American Secret Service's Weblog

Secret of the CIA (video)

ciaproject — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:45:02 +0000

In the opinion of some people, the CIA is “the roots of terror that we are facing today.”

Organizational history of the CIA

ciaproject — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:53:49 +0000

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was created by Congress with National Security Act of 1947, signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. It is the descendant of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) of World War II, which was dissolved in October 1945 and its functions transferred to the State and War Departments.

In 1947, Truman signed the National Security Act which established the CIA. The National Security Act charged the CIA with coordinating the nation’s intelligence activities and correlating, evaluating and disseminating intelligence affecting national security.

The CIA was created during the Cold War. All the actions of the organization were first aimed against the Soviet Union and communism : there were the principal adversary of the United States. The CIA was an important element into the politics of containment of Harry Truman.

On December 17, 2004, President George W. Bush signed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act which restructured the Intelligence Community by abolishing the position of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (DDCI) and creating the position the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA). The Act also created the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI), which oversees the Intelligence Community and the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).

https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/history-of-the-cia/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency

CIA destroyed tapes

ciaproject — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:49:25 +0000

The CIA is accused to have destroyed two videotapes in 2005. These videotapes showed Qaeda agency operatives subjecting terrorism suspects — including Abu Zubaydah, the first detainee in C.I.A. custody — to severe interrogation techniques.

The tapes were destroyed because CIA’s officers were concerned : the video showed harsh interrogation methods which could expose agency officials to legal risks.

The C.I.A. director said that the decision to destroy the tapes was made “within the C.I.A.” and that they were destroyed to protect the safety of undercover officers and because they no longer had intelligence value.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/washington/07intel.html?st=cse&sq=CIA+destroyed+tapes&scp=1

The CIA World Factbook

americansecretservice — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:18:04 +0000

The CIA World Factbook is an annual publication of the American Central Intelligence Agency. It’s prepared for the use of U.S Government Officials but it’s frequently used too as a ressource for student papers & non official organisations. The document publishes complete informations about the countries of the world (full text, maps & flags).

Country entries incluse sections on Land, Water, People, Government, Economy, Communications, and Defense Forces.

That’s why is one of the best actual geographic resource.

The CIA World Factbook is in the public domain. It’s possible to download, redistribute and modify it freely thanks to this official link :

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/download/

(The CIA only requests that it be cited when the Factbook is used).

It has been made avalaible online since the past fifteen years.