#Undercover police code

Put differently, clandestine means 'hidden', while covert means ' deniable'. In a covert operation, the identity of the sponsor is concealed, while in a clandestine operation the operation itself is concealed. The United States Department of Defense definition has been used by the United States and NATO since World War II. A clandestine operation and its effects may go completely unnoticed. clandestine operations Ĭovert operations and clandestine operations are distinct but may overlap. These special activities include covert political influence and paramilitary operations.Ĭovert vs. The Special Activities Division (SAD) is a division of the CIA's Directorate of Operations, responsible for Covert Action and 'Special Activities'. Daugherty writes that the CIA 'receives more oversight from the Congress than any other agency in the federal government'. As a result of this framework, William J. These findings are then monitored by the oversight committees in both the U.S. The CIA must have a 'Presidential Finding' issued by the President of the United States in order to conduct these activities under the Hughes-Ryan amendment to the 1991 Intelligence Authorization Act.

#Undercover police code

The CIA was also designated as the sole authority under the 1991 Intelligence Authorization Act and in Title 50 of the United States Code Section 413(e). This order defined covert action as 'special activities', both political and military, that the US Government could legally deny. President Ronald Reagan issued Executive Order 12333 titled United States Intelligence Activities in 1984.

The CIA's authority to conduct covert action comes from the National Security Act of 1947. government agency legally allowed to carry out covert action. law, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) must lead covert operations unless the president finds that another agency should do so and properly informs Congress.

While covert organizations are generally of a more official military or paramilitary nature, like the DVS German Air Transport School in the Nazi era, the line between both becomes muddled in the case of front organizations engaged in terrorist activities and organized crime. The activity of organizations engaged in covert operations is in some instances similar to or overlaps with, the activity of front organizations. Tactics include the use of a false flag or front group. Covert operations may include sabotage, assassinations, support for coups d'état, or support for subversion. Operations may be directed at or conducted with allies and friends to secure their support for controversial components of foreign policy throughout the world. A covert operation differs from a clandestine operation in that emphasis is placed on concealment of a sponsor rather than on concealment of the operation'.Ĭovert operations are employed in situations where openly operating against a target would be disadvantageous. The Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (Joint Publication JP1-02), defines 'covert operation' as 'an operation that is so planned and executed as to conceal the identity of or permit plausible denial by the sponsor. Some of the covert operations are also clandestine operations which are performed in secret and meant to stay secret, though many are not.Ĭovert operations aim to fulfill their mission objectives without anyone knowing who sponsored or carried out the operation. ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī covert operation or undercover operation is a military or police operation involving a covert agent or troops acting under an assumed cover to conceal the identity of the party responsible. JSTOR ( January 2012) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.