According to the U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and
Associated Terms, a covert operation is "an operation that is so planned and
executed as to conceal the identity of or permit plausible denial by the
sponsor." It is intended to create a political effect which can have
implications in the military, intelligence or law enforcement arenas.
Covert operations aim to fulfill their mission objectives without any parties
knowing who sponsored or carried out the operation.
Under United States law, the Central Intelligence Agency must lead covert
operations unless the president finds that another agency should do so and
properly informs the Congress. Normally, the CIA is the US Government agency
legally allowed to carry out covert action. The CIA's authority to conduct
covert action comes from the National Security Act of 1947. President Ronald
Reagan issued Executive Order 12333 titled United States Intelligence
Activities in 1984. This order defined covert action as "special activities",
both political and military, that the US Government could legally deny. The CIA
was also designated as the sole authority under the 1991 Intelligence
Authorization Act and in Title 50 of the United States Code Section 413(e). The
CIA must have a "Presidential Finding" issued by the President of the United
States in order to conduct these activities under the Hughes-Ryan
amendment to the 1991 Intelligence Authorization Act. These findings are
then monitored by the oversight committees in both the US Senate and the
House of Representatives. As a result of this framework, the CIA "receives more
oversight from the Congress than any other agency in the federal government".
The Special Activities Division is a division of the CIA's National
Clandestine Service, responsible for Covert Action and "Special Activities".
These special activities include covert political influence and paramilitary
operations. The division is overseen by the United States Secretary of State.
Law enforcement Undercover operations are conducted by
law enforcement agencies to deter and detect crime and to gather information
for future arrest and prosecution. Military intelligence and foreign policy
Covert operations and clandestine operations are distinct. The Department
of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, defines "covert
operation" as "an operation that is so planned and executed as to conceal the
identity of or permit plausible denial by the sponsor. A covert operation
differs from a clandestine operation in that emphasis is placed on concealment
of identity of sponsor rather than on concealment of the operation." The
United States Department of Defense definition has been used by the United
States and NATO since World War II. In a covert operation, the identity of
the sponsor is concealed, while in a clandestine operation the operation
itself is concealed. Put differently, clandestine means "hidden," while covert
means "deniable." The term stealth refers both to a broad set of tactics
aimed at providing and preserving the element of surprise and reducing enemy
resistance and to a set of technologies to aid in those tactics. While secrecy
and stealthiness are often desired in clandestine and covert operations, the
terms secret and stealthy are not used to formally describe types of missions.
Covert operations are employed in situations where openly operating
against a target would be disadvantageous. These operations are
generally illegal in the target state and are frequently in violation of the
laws of the sponsoring country. Operations may be directed at or
conducted with allies and friends to secure their support for controversial
components of foreign policy throughout the world. Covert operations may include
sabotage, assassinations, support for coups d'état, or support for subversion.
Tactics include the use of a false flag or front group.
The activity of organizations engaged in covert operations is in some instances
similar to, or overlaps with, the activity of front organizations. While
covert organizations are generally of a more official military or paramilitary
nature, like the DVS German Air Transport School in the Nazi era, the
line between both becomes muddled in the case of front organizations engaged in
terrorist activities and organized crime.
Examples Military Assistance Command, Vietnam –
Studies and Observations Group Operation Wrath of God
Operation Gladio Operation Anthropoid
Huston Plan Iran-Contra affair
Project MKULTRA Operation CHAOS
CIA Project Cherry Vang Pao's Clandestine Army
Palace Dog Raven Forward Air Controllers
Notable covert operators The following persons are known to have
participated in covert operations, as distinct from clandestine intelligence
gathering either by their own admission or by the accounts of others:
Roy Farran Major Roy Alexandar Farran DSO MC and Two Bars served in her
majesty's SAS during WW2 taking part in Operation Tombola, author of Winged
Dagger lived 2 January 1921 – 2 June 2006.
Robert Baer Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš, Czechoslovak
British-trained agents sent to assassinate one of the most important
Nazis, Reinhard Heydrich, in 1942 as part of Operation Anthropoid.
