CIA

CIA Nominee Gina Haspel Will Face Tough Questions on Torture

Ever since President Donald Trump tapped Gina Haspel as his choice to lead the CIA nearly two months ago, a fierce debate has engulfed Washington over her suitability to run the agency. Haspel, a 33-year...

By W.J. Hennigan May 8, 2018

Retired Military Leaders Raise Concerns About CIA Director Nominee Gina Haspel

Over her ties to a former torture program

By Maya Rhodan April 23, 2018

Anti-Torture Groups Are Pushing Congress to Block Trump's Nominee to Head the CIA

Outside groups are upping the pressure on Senators to reject President Donald Trump's controversial nominee to direct the Central Intelligence Agency, Gina Haspel, ahead of her May 9 confirmation hearing. Republican Sen. Richard Burr and...

By Maya Rhodan April 19, 2018

Donald Trump's CIA Pick Gina Haspel Will Face Questions About Torture

President Donald Trump's pick for the next director of the CIA will face questions on Capitol Hill over her involvement in past torture programs. Senators from both parties raised questions about Gina Haspel, who Trump...

By Maya Rhodan March 13, 2018

Meet Gina Haspel, Trump's New Pick for CIA Director

President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that he will nominate Gina Haspel to become the new CIA director, replacing Mike Pompeo, who will be nominated as the next Secretary of State. If confirmed, Haspel would...

By Tessa Berenson March 13, 2018

Donald Trump Once Claimed He Doesn't Need Daily Briefings. Here's How He Gets Them Now

"He finds value"

By Elizabeth Dias January 23, 2018

Osama bin Laden Had Pixar's Cars and Other Cartoons in His Movie Collection

He also had a few documentaries about himself

By Katie Reilly November 1, 2017

North Korea Warns of 'Powerful Nuclear Hammer'

The warning follows CIA Director Mike Pompeo's allusions to regime change

By Kevin Lui July 25, 2017

Why Trump Can't Stop the Russia Investigations

Investigators amass evidence under court supervision, regardless of who is in charge

By Massimo Calabresi May 23, 2017

Former CIA Director Testifies About Russia Probe

Former CIA Director John Brennan says he had "unresolved questions" about whether members of the Trump campaign who had contact with Russians were working "on their behalf, either wittingly or unwittingly." Testifying before the House...

By Tessa Berenson May 23, 2017

Former CIA Director: President Trump’s Travel Ban Is ‘Simplistic and Misguided’

John Brennan also said he thought the ban would be counterproductive

By Kate Samuelson April 4, 2017

Can We Save Baseball

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute March 13, 2017

How To Gauge Sexism in Video Games

These are today's best ideas

By The Aspen Institute March 10, 2017

The CIA's Hackers Find Their Secrets Posted Online

If any more evidence was needed that privacy in the digital realm exists chiefly in theory, it arrived on March 7 with the publication by WikiLeaks of a trove of apparent Central Intelligence Agency documents...

By Karl Vick March 9, 2017

CIA Contractors Likely Source of WikiLeaks Dump: Officials

The CIA has so far been silent on the authenticity of the documents

By John Walcott and Mark Hosenball / Reuters March 9, 2017

Here's The Evidence Russia Hacked The Democratic National Committee

Such as it is. A declassified review comes next month.

By Massimo Calabresi December 13, 2016

The Downside of Donald Trump's Fight With the Intelligence Community

Crises require credibility

By Massimo Calabresi December 11, 2016

What to Know About Donald Trump’s Choice for CIA Chief, Mike Pompeo

Donald Trump tapped Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo to be his new head of the Central Intelligence Agency. Trump said Pompeo “will be a brilliant and unrelenting leader for our intelligence community to ensure the safety...

By Tessa Berenson November 18, 2016

North Korea 'Ready to Launch Sixth Nuclear Test'

The country's nuclear capabilities are growing both in terms of power and range

By Dominique Rowe September 12, 2016

North Korea's Deputy Ambassador in London May Have Defected

Thae Yong Ho, who has lived in the U.K. for 10 years, disappeared from his West London residence last month

By Rishi Iyengar August 17, 2016

CIA Director Warns That ISIS Is Still a Threat

John Brennan warned that more Orlando inspired attacks could be coming

By Daniel White June 16, 2016

Kim Jong Un's Aunt Secretly Lives in the U.S.

