there were five territorial departments in the Intelligence Directorate, now there are three of them: the departments of Russia and Europe were merged, and the department of Africa and Latin America was divided between two other departments. The result is:

Department of Russian and European Studies;

Department of Middle East, South Asia and Africa Studies;

Department of Asia-Pacific and Latin American Studies.

However, the "dark days" soon passed. Since 1998, the funding of the American intelligence services has been steadily increasing, which makes it possible to create new units and expand personnel.

Today, the structure of the Intelligence Directorate is as follows:

Department of Russian and European Studies(Office of Russian and European Analysis) covers countries that have long been of paramount importance to the United States as allies or adversaries and are likely to continue to occupy a key place in American national security policy. The department's staff includes both "generalist" analysts and experts who specialize in issues ranging from ethnic conflict in the Balkans to US-Russian relations:

Employees of the department had a hand in the most important events of the end of the last century, such as the Solidarity movement in Poland, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the destruction of the Soviet Union, the expansion of NATO and numerous wars in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

And today the work of the department is no less exciting. He provides intelligence analysis and analytical support to arms control negotiations, analyzes the potential benefits and challenges of EU enlargement, and actively studies the political and economic landscape. Central Asia are areas of growing US interest.

Iraq Studies Division(Office of Iraq Analysis). On the account of its employees there are also many achievements. As intelligence analysts, they took part in such events as the capture of Saddam Hussein and many of his senior officials, the suppression of Iraqi "insurgents", the holding of "the first free elections" in occupied Iraq. Many members of the department have advanced degrees in Arabic studies and are fluent in Arabic.

Department of Middle East and South Asia Studies(Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis). His area of ​​interest includes the states of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the countries of South Asia - India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Department of Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa Studies(Office of Asian Pacific, Latin American, and African Analysis). Covers the rest of the world.

Center for International Crime and Drugs(Crime and Narcotics Center). In April 1989, the Counternarcotics Center (CNC) was established under the director of the CIA. In 1994, the functions of this center were expanded, and he also began to deal with international organized crime, having received a new name, but retaining the old abbreviation (Crime and Narcotics Center, CNC). Representatives of most structures of the Intelligence Community engaged in the fight against crime and drugs directly participate in the work of the Center.

Analytical group of the Counterintelligence Center(Counterintelligence Center). The Counterintelligence Center itself is part of the National Secret Service.

Analytical group of the Information Operations Center(Information Operations Center). Assesses foreign threats to US computer systems, especially those supporting infrastructure vital to US security.

Political Support Division(Office of Policy Support). Created in 1998. Provides the delivery of intelligence information to senior US officials, as well as agencies responsible for American security. The department's first major "client" is the President's Analytical Support Staff, whose staff in turn prepare three written reviews daily and, again daily, provide intelligence briefings to the president, vice president, and other senior officials. persons in charge of national security. The department's second major client is the CIA Operations Center.

Department of Strategy and Analysis(Office of Collection Strategies and Analysis). Sets tasks for intelligence collectors. Responsible for ensuring that bodies that obtain information of all kinds - whether it be photographic intelligence, electronic intelligence or undercover intelligence - collect exactly the information that analysts of the Intelligence Directorate need. Also prepares various reviews, information releases, etc. for the Directorate.

In addition, the department checks the quality of analytical "products" issued by the Intelligence Directorate. Previously, these functions were performed by a division of the political support department.

Department of Terrorism Research(The Office of Terrorism Analysis). It is the analytical arm of the Counterterrorism Center, part of the National Secret Service.

Department of Transnational Issues(Office of Transnational Issues). He is engaged in the analysis of various issues that go beyond a single country or region and, as a rule, belong to one of four main groups: weapons, foreign technologies, economic security, social conflicts. Among these issues, the following stand out in particular:

The study of foreign weapons, especially missile systems, their technical characteristics and the impact that their appearance will have on political stability and the position of the American armed forces in the corresponding region.

Examination of foreign achievements in the field of information technology and telecommunications in order to protect the national infrastructure of the United States from possible attacks and prevent unwanted technological surprises.

Expertise on the state of international energy, trade, and finance to assist US officials responsible for US energy stability and the security of international financial markets.

Assessment of the situation in the "hot spots" of the planet: the situation with food, the flow of refugees, etc., so that the subsequent intervention of the American "peacekeepers" could be planned.

Expertise in criminal activities such as money laundering, arms trafficking, foreign smuggling and sanctions violations.

Long-term strategic assessments of regional military, economic, and political dynamics and their impact on US global interests.

