ABSTRACT
Traditionally, covert action involved activities designed to influence foreign governments, events, organizations, or persons in support of United States (US) foreign policy in such a way that the involvement of the US government was not apparent. The years between the end of the Cold War and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, represent the first era of post-Cold War covert action. The changes in both targets and the techniques employed meant that covert action operations were planned and carried out not only by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) but also by other organization. The 9/11 attacks ushered in a new era of covert action. The covert action included providing several million dollars to units composed largely of Iranian exiles in eastern Turkey. The CIA intended to provide the Iranians with flawed but promising information about the triggering mechanism that would induce them to waste time and money in pursuit of development.
