What is the CIA and what does it do?

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), commonly referred to as the Agency, is a civilian foreign intelligence organisation of the United States government.

 

The CIA is headquartered at the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley, Virginia.

 

As a key entity within the United States Intelligence Community, the CIA reports to the director of national intelligence and is primarily focused on providing intelligence to the US President and the Cabinet.

 

The CIA was formed after the Office of Strategic Services was dissolved following World War II, with US President Harry S Truman establishing the Central Intelligence Group under a director