9781422277119

1. MISSION REPORT : HISTORY T he CIA has its roots in World War II. In 1942, just seven months after the United States entered the war, President Franklin Roosevelt cre- ated the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). It came under the con- trol of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which is made up of the country’s top military leaders. OSS had several missions, including conducting espionage and trying to stop espionage carried out by America’s enemies. During the war, OSS agents also carried out military operations behind enemy lines, simi- lar to what today’s Special Operations forces do. These missions included blowing up railways and bridges, recruiting and training local forces to fight enemy troops, and engaging in small battles with enemy soldiers. World War II in Europe ended in May 1945, and some OSS agents turned their attention to a new potential enemy: the Soviet Union. As the Cold War developed, US leaders wanted intelligence about such things as the Soviets’ military strength and their espionage activities. Although the OSS was shut down in September 1945, some of its members joined the new intelligence agency created in 1947—the CIA.

Words To Understand counterterrorism efforts to prevent terrorist attacks and arrest the people who plan and carry them out covert hidden or done secretly espionage activities related to spying

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