Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is the primary foreign intelligence agency of the United States.
Composition
The agency is led by a director (D/CIA), a deputy directory (DD/CIA), and chief operating officer (COO/CIA).
The director is appointed by the president with Senate approval. The deputy director is informally a political appointment, but does not require Senate approval.
The agency formally reports to DNI, but regularly reports to and is overseen by the president, congress, and the NSC.
The work of the agency is split between:
- the Directorate of Analysis
- the Directorate of Operations
the Directorate of Science & Technology
- the Directorate of Support
- the Directorate of Digital Innovation
History
During WW2, the Office of Strategic Services served under the JCS to coordinate intelligence.
Truman established the Central Intelligence Group. The agency was overseen by a director of central intelligence (DCI).
In 1947, the National Security Act formalized the agency as the Central Intelligence Agency.
In 2004, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act replaced the DCI with a director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA). The responsibilities of coordinating and collaborating with other intelligence agencies was also reassigned to DNI.