Center for Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Conventional Arms Control(Weapons Intelligence, Nonproliferation and Arms Control Center). Created in September 1991. It is engaged in the analysis of the technical aspects of weapons and space systems of other countries, the analysis of information on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear energy, tactical and general-purpose weapons systems, air defense systems, policy in the field of scientific and technological progress. Coordinates the activities of the entire Intelligence Community on these issues.

Corporate Resources Department(Office of Corporate Resources). Provides the work of the Intelligence Directorate, dealing with the budget, contracting, distribution of material, financial and human resources. When working with personnel, as it should be in the conditions of the total domination of liberal ideology, he is obliged to monitor the observance of equal employment opportunities and the implementation of "diversity programs".

Sherman Kent School of Intelligence Analysis(Sherman Kent School for Intelligence Analysis). It is part of the CIA University and provides training and retraining for the Intelligence Directorate.

The Career Analyst Program is a basic training course for novice employees of the Directorate that includes the study of the basic principles of analytical work, training in writing and oral speech- the future analyst must be able to correctly compose a report or make a concise and clear report. Also studied are issues of counterintelligence, techniques for identifying disinformation and other useful skills.

For experienced specialists and managers, the School provides numerous and varied advanced training courses. In addition, employees of the Directorate can take an evening course at one of the Washington universities on the job.

With the permission of his superiors, a CIA officer may, while remaining in the service, undergo full-time study at the university, as well as receive a referral to the National War College, or to one of the army and naval colleges.

National Secret Service and indeed is the most secret part CIA. Its predecessor, the Directorate of Plans, was created on August 1, 1952. On March 1, 1973, it was renamed the Directorate of Operations.

The operational directorate solved tasks related to the search and collection of information by undercover intelligence, organized and carried out covert operations, counterintelligence support of undercover and operational activities, and fought against terrorism and drug trafficking.

Thus, if the Intelligence Directorate is engaged in the processing of intelligence information, then the Operations Directorate is in its acquisition.

On October 13, 2005, the National Secret Service was created on the basis of the Operations Directorate. In addition to its previous functions, it is entrusted with the coordination of undercover intelligence carried out by all special services from the Intelligence Community.

At one time, the number of employees of the Operations Directorate was estimated at 8 thousand people. After the US victory in the Cold War, it fell to 2,000, but is now rising again.

The current Director of the National Secret Service is John D. Bennett, who took over on July 21, 2010. He has two deputies reporting to him, one of whom heads the Community HUMINT Coordination Center, and the other - all other structures of the National Secret Service, which include:

Nonproliferation Office(Counterproliferation Division). Engaged in countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Center for Combating Terrorism(Counter Terrorism Center). Created in 1986 on the initiative of the then Vice President of the United States, George W. Bush. The main goal of the Center is to suppress terrorist acts at the earliest possible stage. To do this, methods such as provoking splits within terrorist groups, weakening their infrastructure, cooperating with friendly intelligence agencies of foreign states, and pursuing and capturing terrorist leaders who are abroad are used.

On September 11, 2001, the staff of the Center were clearly not up to par, having failed to prevent the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, or even to warn about them.

The tasks of the Center include:

Development and support of large-scale programs to combat terrorism with intelligence and limit the capabilities of international terrorist groups and the states that support them;

Drawing up on the basis of intelligence all types of analytical reviews on groups and states responsible for international terrorism;

Coordinating the anti-terrorist activities of the CIA units, as well as other organizations that are part of the Intelligence Community.

During so-called "anti-terrorist operations" such as the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Center must provide direct intelligence support to the units of the United States armed forces participating in them.

According to his status, the head of the Center is a special assistant to the director of the CIA for combating terrorism.

Counterintelligence Center(Counterintelligence Center). Created in 1988. Provides security for the intelligence activities of the CIA residencies, carries out undercover penetration into foreign intelligence services, and works with defectors.

Regional and transnational administrations(Regional and Transnational Issues Divisions). Carry out intelligence activities and covert operations in their respective regions. The number and names of departments are classified. Until 1991 there were six of them:

USSR and Eastern Europe;

Western Europe;

Latin America;

East Asia;

Middle East;

Technical Support Office(Technology Support Divisions). Auxiliary services responsible for the technical support of the activities of the National Secret Service.

Scientific and Technical Directorate(Directorate of Science and Technology). Established in 1963 Conducts research and development in the field of technical

means of collecting information, maintains special-purpose equipment and exchanges information with the largest scientific centers in the United States. The current Director of Science and Technology is Glenn A. Gaffney, who was appointed in December 2009.

The Directorate consists of:

Center for Business Strategy and Resources(Business Strategies and Resources Center).

Technology Control Center(Center for Technology Management).

