The CIA's Biggest Bloopers

The CIA's Biggest Bloopers

So the CIA got it wrong on Iran's nuclear program in the last National Intelligence Estimate, back in 2005. But does that mean they have got it right this time? Not necessarily. The history of the CIA is littered with spectacular intelligence mistakes. Sometimes, the correction of one error can lead to a new error, as analysts atone for past mistakes by moving too far in the opposite direction.

n the spirit of caution and skepticism, here is the official Fact Checker list of the CIA'S Biggest Bloopers, over six decades of intelligence-gathering. I have compiled it with the assistance of researchers at the indispensable National Security Archive, a non-profit group that has published more than half a million government documents. A disclaimer: the Agency has had some successes too, but I will let their public relations operation draw up that particular list

Note: National intelligence estimates are issued on behalf of the entire intelligence community, not just one agency. Up until 2005, the CIA director was also director of national intelligence.

I find it astounding that the CIA director was also director of national intelligence. That's an immense responsibility with a significant amount of incoming information and data to receive/intercept/interpret and disseminate to appropriate persons, agencies, and departments.

It's interesting to not that the bloopers did not include 9/11. I realize NSA had a lot to do with the dysfunctions of 9/11 but CIA knew better as well.

Check out these bloopers; they start in 1956 with the Russians all the way up to 2005 with Iranian nuclear weapons.

CIA Bloopers

The CIA is failsauce. Why isn't 9/11 on this list?

reply to post by Cosmic911


Wow! No mention of MK-Ultra, and the related Canadian and American deaths due to the Drug related mind control experiments of the 50s and 60s. Congress got wind of the debacle and shut it down thank god, although similar black budget programs may likely still be going on.

I guess forcing '___' and other drugs on unwitting test subjects isnt considered a "CIA fail" By the main stream media

Bloopers is an interesting, and in all likelihood inaccurate, assumption. The naive writer assumes the intelligence work was supposed to accomplish a certain goal and always write the truth, but it is more likely they knew exactly what they were doing by providing misleading, or even false data. The same group carried out secret tests on unsuspecting people with '___' and scores of other rather unpleasant things - rendition anyone? It seems to me their motives are suspect at all times, and what is "written" in a report may very well be misleading to create an effect that was, in the end, accomplished.

i wouldn't call them blunders.

the cia is an agency unto itself.

the director is chosen, but there are career officers in the cia that are the real gatekeepers of information.

everything they do is calculated.

if not, they can't claim to be the best of the best.

Originally posted by ConspiracyBuff
The CIA is failsauce. Why isn't 9/11 on this list?

9-11 isn't on the CIA fail list because its one of their biggest successes. There's a reason people in the know call it AllCIA-duh you know.

The Patriot Act and the resultant surveillance of the American public was one of the greatest accomplishments of the intelligence community.

reply to post by crawdad1914

Wow! No mention of MK-Ultra, and the related Canadian and American deaths due to the Drug related mind control experiments of the 50s and 60s.

I certainly don't think CIA found these experiments to be failures. I think the results were as "expected."

reply to post by FortAnthem

9-11 isn't on the CIA fail list because its one of their biggest successes.

You are exactly right, although CIA can't admit that. And you're again right about spying on Americans and the Patriot Act. They have increased their abilities to monitor us while taking away more and more rights. Especially NSA.