The Way of the Knife

1. CIA's Transformation: From Espionage to Manhunting

No longer a traditional espionage service devoted to stealing the secrets of foreign governments, the Central Intelligence Agency has become a killing machine, an organization consumed with man hunting.

Post 9/11 shift. The CIA underwent a dramatic transformation after the September 11 attacks, shifting its focus from traditional espionage to targeted killings and manhunts. This change redefined the agency's role, turning spies into soldiers and prioritizing lethal action over intelligence gathering.

Counterterrorist Center's rise. The Counterterrorist Center (CTC), once a backwater within the CIA, became the agency's beating heart, experiencing unprecedented expansion and influence. This shift led to a narrower, more tactical focus on specific al Qaeda operators, often at the expense of broader strategic analysis.

Consequences of the shift. This transformation has had profound consequences, blurring the lines between military and intelligence operations, short-circuiting normal mechanisms for declaring war, and turning the American president into the final arbiter of life and death in far-off lands. The CIA's embrace of lethal action has also lowered the bar for waging war, making it easier for the United States to carry out killing operations across the globe.

2. The Dysfunctional Marriage: CIA and ISI

Pakistan has always seen such matters in black and white.

A troubled alliance. The relationship between the CIA and Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has been a long-standing, complex, and often fraught partnership. Despite mutual distrust and conflicting interests, both sides have remained entangled due to strategic necessities.

Historical context:

• The CIA and ISI collaborated during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s.
• Sanctions and mistrust grew in the 1990s due to Pakistan's nuclear program and support for the Taliban.
• After 9/11, the U.S. demanded Pakistan's support in the war on terror, leading to a transactional relationship.

Conflicting interests. The ISI has often maintained ties with groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network, viewing them as strategic assets for regional influence, while the CIA has sought to eliminate these same groups. This divergence in goals has led to constant tension and mistrust. The Raymond Davis incident epitomized the deep-seated suspicions and conflicting agendas that plagued the CIA-ISI relationship.

3. The Murky World of Covert Operations and Assassination Bans

Certainly we don’t need a regiment of cloak-and-dagger men, earning their campaign ribbons—and, indeed, their promotions—by planning new exploits throughout the world. Theirs is a self-generating enterprise.

The allure of covert action. American presidents have long been seduced by the secrecy and perceived efficiency of covert operations, often turning to the CIA to carry out actions that would be politically difficult or diplomatically problematic for the military. This reliance on covert action has led to a cycle of aggressive operations, congressional investigations, and subsequent retrenchment.

The assassination dilemma:

• The CIA's history is intertwined with assassination attempts, leading to a 1976 ban on assassinating foreign leaders.
• After 9/11, legal interpretations redefined "assassination" to allow targeted killings of terrorists as self-defense.
• This redefinition blurred the lines between legitimate military action and extrajudicial killings.

Ethical and legal questions. The CIA's embrace of targeted killings has raised profound ethical and legal questions about due process, accountability, and the potential for unintended consequences. Critics argue that the normalization of assassination has lowered the bar for waging war and turned the American president into the final arbiter of life and death.

4. Pentagon's Rise: Rumsfeld's Vision and the Expansion of Military Spying

Given the nature of our world, isn’t it conceivable that the Department ought not to be in a position of near total dependence on CIA in situations such as this?

Rumsfeld's ambition. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld sought to transform the Pentagon into a more agile and responsive organization capable of waging unconventional warfare. Frustrated by the CIA's perceived dominance in intelligence gathering, Rumsfeld aimed to create a parallel military intelligence apparatus.

Key initiatives:

• Creation of the Joint Intelligence Task Force for Combating Terrorism.
• Expansion of the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), later known as Gray Fox.
• Empowerment of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) for clandestine operations.

Legal justifications. Rumsfeld exploited loopholes in existing laws and the broad mandate of the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) to justify the Pentagon's expansion into areas traditionally reserved for the CIA. This led to a blurring of lines between military and intelligence activities, raising concerns about accountability and oversight.

5. Drones: The Double-Edged Scalpel of Modern Warfare

This is a political war and it calls for discrimination in killing. The best weapon for killing would be a knife, but I’m afraid we can’t do it that way. The worst is an airplane.

The rise of the Predator. The armed Predator drone emerged as a symbol of America's new way of war, offering the ability to strike targets remotely without risking American lives. This technology transformed the CIA into a killing machine, but also raised ethical and strategic questions.

Benefits and drawbacks:

• Drones allowed for precise targeting and reduced the need for large-scale military deployments.
• The remote nature of drone warfare lowered the bar for lethal action and created a sense of detachment.
• Drone strikes often resulted in civilian casualties, fueling resentment and radicalization.

The "signature strike" controversy. The use of "signature strikes," which targeted individuals based on patterns of behavior rather than concrete evidence, raised concerns about due process and the potential for unintended consequences. The drone program became a source of tension with allies like Pakistan, who viewed the strikes as violations of sovereignty.

6. Pakistan's Tribal Areas: A Crucible of Militancy and Proxy Wars

Pakistan did have second thoughts that these people, the Americans, are not going to secure Afghanistan. We thought, ‘They will leave, and we will have to live with the Afghans.’

A lawless frontier. Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) became a haven for militants and a battleground for proxy wars. The region's rugged terrain, weak governance, and tribal customs made it difficult for both the Pakistani military and the CIA to operate effectively.

The rise of the Pakistani Taliban:

• The ISI's support for the Afghan Taliban created a breeding ground for extremism within Pakistan.
• Military operations in the tribal areas often backfired, alienating local populations and fueling militancy.
• Peace deals with militant leaders like Nek Muhammad Wazir and Baitullah Mehsud proved to be short-lived and counterproductive.

