CIA's Top-Secret Projects at Area 51 During the Cold War, As Revealed by Annie Jacobsen
In the tumultuous era of the Cold War, two intelligence agencies, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States and the Committee for State Security (KGB) of the Soviet Union, were heavily involved in state-sponsored assassinations and regime change operations.
Historical Examples of CIA Involvement
One notable example of the CIA's involvement is the violent anti-communist purge in Indonesia from 1965 to 1967. Following a failed coup attempt known as the "30 September Movement," the CIA allegedly provided lists of suspected communist supporters to the Indonesian army, who then carried out mass killings estimated to be between half a million to over a million people. This systematic elimination enabled the replacement of President Sukarno with an authoritarian regime under Suharto, aligning Indonesia with U.S. Cold War interests.
The CIA has been linked to covert operations involving assassination plots, assassination attempts, or indirect facilitation through coups aimed at changing regimes perceived as hostile, especially during the Cold War.
KGB-Related Assassinations and Techniques
The KGB's approach to covert operations was characterised by ruthlessness and sadism, distinct from the American intelligence community's methods. One of the most infamous KGB-related political assassinations was of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov in London in 1978. He was executed using a novel and covert method — a modified umbrella that injected a tiny pellet of ricin poison. This assassination illustrated the KGB’s capacity for clandestine and highly technical murder operations aimed at silencing dissent abroad, utilizing poison and subterfuge rather than overt violence.
Another example is the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018, reportedly using a nerve agent. This incident exemplifies modern state-sponsored assassination attempts attributed to Russian security services linked to intelligence operations reminiscent of KGB tactics.
Methodologies Employed
Both agencies employed various methods in their assassination operations. The CIA often preferred covert support and indirect involvement, while the KGB was known for direct covert assassination. The CIA's operations often involved support for coups, targeted killings, or mass purge facilitation, while the KGB utilised coverter poisoning, technical assassination methods, and extensive surveillance.
Surveillance and counter-espionage played a significant role in both agencies' operations, with intelligence gathering used to pinpoint targets accurately.
Summary Table of CIA vs. KGB Assassination Methodologies
| Feature | CIA | KGB | |------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------| | Primary Goals | Regime change, anti-communist purges | Silencing dissent, protecting Soviet ideology | | Techniques | Support for coups, targeted killings, mass purge facilitation | Covert poisoning, technical assassination methods (e.g., ricin pellet), surveillance | | Notable Cases | Indonesia 1965-67 mass killings | Georgi Markov (1978), Sergei Skripal poisoning | | Operational Style | Covert support & indirect involvement | Direct covert assassination |
In conclusion, both the CIA and KGB engaged in state-sponsored assassination tactics that ranged from large-scale support of purges and coups (CIA) to precision poisonings and covert murders (KGB). Their operations reflect the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War era, with methodologies often shrouded in secrecy and innovative in their lethal effectiveness.
In the continuing context of Cold War espionage, it's worth noting that the CIA's activities extended into the aerospace industry, utilising intelligence gathering for satellite launches to enhance their surveillance capabilities. This advancement in technology facilitated more accurate targeting and improved their counter-espionage operations (Finance).
On the other hand, the KGB's methods also evolved with the times, involving finance to fund their operations covertly, such as arms dealing or other illicit activities. These funds were essential for funding their assassination plots and maintaining their global network (Industry).
