# Legitimate critiques of the CIA

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-critiques-of-the-cia/41256>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 15, 2000, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-critiques-of-the-cia/41256 "2000-11-15T04:21:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-critiques-of-the-cia/41256/21 "2000-11-15T22:01:58Z")

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\<\<I don’t expect the CIA never to make mistakes. However, deliberating violating international law by assassination is another story.\>\>  
Of course. I gave you my rational. You still didn’t tell me about Hitler.

\<\<. We supported, and still do support regimes that are equally and in fact more oppressive.\>\> I do not care how oppressive Saudi Arabia is. It’s their buisness. Iraq oppresses its people and is a theat to our security. So is Cuba. Right now, nobody wishes to position missles on their soil. I’m sure it’s only matter of time. Castro needs money and as soon as he finds a willing payer…you’ll see. It was CIA that discovered Soviet missles then, which lead to Kennedy demand, etc. I’m sure, Castro still remembers. But right price, changed times and guys like you may make him forget. Or his successor. I’d rather CIA keep an eye on Castro. As to kill him…eh, probably he’s not worth the trouble. But you still didn’t answer about Hitler…

\<\<At any rate, the US should not be assassinating world leaders. It’s not legal by international law, and it’s not ethical.\>\> We do not assassinate them anymore. Maybe, that’s why there are so many tyrants and dictators now. They are not afraid. But, as I said, I do not want to be worlds policeman. We did nothing to Duvalier, he was not menacing. Haitian people did. If another Hitler comes, I’d rather CIA assassinated him. It’s better to be alive than unethical. Or than to be an ethical corpse.

\<\<This sort of thing also subverts democracy in our own country.\>\> Right now Al Gore subverts democracy in out country, not the CIA: he lost the election and wants the courts to appoint him president. Without Al Gore, how does CIA “subvert democracy”? Do not repeat senselessly what you’ve heard from liberal professor at the college.

\<\< We have no control over what the CIA does, it does it in secret, and we find out about much later, if at all.\>\> Yes, you and Saddam would like to know in advance about CIA plans, I know.  
\<\<In the case I am thinking of, it is clear that the civilian was an innocent. \>\> Again, I do not equate that particular civilian with Aden/Cole terrorists. I deeply regret his death. I am not for killing people in the field, even if they were “involved”: we have courts, etc. All I’m saying is: that are times, when we (CIA) have to kill (terorrists, Hitlers), even if “unethical”. We’ll wash our hands, if they get dirty. It’s better than to wash our bload off them later. Do not treat CIA as unruly teenager out of control. Usually it knows what it is doing.

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**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-critiques-of-the-cia/41256/22 "2000-11-15T23:27:39Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by peace \*  
> \*\*You appear to be a balanced peson, but I hate this dirty-assed liberals who apply the same standards to CIA, etc. they grew up in their sterili kinderdartens in the suburbs with.

\*\*

Interestingly enough, it’s usually the right-wingers who are distrustfull of the CIA and want to disband it, and the liberals who support it.

Anyone remember when Jesse Helms was trying to get rid of CIA funding for an anti-communist union program in Latin AMerica and the AFL-CIO and the CIA were fighting it? Such delicious irony.

> [@](#):
>
> \*\*  
> CIA wanted to kill Castro not because they are bloody serial killers. But because it seemed the fast and efficient way to finish one of the most oppressive regimes on Earth.

\*\*

Right much worse than Chile, or any of the other right wing dictatorships the CIA supported. Much worse than the Taliban, or the Contras, or the Salvadorean nun-rapers. Oh wait, no it wasn’t.

> [@](#):
>
> \*\*  
> As I mentioned, the fact that you can post here anything you want, including CIA criticism, is partially due to the fact that CIA exist and, better or worse, do their job.

\*\*

You keep believing that. Also, if you want to belive that the reason you haven’t been mauled by a tiger in the last couple of weeks is cause of that anti-tiger medallion you bought, go right ahead.

> [@](#):
>
> \*\* I though that Nazis and CIA never existed simultaneously.

\*\*

I recommend you read Whiteout. The CIA helped smuggle Nazi scientists out of Eurpoe to work for the US. One, Klaus Barbio was set up in Bolivia with CIA support. Continued genocide against indians there. Lovely fellow.

> [@](#):
>
> \*\*I would also like to know which people was killed by CIA in South America, when, what for, etc.

\*\*

Well. Allende got some help from the CIA. In Africa, Mobutu’s predecessor was kiled by the CIA. UNfortunately I don’t have my books with me. Go look it up.

> [@](#):
>
> \*\*  
> CIA was not created to fight drug wars. But considering that its experience, tactics, methods could be very useful and that the agencies that were created to fight drug wars are not successful, why not let CIA help limit the exposure of young stupid people in this contry to harmful substances? \*\*

Did you read my post? The CIA smuggles drugs into this country to pick up cash. The CIA frequently stops the DEA from doing their job. The CIA supports heroin growers, and has in the past supported heroin dealers. Lucky Luciano anyone?

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2000, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-critiques-of-the-cia/41256/23 "2000-11-15T23:49:16Z")

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Please feel free to (ahem) _debate_ the pros and cons of the CIA in an appropriate forum.

This ain’t it. The OP asked a fair question, and deserves a fair answer without you guys mucking it up.

Thanks to those who did provide a GQ answer.

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**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2000, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-critiques-of-the-cia/41256/24 "2000-11-16T02:23:46Z")

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[http://navigation.helper.realnames.com/framer/1/262/navigation.php?realname=CIA&uid=30003519&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cia.gov%2F&frameid=1&providerid=262](http://navigation.helper.realnames.com/framer/1/262/navigation.php?realname=CIA&uid=30003519&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cia.gov%2F&frameid=1&providerid=262)  
The above is the direct answer to the OP question, i.e. CIA page.  
I only tried to help her/im, then and now. I also answered a few unclear points. I did not know not that CIA is not debatable on GQ. I can stop or follow it to GD or whatever. Finally, I do not work for the CIA. My work for them in the past is classified information, will not be revealed here.

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