185
Chapter 9
Covert Operations
[e Vice President] laughed and said, ‘at’s a no-brainer. Of course it’s
a violation of international law, that’s why it’s a covert action. e guy is a
terrorist. Go grab his ass.’
Quote attributed to then-Vice President Al Gore by RichardClarke
in Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror
Chapter Objectives
1. Describe the history of covert operations utilized by the U.S. intel-
ligence community.
2. Provide a denition for a covert operation, fully describing each ele-
ment that is essential for its successful implementation.
3. Identify various tactics that can be used in a covert operation, rang-
ing from nancial support and propaganda to military action and
force.
4. Using examples from histo ...