Covert operations are designed to hide or obscure the involvement of the U.S. Government, making eva ...

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Covert operations are designed to hide or obscure the involvement of the U.S. Government, making evaluation of the effectiveness of these operations difficult if not impossible. But these operations also raise for many observers troubling questions about whether they are an appropriate instrument for a democratic government, as well as the dangers inherent in their use. For the intelligence community, they also threaten to blur the lines between intelligence and policy since the intelligence community is in effect charged with carrying out policy. Looking at the case involving Iran in the PBS video and the article by Ray Takeyh, what is your impression of the effectiveness of this particular covert action operation? What do you think is the legacy of this operation? What does this say about the unintended consequences of even successful operations? Instructions Ensure that your post and replies engage and encourage discussion. Use these opportunities to cultivate and share your perspective on the issues and challenge those of your classmates.