CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY BRIEF HISTORY - INTELLIPEDIA

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06582967
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: March 19, 2018
• Case Number: F-2016-01967
• Publication Date: September 10, 2014

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ckentral Intelligence Agency - Intellipedia
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Central Intelligence Agency
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From Intellipedia
From Intellipedia
Location: Map I Coordinates About
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the 16 agencies that
form the US Intelligence Community.
Contents
� I Brief History
� 2 External links
� 2.1 Official websites and documents
� 2.2 Other external links
Brief History
The official seal of the Office
of Strategic Services.
The CIA was created in response to World War 11 as the Office of Strategic Services
(OSS). It's functions included traditional espionage, covert action (from propaganda to
sabotage), counterintelligence, and intelligence analysis. This was revolutionary in US
intelligence. Not only was did have such varied functions, but they were performed
by a single. national agency. Also, it was a leap forward because of the breadth of it
intelligence interests and use of scholars to produce finished intelligence.
After WWII, the OSS was disbanded, officially being shut down on October I. 1945
by President Harry S. Truman. The X-2 (or counterintelligence) and secret
intelligence branches were thus transferred into the War Department to form the
Strategic Services Unit. The State Department absorbed the OSS's Research and
Analysis branches.
Nearly simultaneously, President Truman ordered a study of the intelligence structure required by the US in a
post-WWII world. This resulted in the creation of the National Intelligence Authority (NIA) and its operational
element, the Central Intelligence Group (GIG): The C1G had the responsibility of coordinating and synthesizing the
reports of the military service intelligence agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and additionally
took on the task of clandestine intelligence collection.
Then, the National Security Act of 1947 was drafted and addressed the national security needs of the nation. This act
created the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and made it an independent agency within the Executive Branch of the
President. It replaced the C1G and gave it the following functions:
I. Advise the National Security Council (NSC) in matters regarding intelligence activities of the government
departments and agencies as they relate to national security.
2. Make recommendations to the NSC for the coordination of intelligence activities of the departments and
agencies of the government as they relate to national security.
3. Correlate and evaluate intelligence relating to national security, and provide for the appropriate dissemination of
that intelligence within the government using existing agencies and facilities whenever possible.
4. Perform for the benefit of existing intelligence agencies such additional services of common concern as the NSC
determines can be more effectively accomplished centrally.
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5. Perform other functions and duties related'to intelligence affecting the national security as the NSC may from
time to time direct.
That last statement is what has historically been cited even unto the present as authorization for covert action.
However, it was originally intended only for espionage. The ultimate legal basis for covert action is presidential
direction and congressional approval of funds for such programs.
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Eventually, the CIA became the primary US intelligence agency for analysis, clandestine HUMINT collection, and
covert action: also taking a large role in the development of reconnaissance and other technical collection systems for
gathering imagery, signals, and measurement and signature intelligence.
Under President Ronald Reagan's Executive Order 12333, still partially in effect today, the CIA is permitted to collect
"significant" foreign intelligence within the US, so long as that collection is not aimed at US Persons.
External links
Official websites and documents
� CIA official site (https://www.cia.gov/)
� CIA official Freedom of Information Act (foia) site (http://www.foia.cia.gov/)
� CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/)
� Studies in Intelligence (https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications
/csi-studies/index.html)
Other external links
(these links were in the CIA Wikipedia article as of November 11,2006
� George Washington University National Security Archive (http://www.gwu.edu/-nsarchiv/index.html) :
� Documents on CIA involvement with Pinochet (http://www.gwu.edui-nsarchiv/news/20000919/)
� On CIA involvement in Guatemala (http://www.gwu.edu/-nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB4/index.html)
� On CIA involvement with Nazi War Criminals (especially the Gehlen organization) (http://www.gwu.edu
/-nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEB13146/)
� U.S. National Archive's Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working
Group. (http://www.archives.gov/iwg/index.html)
� Summary of newly acquired CIA name files (including Klaus Barbie) (http://www.archives.gov
/iwg/declassified_records/rg_263_cia_records/rg_263_report.html)
� CIA manual on coercive questioning (http://www.parascope.com/articles/0397/kubark06.htm)
� Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror by Robert Young Pelton (Crown, Sept 1, 2006)
� Sourcewatch "CIA Sourcewatch" (http://wwwsourcewatch.org/index.php?title=CIA) wimsourcewatch.org
Explains CIA operation methods
� Art. Truth and Politics: Harold Pinter's Nobel Prize Lecture (http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates
/2005/pinter-lecture-e.html) . Online posting. 8 December 2005. 9 December 2005.
� CIA information at Rotten.com (http://www.rotten.com/library/conspiracy/cia/)
� Cop vs. CIA (http://www.copvcia.com) . Online posting. From the Wilderness (mirror site) /
� Cocaine Import Agency (h1tp://wwwcsun.edu/CommunicationStudiesthen/news/cia1) . Online posting. San lose
Mercury News. (On alleged drug-smuggling by the CIA.)
� The Cultural Cold War (http://wwwlibcom.org/history/articleskultural-cold-warl) , by Nathaniel Catchpole.
� In-Q-Tel official site (http://www.in-q-tel.com/) .
� Inside the Company: CIA Diary (http://wwwthirdworldtravelercom/CIA/CIA_Diary_Agee.html) . Online
posting. Third World Traveler: Excerpt from a book by leading whistleblower Philip Agee.
� Killing Hope (http://members.aol.cotnlbb1um6/American_holocaust.httn) , by William Blum.
� Meet the first President of the World Psychiatric Association - Free Press international 3.18.2005
(http://fpiarticle.blogspot.com/2005/03/meet-first-president-of-world.html) (Video)
� National Security Archive (George Washington University) (http://www.gwu.edu/-.nsarchiv/).
� "Outsourcing Intelligence" (http://montages.blogspot.com/2005/0 Uoutsourcing-intelligence.html) . Online
blogpost. Montage 5 January 2005.
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� The Relations between the CIA and the Executive Pouer since 2001 (h/tp://itww aria.com/en/ free
/0000026.php) . Online posting (HTML file). ISRIA. 5 February 2006.
� The Role of Open Sources in Intelligence Ottp://www.isria.coin/en/free/File I _NOMIKOSJ5jan06.pdf) .
Online posting (Pdf file). 31 31 December 2005.
� "Yet more turmoil at the CIA" (http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid
/jid060511_I_n7shtml) . Online posting. Janes. (On implications of the "departure" of Porter Goss.
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38.952100_N_-77.145095_E_type:landmark_region:US Maps and aerial photos] Coordinates: [ 38.952100_N_-
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� � Street map from Google Maps (http://maps.google.corn/maps?11=38.952100,-77.145095&
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a Topographic map from TopoZone (http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=38.952100&lon=-77.145095&
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� Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA (http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?s=11&
lon=-77.145095&1at=38.952100&w=2)
� Satellite image from Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?11=38.952 I 00,-77.145095&
q=38.952100.-77.145095&spn-0.015,0.025&t=h) or Microsoft Virtual Earth (http://virtualearth.msn.com
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