Central Intelligence Agency

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the main foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency in the United States. It is one of the 16 agencies of the U.S. Intelligence Community, functioning under the umbrella of the Director of National Intelligence. The CIA is an independent, civilian agency, which collects, processes, and analyzes national security information throughout the world, mainly via human intelligence.

The legal framework for the organization and functioning of the CIA resides in the National Security Act of 1947, Executive Order 12333 of December 4, 1981, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, as well as additional laws, rules, and regulations. The CIA’s headquarters is named the George Bush Center for Intelligence and is located in Langley, VA. Democratic civilian control and oversight ...

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