Office of Chief Scientific Adviser(Chief Scientist).

Department of development work(Development and Engineering).

Global Access Division(Global Access).

Project Directors(Mission Managers).

Department of Special Activities(Special Activities).

Department of Special Types of Communication(Special Communications Programs).

System Development and Analysis Department(Systems Engineering and Analysis).

Department of technical means of collecting information(Technical Collection).

Department of technical readiness(Technical Readiness).

Technical service(Technical Service).

Support Directorate(Directorate of Support) is currently chaired by John Pereira.

From the very beginning of its existence, the Central Intelligence Agency could not do without support services designed to provide the operational and analytical units of the CIA with everything necessary for their hard work in the field of protecting American democracy. Human resources, logistics, global communications, information services, financial management, equipment and materials procurement, security issues, medical services - all these tasks required the creation of appropriate structures.

For a long time, the CIA's support services were merged into the Directorate of Administration. He dealt with the selection, training and retraining of personnel, ensured the security of CIA personnel and facilities, provided encrypted communications with the residencies, was responsible for supply, finance and medical care. The number of its staff was estimated at 5 thousand people.

In June 2001, the Administrative Directorate was disbanded, and the heads of its divisions were reassigned directly to the CIA Executive Director. However, it soon became clear that this step was wrong. As a result, after some time, these structures were again merged into the Provision Directorate.

In a speech on December 16, 2009, CIA Director Leon Panetta called the Directorate of Support "the largest of the directorates of the CIA." It currently includes:

Corporate business department(Corporate Businesses).

Global Infrastructure(Global Infrastructure).

Global Services(Global Services).

Medical Services(Medical Services).

Mission of integration(Mission Integration).

Human Resources Division(Personnel Resources).

Security Department(Security).

In addition to directorates and services, the CIA has Center for Intelligence Studies(Center for the Study of Intelligence), which studies the history of the CIA, publishes a quarterly secret journal on this subject, an unclassified yearbook "Studies in Intelligence" ("Studies in Intelligence"), as well as various monographs, collections of documents, etc. ., organizes conferences and seminars. The Center's current director is Peter S. Usowski. He reports directly to the Assistant First Deputy Director of the CIA.

The total number of CIA employees is estimated at 18-20 thousand people, the annual CIA budget is over $4 billion. In addition, a significant portion of the CIA's spending goes under the closed budget of the Department of Defense.

The CIA has a number of intelligence schools to train its agents. The main one is located at Camp Pirie, a US military base near Williamsburg, Virginia. Her students are regular CIA officers, they undergo 18 weeks of training in "operational intelligence", that is, they master the technique of espionage. In particular, they are taught to secretly open and reseal postal envelopes, to take hidden photographs, to use various disguises, etc. Those who graduate from the courses, as a rule, are assigned to the National Secret Service.

Another CIA training center is at Harvey Point, North Carolina. Some members of the Office receive training in US Special Forces training units located in Panama or in remote areas of the United States.

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CIA - The US Central Intelligence Agency was formed in 1947 following the passage of the National Security Act signed by President Truman. The head of the CIA served as "Director of Central Intelligence" (from the English. DCI) and headed the American Intelligence Community. He also acted as chief adviser to the President of the United States on intelligence and national security affairs.

In connection with the adoption of the law "On Reforms in Intelligence and the Prevention of Terrorism" in 2004, amendments were made to the law "On National Security" and the post of Director of National Intelligence was established. He took over some of the functions previously held by the Director of Central Intelligence, and also assumed the post of Director of the CIA.

Responsibilities of the Director of the CIA

The director of the CIA is directly subordinate to the director of National Intelligence. His responsibilities include:

  • Gathering intelligence information through a network of agents and other means. However, the head of the CIA does not have police, law enforcement powers;
  • Comparing and evaluating the received intelligence data related to national security, and providing intelligence information to the relevant authorities;
  • General direction and coordination of national intelligence gathering outside the United States using undercover sources of the Intelligence Community;
  • Performing other similar functions and tasks related to intelligence activities necessary for the maintenance of national security, as directed by the US President or the Director of National Intelligence.

The main task of the CIA

The CIA is engaged in research, development, and the introduction of extremely effective technologies for intelligence purposes. As an autonomous agency, the CIA is an independent think tank on issues of greatest concern. The US CIA, in close cooperation with other agencies of the Intelligence Community, provides the most reliable intelligence for the Washington government representative and for the commander from the war zone.

About the CIA of our days

The CIA is an independent agency responsible for providing intelligence to US government agencies for national security purposes. The director of the CIA is appointed by the President on the advice and consent of the Senate. The Director directs operations, forms the staffing and budget of the CIA.

