Hollywood films show us fearless agents from around the world who can do everything.
But how does the CIA actually work? What exactly do agents do to protect their state and what techniques do they use?
We decided to find out what the Central Intelligence Agency is hiding.
1. The truth is somewhere nearby
The CIA has an official motto. It sounds like this: And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free - "And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." This is a quote from the Gospel of John. Usually the CIA motto is translated as "The truth will set you free", implying that only after you tell the whole truth, the government will return your freedom. But there is a second interpretation: supposedly the motto is aimed at the employees themselves and says that, while working for the CIA, they will learn the whole truth about the world, and this will free them from prejudices. However, all this is idle speculation, isn't it?
2. Tastes differ
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In the arsenal of the CIA, there were various methods of interrogating and eliciting information. For example, Eminem's album The Slim Shady LP was officially used during interrogations as a means of pressure: detainees were forced to listen to him. In 2002, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were added to the torture list.
3. It's good where we are not
At the request of the president, the CIA can also engage in covert activities. Officially, agents cannot interfere with the politics of other countries - only observe and collect data. And they don't interfere. But it is not exactly.
4. Reception of citizens on schedule
Also officially, the CIA is allowed to keep secret even its staffing, not to mention the number of people and premises. Since 1948, all expenses and incomes of the organization are kept classified and are a state secret.
5. Sports with spy potential
The CIA's focus on soccer fields in Cuba led to conflict in 1962. A management analyst noticed the appearance of these very fields and began to suspect that Soviet troops had appeared in Cuba. After all, Cubans play baseball, and football is very fond of in the Union.
6. Coffee incognito
The CIA headquarters has its own personal Starbucks. Only, unlike similar cafes of this chain, it is forbidden to write names in the order.
7. A minute of history
The first intelligence agencies in the United States were created back in the 1880s and were called the Office of Naval Intelligence and the Army's Military Intelligence Division. Already during the First World War, they were collecting data.
8. A very mystery shopper
The CIA set up fake companies all over the world to buy the large quantities of titanium needed to make the SR-71. It was impossible to officially purchase it from the largest supplier so that the USSR did not find out about it. Because the supplier was the Soviet Union.
9. A book is the best gift for a CIA agent
After George Orwell's death, the CIA secretly bought the rights to 1984 and Animal Farm (Animal Farm), and again secretly released the first film, 1984, and an animated version of Farm.
10. Mulder was right
In 2013, the CIA publicly acknowledged the existence of "Area 51" - a huge test site where the first samples of military equipment are tested and, presumably, captured UFOs are stored.
11. We dropped something here …
In the 1960s, the CIA closed access to Mount Nanda Devi for almost 10 years, as it tried to place a device on it to intercept radio signals and telephone conversations. Access for tourists had to be closed, since the interceptor was accidentally lost in an avalanche and could not be found.
12. Memorable souvenir
In 1945, the US Ambassador to Moscow, Averell Harriman, received a memorable gift from the children of Artek - the unprecedented beauty of the wooden coat of arms of the United States. The ambassador was inspired and hung the coat of arms in his office. So a passive eavesdropping device got to the most secret floor of the embassy, which they could only find after 8 years. The coat of arms is now in the CIA Museum in Langley.
13. Everything secret becomes publication
At one time, by the way, the management was very warmly received by the boom of social networks. According to open sources, the CIA reads up to 5 million tweets a day.
14. Oops
In September 1949, agency analysts published a forecast that the first nuclear bomb in the USSR would appear in mid-1953. The problem is that the first nuclear tests took place 22 days before the forecast was published.
15. About the dangers of television
According to WikiLeaks, at one time the agency actively used Samsung TVs as bugs. With the help of an amusing program called "Crying Angel", the TV simulated an off state, and actively recorded the conversations and transmitted them to the server. Indeed, the angel had a reason to cry.
The secret services hide a lot from us. They say that this is for our own safety. How close do you think information about the work of intelligence agencies should be?