......................................................................................................................................................
The Central
Intelligence
Agency (CIA)
Agency (CIA)
What
is the CIA?
“ . . . the CIA
only gathers foreign intelligence.
It has no power to spy on Americans.”
Have You
Ever Wondered...
· What is the CIA?
· How does
the CIA gather intelligence?
· Can I be a CIA officer?
What
comes to mind when you hear the word “spy”? Do you picture people
in black suits? Are they wearing darksunglasses? Many people might think of
hidden cameras and spy glasses.
Maybe you
imagine spying for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)!
The CIA
formed in 1947. It was set up by the United States government to gain intelligence about
other nations.
People
who lead the US use that intelligence to make decisions. It’s often used
to improve national security.
CIA intelligence also
guides US relations with other countries.
At the
CIA, there’s plenty of work to go around. But don’t reach for your night
goggles just yet! Not everyone at the CIA is a spy.
Many CIA
officers do collect information in secret ways. However, that’s only one part
of the agency.
Many
employees spend their time studying the intelligence that’s gathered.
Other CIA
workers focus on technology that can help the agency. Some spend their time running the CIA’s finances
and security.
What
would it be like to work as a CIA officer? You might hope to work on an
undercover operation or use secret codes.
In some
cases, that’s true. Officers do have secret ways to gain intelligence.
However,
the CIA has other methods as
well. For instance, they find a lot of new information in foreign news.
The agency also uses satellite photos
and other technologies. It gains quite a bit of intelligence through these less secretive methods.
Of
course, we don’t know everything the CIA does. Much of its work is secret. That
makes many people distrust the agency.
Some
people worry about their own privacy. They think the CIA spies on the American people.
However,
the CIA only gathers foreign intelligence. It has no
power to spy on Americans.
Other
people disagree with some of the CIA’s actions. For example, many Americans
dislike its use of torture. They believe torture is cruel. Many also worry it
results in false information.
Others
think it should stop using drone strikes.
This is because they sometimes hurt innocent people.
However,
the CIA has done a lot of important work over the years.
During
the Cold War, it helped US leaders watch the Soviet Union.
It also
played an important role during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Today,
the CIA works hard to fight terrorism. The CIA does a lot to protect the US and
people who live there.
Do you
dream of working as a CIA officer? If that’s your goal, start preparing today.
Most officers are well educated, so you should work hard in school.
Many of
them also speak more than one language.
The CIA
also looks for traits like honesty, courage, and confidence.
What
other qualities do
you think are important for a CIA officer? Do you have what it takes?
Welcome to Wonderopolis®, a place
where natural curiosity and imagination lead to exploration and discovery in
learners of all ages. Each day, we pose an intriguing question—the Wonder of
the Day®—and explore it in a variety of ways.
Wonderopolis was created by the National
Center for Families Learning (NCFL) in 2010, and it has become one of the most
popular education sites today.
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