Hello guys,
I just finished reading a great book, one that all of the history/current events/military history buffs here on WSO will like.
The Way of the Knife: The CIA, A Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth
written by Mark Mazzetti.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Way-Knife-Secret-Earth/dp/1594204802
The book delves into the post-9/11 history of the CIA, and guides the reader through its transformation from a spy agency to a paramilitary killing machine. The major players involved with leading the agency through this drastic transformation are identified and analyzed, as is the influence that one man, J. Cofer Black, had on modern history. Great stuff guys, a must-read.
CIA structure:
Directorate of Intelligence
National Clandestine Service
Special Activities Division
Special Operations Group *
Directorate of Science & Technology
Directorate of Support
Here is a brief history of the CIA's paramilitary involvements:
Korean War: Intelligence
Vietnam War : Intelligence & Paramilitary operations via MACV-SOG
Post-Vietnam : Paramilitary power stripped from the agency
September 2001: Paramilitary authority restored under GWB
Invasion of Iraq: Rallied Peshmerga Kurdish fighters to fight Iraq branch of Al-Qaeda
Invasion of Afghanistan: Organized Northern Alliance warlords for offensive against Taliban
Mexico: Organized & armed Sinaloa & Gulf Cartels to counter growing Zeta Cartel influence
Read the book!
Said book MIGHT be found on a certain pirate-themed FS site.....