A complex web of alliances. The ISI's continued ties to groups like the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba created a strategic dilemma for the United States, which relied on Pakistan for counterterrorism cooperation but also viewed these groups as threats to regional stability. The tribal areas became a microcosm of the broader tensions and contradictions in the U.S.-Pakistani relationship.

7. The Perils of Outsourcing: Private Spies and Unaccountable Operations

Deniability is built in and should be a big plus.

The rise of private military companies. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan led to a dramatic increase in the use of private military companies (PMCs) for tasks ranging from security to intelligence gathering. This outsourcing of war raised concerns about accountability, transparency, and the potential for abuse.

Blackwater's role:

• Erik Prince's Blackwater USA became a major player in the secret wars, providing security and paramilitary services to the CIA and the Pentagon.
• The CIA even considered outsourcing its assassination program to Blackwater, highlighting the blurring lines between government and private actors.
• Blackwater's reputation for recklessness and its lack of accountability created a toxic environment.

Ethical and legal implications. The use of PMCs raised ethical and legal questions about the privatization of war, the potential for conflicts of interest, and the erosion of government oversight. Critics argued that outsourcing sensitive tasks to private companies undermined democratic control and accountability.

8. The Unraveling: Mistrust, Betrayal, and the Erosion of Alliances

Pakistan has always seen such matters in black and white.

The Raymond Davis affair. The arrest of CIA contractor Raymond Davis in Lahore in 2011 exposed the deep-seated mistrust and conflicting agendas that plagued the U.S.-Pakistani relationship. The incident triggered a crisis that threatened to shut down CIA operations in Pakistan.

The bin Laden raid. The unilateral U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad further strained relations, as Pakistani officials felt humiliated and betrayed by the American operation. The raid fueled conspiracy theories and anti-American sentiment within Pakistan.

The Mullen accusation. Admiral Mike Mullen's public accusation that the ISI was supporting the Haqqani Network marked a turning point in the relationship, signaling a complete breakdown of trust between the two countries' military establishments. The relationship between the CIA and ISI was dead.

9. The Allure of the "Organic Solution" and the Dangers of Unchecked Ambition

This is manna from heaven!

Ballarin's vision. Michele "Amira" Ballarin, a wealthy heiress from Virginia, became a key figure in the outsourced war in Somalia. She sought to promote Sufism as a counterweight to radical Islam and to establish a network of contacts within the Somali political class.

The "organic solution" fallacy:

• Ballarin's approach, while well-intentioned, often relied on simplistic solutions and a romanticized view of Somali culture.
• Her efforts to arm and train Sufi militias were undermined by the complex dynamics of Somali clan politics.
• Ballarin's unchecked ambition and lack of experience led to questionable decisions and ethical compromises.

The limits of good intentions. Ballarin's story illustrates the dangers of unchecked ambition and the potential for well-meaning individuals to become entangled in complex and morally ambiguous situations. It also highlights the challenges of imposing external solutions on deeply rooted social and political problems.

10. The Cycle of Violence: From Targeted Killings to Unintended Consequences

We’ll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours.

The unintended consequences of drone strikes. While targeted killings have been effective in eliminating specific terrorist leaders, they have also fueled resentment, radicalization, and a cycle of violence. The killing of civilians in drone strikes has undermined U.S. credibility and created new enemies.

The al-Awlaki case:

• The targeted killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen, raised profound legal and ethical questions.
• The subsequent killing of al-Awlaki's teenage son, Abdulrahman, in a separate drone strike highlighted the potential for unintended consequences and the difficulty of distinguishing between combatants and non-combatants.
• The al-Awlaki case became a symbol of the Obama administration's embrace of targeted killings and the erosion of due process.

The moral calculus of war. The story of the al-Awlaki family illustrates the human cost of targeted killings and the complex moral calculus that underlies modern warfare. It raises questions about the long-term impact of these operations on American values and the rule of law.

11. The Convergence of Military and Intelligence: A New American Way of War

Everything is backwards.

Blurring lines. The lines between military and intelligence operations have become increasingly blurred, with the CIA taking on tasks traditionally associated with the military and vice versa. This convergence has led to a lack of coordination, turf battles, and a potential for mission creep.

The rise of the military-intelligence complex:

• The Pentagon has expanded its spying capabilities, creating parallel intelligence organizations like Gray Fox.
• The CIA has become increasingly reliant on paramilitary operations and targeted killings.
• This convergence has created a "military-intelligence complex" that operates with little oversight and accountability.

The need for clarity. The blurring of lines between military and intelligence operations has raised fundamental questions about the proper role of each organization and the need for clear lines of authority and accountability. Critics argue that the convergence has undermined the CIA's ability to perform its core mission of gathering and analyzing intelligence.

12. The Enduring Legacy: A World Transformed by the Way of the Knife

This is where the business is going.

A new era of secret war. The "way of the knife" has transformed American foreign policy, making it easier for the United States to carry out killing operations at the ends of the earth. This new approach to warfare has had many successes, but it has also created enemies, fomented resentment, and contributed to instability.

The privatization of war. The rise of private military and intelligence companies has further complicated the landscape of secret war, raising concerns about accountability, transparency, and the potential for abuse. The outsourcing of sensitive tasks to private actors has blurred the lines between government and private interests.

The need for reflection. As the United States continues to grapple with the challenges of a complex and dangerous world, it is essential to reflect on the lessons learned from the past decade of secret war. A more nuanced and sustainable approach to foreign policy requires a greater emphasis on diplomacy, development, and respect for international law.

Last updated: April 9, 2025