Aaron Franklin, World War II US Office of Strategic Services officer who
created a fake group of the German Army, made up of POWs, with the mission of
killing Hitler. As a colonel, he was the first commander of United States Army
Special Forces. Charles Beckwith, US Army colonel who
was an early exchange officer with the British Special Air Service, and created
the Delta Force based on the SAS. Gary Berntsen, CIA field officer and
team leader during Operation Enduring Freedom
Wendell Fertig, United States Army Reserve officer who organized large
Filipino guerrilla forces against the Japanese in World War II
Virginia Hall, American who first worked for the British Special Operations
Executive, then for the American Office of Strategic Services in German-occupied
France. Only U.S. woman to receive the Distinguished Service Cross.
Eric Haney, one of the founding members of Delta Force.
Michael Harari, Israeli Mossad officer who led assassination operations against
PLO members accused of the 1972 Munich Massacre.
Bruce Rusty Lang, commander of a mixed United States Army Special Forces &
Montagnard commando Recon Team of Command and Control North, Studies and
Observations Group. Previously served on Project 404, U.S. Embassy Laos,
Assistant Army Attaché. Edward Lansdale, United States Air Force
officer seconded to the CIA, and noted for his work with Ramon Magsaysay
against the Hukbalahap insurgency in Philippines during the early 1950s, and
later involved in Operation Mongoose against Cuba.
T. E. Lawrence, British "Lawrence of Arabia" who organized Arab forces during
World War I. Alain Mafart, French DGSE officer
convicted, in New Zealand, for sinking the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior.
Richard Meadows, United States Army Special Forces officer known for many
operations, including the POW rescue attempt at Son Tay, North Vietnam, and
for deep operations in support of Operation Eagle Claw.
Richard Meinertzhagen, British officer who engaged in deceptive operations
against Turkish forces in World War I, although falsifying later operations.
Ramon Mercader, NKVD operator who assassinated Leon Trotsky under the
direction of Pavel Sudoplatov. Omar Nasiri
Noor Inayat Khan, Anglo-Indian Special Operations Executive radio operator in
World War II Occupied France, killed in Nazi captivity with three other SOE
agents, Yolande Beekman, Eliane Plewman and Madeleine Damerment.
Chuck Pfarrer, former Navy SEAL. Dominique Prieur, French DGSE officer
convicted, in New Zealand, for sinking the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior
Richard Quirin, German World War II saboteur landed by German submarine in
the US, as part of Operation Pastorius. Captured and executed. ex parte Quirin
was a Supreme Court case challenging the constitutionality of execution of
unlawful combatants. Ali Hassan Salameh, chief of operations
of Black September. Mike Spann, CIA field officer and the
first Agency operative to be killed in action during Operation Enduring Freedom
in Afghanistan. Gary Schroen, CIA field officer who led
the first CIA team into Afghanistan during the opening stages of Operation
Enduring Freedom. Otto Skorzeny, German commando who led
the rescue of Benito Mussolini, and operated in US uniform during the Battle
of the Bulge. Pavel Sudoplatov, major general in
Soviet state security, with roles ranging from assassin to director of
field operations. Jesús Villamor, Filipino Air Force
officer that helped organize World War II guerilla movements.
Billy Waugh, former United States Special Forces soldier who later worked
as a contractor with the CIA. Representations in popular culture
Covert operations have often been the subject of popular novels, films, TV
series, comics, etc. The Company is a fictional covert organization featured
in the American television drama/thriller series Prison Break. Also
other series that deal with covert operations are Mission: Impossible,
Alias, Burn Notice, The Unit, The State Within, Covert Affairs, Air Wolf, and
24, and The Blacklist. See also
Spy fiction Spy film
HUMINT) Counter-intelligence
Military intelligence Black operation
False flag Filibuster
SO10 Counterintelligence Field Activity
Covert Warfare Task Force Falcon
Manhunt Church Committee
Covert United States foreign regime change actions
References External links
[1] Statutory Procedures Under Which
Congress Is To Be Informed of U.S. Intelligence Activities, Including
Covert Actions by Alfred Cumming, 18 January 2006 - Congressional Research
Service Richard Hersh Statement to House
Judiciary Democratic Congressional Briefing, 20 January 2006 via
thewall.civiblog.org Full Transcript, House Judiciary
Democratic Membership Briefing "Constitution in Crisis: Domestic
Surveillance and Executive Power" 20 January 2006 via thewall.civiblog.org
"Big Brother is Watching You Part 1 - 902 MI Group TALON Project Summary,
Spreadsheet, Rep. Wexler response, and News Coverage collection via
thewall.civiblog.org Steath Network Operations Centre –
Covert Communication Support System