What the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency does
Runs the spy agency that gathers secret foreign intelligence for the President.
Common misconceptions(3)
- Spies on AmericansActually: The CIA is legally barred from spying on U.S. citizens inside the U.S. Domestic intelligence is the FBI's job.
- Is the top intelligence jobActually: Since 2005, the Director of National Intelligence sits above the CIA and 17 other agencies. The CIA Director runs one of them.
- Is a military agencyActually: The CIA is civilian, not military. Military intelligence agencies (NSA, DIA) are separate, though they often coordinate.






