'Unusual' cable specifies that dozens of CIA informants have been arrested, killed in recent years
An "unusual top secret cable" sent to every CIA station and base around the world last week alerted officers about dozens of cases in the last several years involving foreign informants who had been killed, arrested, or most likely compromised, The New York Times reports.
The alert itself wasn't necessarily unique, but the Times notes the fact that the cable specified the number of lost informants — information that is usually kept strictly under wraps by intelligence officials — suggests that the issue is more urgent than usual.
People familiar with the document told the Times the point was to "prod" the agency's case officers to shore up their protection and management of informants in other countries. Recruiting spies has always been a high-risk endeavor, but the cable warned that the CIA hasn't excelled in the area lately. Some reasons behind the issues are, the Times says: being too trusting of sources, underestimating foreign intelligence agencies, and moving too quickly to recruit informants while ignoring crucial risks. The last problem is known as placing "mission over security," the Times writes. That may be linked to the fact that during the "war on terror," the CIA shifted from more traditional espionage methods toward covert action and paramilitary operations. Read more at The New York Times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The launch of the world’s first weight-loss pillSpeed Read Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been racing to release the first GLP-1 pill
-
Maduro’s capture: two hours that shook the worldTalking Point Evoking memories of the US assault on Panama in 1989, the manoeuvre is being described as the fastest regime change in history
-
Six sensational hotels to discover in 2026The Week Recommends From a rainforest lodge to a fashionable address in Manhattan – here are six hotels that travel journalists recommend for this year
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