The head of the CIA has several departments under his command:

  • Public Relations;
  • Personnel Department;
  • Tracking new directions;
  • Compliance with functioning instructions and rules;
  • Liaison with Congress;
  • Legal;
  • Information management;
  • Internal oversight.

Organizational structure of the CIA

The structural composition of the CIA consists of four main divisions:

  • National Secret Service;
  • Intelligence Directorate;
  • Scientific and Technical Department;
  • Department of Logistics Support.

They participate in "intelligence cycles" - processes for collecting, analyzing and communicating the conclusions obtained as a result of intelligence activities to higher government officials in the United States.

National Secret Service

The NSS collects intelligence through clandestine methods, using a predominantly undercover network. The central body of the National Secret Service coordinates, eliminates conflict situations, evaluates undercover operations of the entire Intelligence Community, for compliance with applicable laws, government orders and interagency agreements.

The service is the foremost source of classified intelligence on key international events, including terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as matters of military and political significance. To acquire this crucial intelligence, CIA operatives living and working outside the United States develop and strengthen links and relationships with foreign "agents" in these states.

Intelligence Directorate

RU processes and analyzes intelligence, prepares reports, briefings and reports on key issues of interest foreign intelligence. Intelligence comes in a variety of ways. Information is used from US Army personnel serving abroad, foreign media. Various methods are used: undercover reporting, satellite imagery, as well as highly sensitive sensors.

The Intelligence Directorate is full responsibility for timely, accurate and up-to-date analysis of intelligence data of interest to national security agencies or other consumers of intelligence information. Even if the CIA does not determine directions in foreign policy, analysis of intelligence about events abroad contribute to the adoption of reasoned decisions by government structures and other persons in positions of power in the defense or national security sphere. Thus, any CIA agent can provide invaluable assistance to his country.

Scientific and technical management

The Science and Technology Directorate mines, collects, and uses information to assist in the execution of CIA missions, applying innovative, scientific, engineering, and technical solutions to key intelligence missions. The scientific and technical department selects for itself specialists from more than fifty different specialties: these are programmers, engineers, scientists and analysts.

NTU, in cooperation with most other agencies that make up the Intelligence Community, applies the most effective methodology that promotes the development of creative thought processes and the coordination of performers.

Office of Logistics Support

The Office of Logistics Support provides the logistics base in the production units, which plays a significant role in the operations of the CIA. The Logistics Support Department provides a full range of logistics services, including procurement, communications, home maintenance, financial management, information technology, and medical care. Conducts a full range of logistics, as well as ensures the security of personnel, information, facilities and technologies.

How the CIA functions

Initially, the task or issue in the field of national security, which is of interest to the US government, is determined. At times, the head of the CIA may be instructed to conduct investigations into certain intelligence matters. In particular, about the alleged activities of terrorist organizations. Or, for example, about how the states that have weapons of mass destruction at their disposal intend to use them. Then there is a search for the most appropriate ways to obtain this information.

Information collection methodology

There are many methods for collecting information. It can be obtained from an open source when translating foreign media. Based on images from satellites of analytics of the satellite type of intelligence, reports are compiled. This could be the number of helicopters at a foreign military airfield. Operators from the radio engineering intelligence unit analyze the received data, decipher the coded messages that were exchanged by other states. Operatives recruit foreign citizens to gain information about their state structures.

Following the collection of information, intelligence analysts compare data from different sources. Further, what happened is interpreted, motives are revealed, forecasts are made for the future, and the significance of certain incidents for the interests of the United States is established. As a result of these analytical activities, timely and objective assessments of what happened are revealed, excluding any political prejudices.

The conclusions acquired in this way are transmitted to higher representatives of state structures already as ready-made intelligence documents, with written reports and oral briefings. One such document is called the President's Daily Operational Intelligence Brief. It is provided daily not only to the President, but also to other high-ranking representatives of state structures. It should be emphasized that CIA analysts only provide information, but they themselves avoid giving any advice in political matters.

Political interpretation is handled by institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Defense. These legislative structures use data from the CIA to formulate American policy towards other countries. It is important to remember that the CIA is not a law enforcement agency. This activity is carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, both the FBI and the CIA cooperate on some issues, in particular in counterintelligence and in the fight against terrorism. What's more, the Times Office is running covert CIA operations.

Since the formation of the CIA, since 1947, the US Congress has performed oversight functions over the activities of the department. By the middle of 1970 supervision had already had a formal character. The Intelligence Oversight Act, passed in 1980, empowered the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and other such committee (HPSCI) to authorize and oversee intelligence programs.

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