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We don’t need the CIA - The Chris Hedges Report

The Real News Network・27 minutes read

The CIA's history of illegal activities, shift towards paramilitary operations, and lack of accountability highlight the need for true oversight and reform within the agency. The narrator questions the necessity of the CIA, citing its failures and redundant functions across government agencies as a significant concern.

Insights

  • The CIA's transformation into a paramilitary organization with its own armed units and drone program post-9/11 signifies a shift from intelligence gathering to operational activities, showcasing a significant change in the agency's core functions.
  • The lack of true oversight over the CIA has led to a culture of impunity, where the agency operates with minimal accountability, pushing boundaries, and recruiting oversight committee members to maintain secrecy, raising concerns about unchecked power and potential abuses.

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Recent questions

  • What is the history of the CIA?

    The CIA has a controversial past involving assassinations, coups, torture, and illegal spying, exposed by the Church Committee and Pike Committee in 1975.

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Summary

00:00

CIA's Rogue Evolution: Lack of Oversight

  • The CIA has a history of carrying out assassinations, coups, torture, and illegal spying, exposed by the Church Committee and Pike Committee in 1975.
  • Congress attempted to curb CIA criminal activities by creating oversight committees, but oversight weakened after 9/11.
  • The CIA has transformed into a paramilitary organization with its own armed units and drone program.
  • The US allocates a secret black budget of about $50 billion annually for clandestine projects by intelligence agencies.
  • John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer, confirmed the CIA's use of torture and was imprisoned for whistleblowing.
  • Oversight of the CIA by Congress has weakened, with oversight committees acting more as supporters than watchdogs.
  • Dianne Feinstein accused the CIA of committing crimes, highlighting the lack of accountability and oversight.
  • Lack of true oversight leads to a rogue organization that pushes boundaries and recruits oversight committee members to maintain secrecy.
  • The CIA's focus shifted post-9/11 from intelligence gathering to operations, leading to a paramilitary organization.
  • The CIA's evolution from a nonpartisan intelligence agency to the president's private army is evident post-9/11, with the establishment of assassination squads and a shift towards operations over analysis.

17:06

"Revelations in Hall: Afghanistan Operations Unveiled"

  • The narrator encounters Billy in the hall six weeks after 9/11, who reveals he has been in Afghanistan killing people, leading the narrator to realize the nature of operations there.
  • The narrator had repeatedly volunteered to go to Afghanistan due to their fluent Arabic, but the revelation in the hall made them understand the true nature of the operations.
  • The French intelligence argued that resorting to torture signifies a breakdown in intelligence functioning, contrasting their human assets within Al-Qaeda to the US's reliance on electronic eavesdropping.
  • A team of Middle Eastern intelligence officers visited the CIA headquarters on July 7, 2001, where the director of the Counter-Terrorism Center warned of an impending major attack based on intercepted chatter.
  • The lack of human intelligence assets within Al-Qaeda was highlighted by the director, emphasizing the need for sources within the organization.
  • The CIA's reliance on electronic eavesdropping and lack of human intelligence assets were criticized by various figures, leading to blind spots in intelligence gathering.
  • Blowback, exemplified by Afghanistan, is discussed as the unintended consequence of poor planning and execution, resulting in radicalization and the rise of the Taliban.
  • Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan criticized the CIA for producing inaccurate intelligence estimates, overstating Soviet economic size, and failing to predict major events, questioning the need for the agency.
  • The narrator strongly believes the CIA is no longer necessary, citing redundancy in intelligence functions across various government agencies and the CIA's history of analytic failures.
  • The lack of accountability within the CIA, exemplified by figures like Dulles, is highlighted, with the agency's history of operational and analytic failures being a significant concern.

33:11

"Kennedy's Death, Explosion, and Skepticism"

  • Kennedy's death and an explosion mentioned
  • Mention of skepticism towards the event
  • Acknowledgment of the Real News Network and its production team
  • Contact information provided for chrishedges.substance.com
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