The Central Intelligence Agency

Paper Summary:

The paper examines various perspectives on CIA operations during the Cold War. The paper looks at their successes and failures but maintains that the CIA has remained an essential tool in the fight against communism and the maintenance of the intelligence system. The paper concludes that despite the criticism of this organization, it represented a crucial segment of the conduct of American foreign policy during the Cold War.

From the Paper:

"The CIA was established in 1947 through the National Security Act, as part of the wider informational system "which grew out of World War II era Office of Strategic Services and small post-war intelligence organizations. The CIA served as the primary civilian intelligence-gathering organization in the government." (US Dept. of State, n.d.) According to the establishing act, it was designed for gathering of intelligence in respect to the potential threats facing the US borders. (US Intelligence Community, 2004) This evolution came as a result of the considered failure of intelligence that determined the lack of anticipation of the Pearl Harbor attacks. Thus, it is quite obvious the way in which a historical event can determine the creation of an essential tool for countering any subsequent repeats."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Goodman, Allan E., "Reforming U.S. Intelligence," Foreign Policy, 1987.
• Murphy, David E., Serghei A. Kondrasev, and George Bailey. Battleground Berlin : CIA vs. KGB in the Cold War. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997.
• Jeffreys- Jones, Rhodri. The CIA and American democracy. Yale UP. London. 1989.
• Ranelagh, John. The Agency: The Rise and Decline of the CIA. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986.
• Kennedy, Bruce. "Birth of the CIA." CNN Interactive. CNN. 2007. 25 March 2007. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/03/index.html

More papers on The Central Intelligence Agency:

• Research Paper # 95082 : "Department of Defense Intelligence Agency"
• Analytical Essay # 148477 : "The CIA and Counterintelligence"
• Research Paper # 104896 : "The CIA in Vietnam"

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