14 Controversial CIA Secrets Kept in the Dark for Decades

Recent revelations¹ have shed light on some of the CIA’s most closely guarded secrets. 

A 2023 leak of classified documents exposed sensitive intelligence about the war in Ukraine and other global hotspots. This breach triggered a criminal investigation by the Justice Department, highlighting the agency’s ongoing struggle to keep its operations under wraps. 

Here are 14 CIA secrets they’d rather keep hidden from the public eye.

1. Black Sites for Interrogation

The CIA established a network of secret detention facilities outside U.S. territory, known as “black sites,” where suspected terrorists were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques.

These methods, many of which constituted torture under international law, included stress positions, sleep deprivation, and waterboarding. (ref)

2. Operation Bloodstone’s Nazi Recruitment

In the aftermath of World War II, the CIA launched Operation Bloodstone, which involved tracking down and recruiting former Nazi intelligence agents and collaborators.

The agency sought to leverage their anti-communist sentiments and expertise for covert operations against the Soviet Union.

3. Domestic Spying on U.S. Citizens

Despite lacking authorization for domestic operations, the CIA engaged in surveillance of U.S. citizens during the Nixon administration.

This violation of the agency’s mandate raised serious concerns about government overreach and civil liberties. (ref)

4. Meddling in Foreign Elections

The CIA has a history of interfering in foreign elections to install pro-Western leaders.

In one instance, the agency’s actions led to the installation of a dictator who subsequently carried out mass executions of suspected communists. (ref)

5. Operation Midnight Climax

As part of the infamous Project MK Ultra, the CIA conducted Operation Midnight Climax, (ref) which involved experimenting with LSD and exploring the potential use of drugs and sexual encounters for interrogation purposes.

6. Heart Attack Gun Development

The agency developed an untraceable weapon capable of inducing heart attacks. This pistol fired a frozen dart containing shellfish toxin, which would melt in the body after penetrating the skin, leaving no trace of the assassination. (ref)

7. Influence over Hollywood Productions

A declassified memo revealed that the CIA had significant influence over the production of the 2012 film “Zero Dark Thirty,” (ref) demanding changes to ensure a positive portrayal of the agency. 

8. Unorthodox Gifts for Informants

In Afghanistan, the CIA has provided unusual gifts to informants, including toys, medicine, clothes, and even Viagra, to maintain valuable intelligence sources without drawing unwanted attention.

9. Psychological Torture Techniques

The agency employed disturbing interrogation methods, such as subjecting Iraqi prisoners to earsplitting volumes of songs, including the theme from “Barney the Purple Dinosaur”.

10. Covert Funding of the Dalai Lama

During the Cold War, the CIA secretly provided the Dalai Lama with an annual stipend to support the Tibetan Exodus and weaken China’s potential for expansion. (ref)

11. Operation Gold’s Berlin Spy Tunnel

In collaboration with MI6, the CIA constructed a massive spy tunnel under Berlin during the Cold War to tap into Soviet communications. Unbeknownst to them, the Soviets were aware of the operation from the start due to a double agent.

12. Compromised Pizza Meetings

In 2011, CIA informants in Beirut were exposed to Hezbollah after using the code word “Pizza” for a secret intelligence meeting at an actual Pizza Hut. (ref) This operational blunder likely resulted in severe consequences for the informants involved.

13. Covert Actions in Nicaragua

The CIA organized, armed, and trained Nicaraguan Contras fighting to overthrow the country’s Sandinista government in the 1980s. This controversial operation became a major political scandal during the Reagan administration.

14. Enhanced Interrogation Approval Process

Contrary to popular belief, the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques were not implemented without oversight. (ref) The agency sought specific approval from the Bush administration, and the Justice Department declared these methods legal in secret memos issued in 2002 and 2005. 

Source:
1. Al Jazeera