The CIA: What is It For?
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In this deeply reflective episode of *Conflicted*, host Thomas Small interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tim Weiner about his new book, *The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century*, a sequel to his acclaimed *Legacy of Ashes*. Weiner traces the CIA’s evolution from a Cold War intelligence agency to a post-9/11 instrument of covert warfare, revealing how the agency has repeatedly been used to serve presidential ambitions rather than its original mission of gathering intelligence. From the disastrous drone program and torture at secret prisons to the false WMD claims that justified the Iraq War, Weiner exposes a pattern of institutional failure rooted in political pressure, weak oversight, and a fundamental tension between democracy and secrecy. Despite moments of brilliance—like dismantling A.Q. Khan’s nuclear smuggling network—the CIA has increasingly become a tool of assassination and deniable warfare, undermining both American values and global stability. The episode ends on a sobering note: the CIA’s decline reflects a deeper crisis in American democracy, where truth is sacrificed to power and the rule of law is eroded by leaders who see intelligence as a weapon, not a guide.
The CIA’s mission has shifted from 'knowing the world' to 'changing the world' under presidential direction, often at the cost of its integrity.
Weak congressional oversight and the 'unitary executive' theory have enabled presidents to bypass constitutional checks, turning the CIA into a rogue instrument of power.
Torture and drone warfare, while justified as national security measures, have proven ineffective, immoral, and counterproductive, damaging U.S. credibility and fueling global resentment.
The CIA’s greatest successes—like stopping an ISIS-K attack on a Taylor Swift concert—come from espionage, not covert action, proving that intelligence can save lives when it’s not weaponized.
The U.S. has normalized assassination as foreign policy, normalizing a practice once considered illegal and unethical, with devastating long-term consequences.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The CIA's Dual Identity: Intelligence vs. Covert War
“The CIA is an instrument of American foreign policy. It is an executor of American foreign policy. With rare exceptions, it does not dream up the operations that it conducts. It does what the president tells it to do.”
The Post-Cold War Crisis: Mission Collapse and Recruitment Failure
Weiner describes the CIA in the late 1990s as 'half broken, nearly bankrupt, and bereft of a mission' after the Cold War. With no clear purpose and failing recruitment, the agency struggled until 9/11 forced a new, dangerous direction.
The Peru Missionary Plane Shootdown: A Tragic Example of Overreach
“The 15th time, they shot down a plane that was carrying an American missionary family, husband, wife, two little kids. The cover up was extraordinary. The attempted cover up.”
The War on Terror and the Rise of Torture
“There is only one drug that will loosen the tongue of a prisoner, and that drug is alcohol. I could have told you that.”
The Iraq War and the CIA’s False WMD Report
“The facts were being fitted around the policy. That is a mortal sin. That is the opposite of what the CIA was created to do.”
“Blowing civilians out of boats, unarmed civilians? is an act of murder under American law, international law and the laws of God.”
“We are a failing democracy. We are a failing democracy today as we approach our 250th birthday.”
“The facts were being fitted around the policy. That is a mortal sin. That is the opposite of what the CIA was created to do.”
Host
Guest
CIA
organization
Tim Weiner
person
George W. Bush
person
Donald Trump
person
9/11
other
Iraq War
other
Afghanistan War
other
Barack Obama
person
The New York Times
organization
A.Q. Khan
person
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