She and her husband defected from North Korea in 1998

By Tessa Berenson May 27, 2016

The U.S. Failed Its American Spy in Iran

It has been nine years since Bob Levinson went missing—and we’re no closer to answers

By Barry Meier May 6, 2016

CIA 'Live' Tweeted the Osama Bin Laden Raid to Mark 5th Anniversary

Some Twitter users were upset by the posts

By Maya Rhodan May 2, 2016

Trump: It's 'Ridiculous' to Reject Waterboarding

Says ISIS does worse

By Maya Rhodan April 11, 2016

CIA Left Explosive Material on School Bus By Mistake

The bus transported students for two days before the explosives were discovered

By Tessa Berenson April 1, 2016

German 'Triple Agent' Caught Spying

Markus Reichel, who worked in the mail room at Germany's intelligence agency, passed classified documents to the U.S. and Russians

By Mark Rivett-Carnac March 18, 2016

How the Nixon Administration Got the CIA to Distort Intelligence

Nixon lied about Soviet nuclear tests and the CIA went along

By Ray Locker / History News Network January 4, 2016

Read the CIA Director's Thoughts on the Paris Attacks

CIA Director John Brennan talked about his thoughts on the Paris attacks, ISIS and the possibility of terrorism on U.S. soil Monday. In a previously arranged appearance at the Center for Strategic and International Studies,...

By Ryan Teague Beckwith November 16, 2015

CIA Director Says ISIS Likely Has Other Attacks Planned

CIA Director John Brennan said he thinks ISIS has other missions planned after Friday's deadly attack in Paris. Speaking at a Center for Strategic & International Studies forum Monday, Brennan called ISIS "an organization of...

By Tessa Berenson November 16, 2015

Fox News Guest Analyst Charged With Fraud Over CIA Claims

Wayne Simmons claimed to be an expert on intelligence operations

By Sarah Begley October 16, 2015

U.S. Psychologists Group Could Soon Ban Involvement in Terrorism Interrogations

The American Psychological Association is reportedly considering a new ethics policy that could prohibit psychologists from helping to question terror suspects

By Maya Rhodan July 30, 2015

Could Twitter and Facebook Stop the Next Terrorist Attack?

Legislation would require them to alert law enforcement of possible attacks

By Chris Matthews / Fortune July 24, 2015

CIA Lags in Recruiting Diverse Workforce

Mission not yet accomplished on diversity

By Maya Rhodan June 30, 2015

John Oliver Gets Helen Mirren to Read the Senate Torture Report

Blame Jack Bauer

By Melissa Locker June 15, 2015

Former CIA Deputy Director Warns America Could 'Get Hit' Again

In new book, Michael Morell warns of the possibility of another terrorist attack on U.S. soil

By Charlotte Alter May 12, 2015

The CIA's Latest Mission: Improving Diversity

A weapons analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, Lisa was sorting resumes with a colleague when something shocking happened. Lisa, who is black, was helping her white coworker find the best applicants for overseas posts,...

By Maya Rhodan April 20, 2015

Pakistan Could Charge CIA Officials in Drone Deaths

A landmark case may open the door for a possible multibillion-dollar class-action lawsuit launched by relatives of the alleged 960 civilian victims of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan

By Sabrina Toppa April 16, 2015

Gunmen Kill Lawyer of Doctor Who Helped Find bin Laden

“We killed him because he was defending Shakil, who is our enemy”

By Rishi Iyengar March 18, 2015

Five Best Ideas of the Day: February 25

1. The U.S. wants to hack your phone because it doesn’t have the real spies it needs. By Patrick G. Eddington at Reuters 2. Eight universities account for half of all history professors in the...

By The Aspen Institute February 25, 2015

CIA Says Its Inspector General Will Resign

Buckley has served as the intelligence agency's internal watchdog for more than four years

By Rishi Iyengar January 6, 2015

Five Best Ideas of the Day: December 23

Today we're highlighting five of our favorite "Best Ideas" from 2014. 1. Affirmative Action should be adapted to accommodate structural racism and America’s modern segregation. By Sheryll Cashin in the Root 2. The death penalty...

By The Aspen Institute December 23, 2014

A CIA Interrogator Speaks

After the Senate report, would the U.S. torture again?

By Massimo Calabresi December 22, 2014

Why the Torture Report Won't Actually Change Anyone's Views On Torture

We are especially motivated to preserve our moral beliefs and discount evidence that challenges our views

By Matt Motyl December 16, 2014

Attorney General Allows Limited Subpoena of New York Times Reporter

Attorney General Eric Holder has given federal prosecutors permission to subpoena New York Times reporter James Risen for some information regarding his connection to a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency. Though New York...

By Maya Rhodan December 16, 2014

North Korea Wants U.N. to Probe CIA 'Torture'

North Korea's UN representative decried CIA interrogations as "the gravest human rights violations in the world."

By Dan Kedmey December 16, 2014

There's So Much We Still Don't Know About the CIA's Torture Program. Here's How the Government Is Keeping the Full Story a Secret

A U.S. Plane Crashed in Afghanistan. Why So Many Believed a CIA Chief Was On It.

Trump Threatened to Pull His Critics' Security Clearances. How Do They Work?

Former Intelligence Chiefs Explain How President Trump Sows Distrust to His Advantage