In 1948, within NSC 10/2, George Kenna surmised that covert actions are “planned and conducted that any U.S. government responsibility for them is not evident to unauthorized persons and that if uncovered the U.S. Government can plausibly disclaim any responsibility for them” (Johnson 2007). This statement entrenched a high standard for future covert operations to strive to remain clandestine, which is a seemingly improbable feat to achieve. Indeed, most covert operations have the intention to maintain secrecy and further, utilize strategies to provide a chance for the nation to invoke plausible deniability when a mission becomes compromised. However, covert operations in the past, such as the Iran-Contra Affair have been subject to exposure,
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With secret missions often involving many moving pieces, such as different units, increases the odds of the operation being discovered. In 1961, the failed Bay of Pigs operation occurred under United States President John F. Kennedy, with the strategy to oust Fidel Castro from Cuba using rebel forces. The operation trained and equipped hundreds of Cuban rebel to lead an offensive on the shores of Cuba with the aspiration to overtake Castro and re-claim Cuba. However, Fidel Castro and his militants were privy to information of the impending raid and readied themselves. Castro and his men were able to counter the attack and cause the American and rebel forces to fall back. Within the operational framework of the Bay of Pigs, issues like improper planning, assisted in mission failure (National Security Archives 2001). Additionally, concerns entrusting hundreds of rebels to remain silent about the details of their impending mission may increase the chances of information to be leaked, either purposeful or accidently. However, with many covert operation failures and a decrease in public trust amongst the Intelligence Community (IC), and growing amount of media sources investigating and reporting, plausible deniability is now nearly impossible to achieve (Clark 2007, …show more content…
Moreover, lessons learned from past failed operations should help guide the CIA in achieving goals of secrecy. Proper planning and operational control should be emphasized to avoid outcomes like the Bay of Pigs (Warner n.d.). Further, the White House administration, select members of the Congressional Intelligence Oversight Committees, and other agencies within the Intelligence Community should be consulted to ensure each covert mission is carried out in a proper fashion. Moreover, the covert operation needs to be additionally evaluated on legal and ethical principles to ensure no United States policies or human rights policies will be violated, like the two significant policies violated during the Iran-Contra Affair (National Security Archive 2006). Additionally, the covert operation should be reasonable in the eyes of the public, both foreign and domestic. Advisories or media sources have uncovered covert government operations in the past, and if future operations are revealed, the mission should be mostly accepted by the public, such as the Berlin tunnel operation in Germany. Furthermore, maintaining the public interest additionally helps build and improve upon the public trust, which should be important to the CIA, which can help the favorability of future covert operations
With secret missions often involving many moving pieces, such as different units, increases the odds of the operation being discovered. In 1961, the failed Bay of Pigs operation occurred under United States President John F. Kennedy, with the strategy to oust Fidel Castro from Cuba using rebel forces. The operation trained and equipped hundreds of Cuban rebel to lead an offensive on the shores of Cuba with the aspiration to overtake Castro and re-claim Cuba. However, Fidel Castro and his militants were privy to information of the impending raid and readied themselves. Castro and his men were able to counter the attack and cause the American and rebel forces to fall back. Within the operational framework of the Bay of Pigs, issues like improper planning, assisted in mission failure (National Security Archives 2001). Additionally, concerns entrusting hundreds of rebels to remain silent about the details of their impending mission may increase the chances of information to be leaked, either purposeful or accidently. However, with many covert operation failures and a decrease in public trust amongst the Intelligence Community (IC), and growing amount of media sources investigating and reporting, plausible deniability is now nearly impossible to achieve (Clark 2007, …show more content…
Moreover, lessons learned from past failed operations should help guide the CIA in achieving goals of secrecy. Proper planning and operational control should be emphasized to avoid outcomes like the Bay of Pigs (Warner n.d.). Further, the White House administration, select members of the Congressional Intelligence Oversight Committees, and other agencies within the Intelligence Community should be consulted to ensure each covert mission is carried out in a proper fashion. Moreover, the covert operation needs to be additionally evaluated on legal and ethical principles to ensure no United States policies or human rights policies will be violated, like the two significant policies violated during the Iran-Contra Affair (National Security Archive 2006). Additionally, the covert operation should be reasonable in the eyes of the public, both foreign and domestic. Advisories or media sources have uncovered covert government operations in the past, and if future operations are revealed, the mission should be mostly accepted by the public, such as the Berlin tunnel operation in Germany. Furthermore, maintaining the public interest additionally helps build and improve upon the public trust, which should be important to the CIA, which can help the favorability of future covert operations