Directorate of Operations

The Directorate of Operations is the branch of the CIA that runs covert operations and recruits foreign agents. The DO reportedly employs 1000–2000 people and is headed by a deputy director for operations (DDO). This directorate consist of, among other subdivisions, a unit for political and economic covert action (the Covert Action Staff, or CAS), for paramilitary (PM) covert action (the Special Operations unit), for counterintelligence (the CI staff [CIS]), and for several geographic desks responsible for the collection of foreign intelligence.

The Directorate of Operations also houses special groups for conducting counterterrorism and counternarcotics, for tracking nuclear proliferation, and other tasks. Administrated by the DO, the PM group (Special Operations) maintains an elite cadre (Special Activities Staff) that are highly skilled in weaponry; covert transport of personnel and material by air, sea, and land; guerrilla warfare; the use of explosives; and escape and evasion techniques. They are prepared to respond quickly to a myriad of possible needs, from parachute drops and communications support to assistance with counternarcotics operations and defector infiltration. Special Activities maintains a symbiotic relationship with the Special Forces, and is run largely by ex-Special Forces soldiers.

For PM tasks (special operations missions) and its other responsibilities, the Special Operations staff attempts to recruit assets with the appropriate specialized skills, though the geographic desks remain the principal units involved in the recruitment of personnel in so-called denied areas (Libya, Iraq, Iran, etc.). Special operations also provides special air, ground, maritime and training support for the Agency's intelligence gathering operations.

A special case within the realm of PM operations is the murder of individual enemies: the assassination option, sometimes referred to euphemistically as "executive action" or "termination with extreme prejudice". Insofar as the Church Commission was able to ascertain, this option has been resorted to infrequently, and, at least with heads of state, never successfully.

The DO is subject to harsh criticism in the media, and due to its covert and independent nature does not, or cannot, effectively respond. Its capabilities have been in decline since the Church Commission. Further, the DO fights frequent "turf" battles amongst the Executive Branch bureaucracies, most prominently with the FBI and the Department of Defense.

Directorate of Operations

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