The CIA: everything you wanted to know
HistoryExtra podcast
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The Origins of the CIA
People were distrusted because they thought he was establishing an American Gestapo, and Truman shared that view. So those are two possibilities that were rejected. On the other hand, Truman was much more keen on countering the Soviet threats. He was very early Cold Warrior, and the very first instruction he gave to the Central Intelligence Group was to counter theSoviet threats. And this really came to be the dominant role of the CIA,. But with the understanding also that it was supposed to guard against any future and pleasant surprises.
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