Cia Covert Operations: Panama and Nicaragua
CIA Covert Operations: Panama and Nicaragua
In the 1950 's, the repression of domestic political dissent reached near hysteria. In the process the CIA 's covert operations, already in progress in
Europe, expanded worldwide. By 1953, according to the 1970 's Senate investigation, there were major covert programs under way in 48 countries, consisting of propaganda, paramilitary, and political action operations. In
1949, the agency 's covert action department had about 300 employees and 47 stations. In the same period, the budget for these activities grew from $4.7 million to $82 million. In this paper I will discuss the United States ' use of covert actions using Panama and Nicaragua as examples. I had planned on writing my paper on Manuel Noriega and his connections with the CIA but the more I read into him I found the major topic outlying him was much more interesting. So with that I will continue on with this paper showing my findings on the CIA and thier covert operations. Covert operations have become a way of life and death for millions of people world wide who have lost their lives to these actions. By 1980, covert operations were costing billions of dollars. CIA Director William Casey was quoted as saying "covert actions were the keystone of U.S. policy in the Third
World."(Agee, 2) Throughout the CIA 's 45 years, one president after another has used covert operations to intervene secretly, and sometimes not so secretly , in the domestic affairs of other countries, presuming their affairs were ours.
Almost always, money was spent for activities to prop up political forces considered friendly to U.S. interests, or to weaken and destroy those considered unfriendly or threatening. The friends were easy to define, they were those who believed and acted like us, took orders and cooperated. Until the collapse of communism in Eastern
Europe, enemies were also readily recognized: the Soviet Union and its allies, with China having ambiguous
In the 1950 's, the repression of domestic political dissent reached near hysteria. In the process the CIA 's covert operations, already in progress in
Europe, expanded worldwide. By 1953, according to the 1970 's Senate investigation, there were major covert programs under way in 48 countries, consisting of propaganda, paramilitary, and political action operations. In
1949, the agency 's covert action department had about 300 employees and 47 stations. In the same period, the budget for these activities grew from $4.7 million to $82 million. In this paper I will discuss the United States ' use of covert actions using Panama and Nicaragua as examples. I had planned on writing my paper on Manuel Noriega and his connections with the CIA but the more I read into him I found the major topic outlying him was much more interesting. So with that I will continue on with this paper showing my findings on the CIA and thier covert operations. Covert operations have become a way of life and death for millions of people world wide who have lost their lives to these actions. By 1980, covert operations were costing billions of dollars. CIA Director William Casey was quoted as saying "covert actions were the keystone of U.S. policy in the Third
World."(Agee, 2) Throughout the CIA 's 45 years, one president after another has used covert operations to intervene secretly, and sometimes not so secretly , in the domestic affairs of other countries, presuming their affairs were ours.
Almost always, money was spent for activities to prop up political forces considered friendly to U.S. interests, or to weaken and destroy those considered unfriendly or threatening. The friends were easy to define, they were those who believed and acted like us, took orders and cooperated. Until the collapse of communism in Eastern
Europe, enemies were also readily recognized: the Soviet Union and its allies, with China having ambiguous
Cited: Agee, Philip. Covert Action Quarterly. Washington D.C. 1991. Kinsley, Michael. Time. We Shoot People Don 't We. October 23, 1989. Time Warner. Stiles, Kendall. Case Histories in International Politics. Harper Collins Publishers, New York 1995 Wilson, Catherine. The Philadelphia Inquirer. New trial is ruled for Noriega. March 28, 1996.