The CIA

President Truman created the CIA when he signed the National Security Act of 1947. The head of the CIA, the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), reports to the President. Special congressional committees hold the agency responsible for its actions. The CIA's purpose is to gather information, called "intelligence," about global forces that affect the United States

CIA analysts write papers about what they find and make recommendations to policy makers in Washington DC or military commanders in the battlefield. Some of this information is secret, and some is public. Policy makers use this information for diplomacy. Military commanders use this information to win battles. Sometimes a policy decision causes or stops a battle, and sometimes the outcome of a battle changes a policy decision. Getting accurate information to these people quickly helps them make decisions that are in the country's best interests.