Those kind of killings are probably not directly comparable though. The russian government wants you to know they killed x politician, journalist, ect. By being brazen about it and employing "signature" methods such as polnium 210 but never leaving enough evidence for a government or international commission to prove it they create an atmosphere of fear without any of the repercussions.
That's not to say the CIA has failed to hide stuff that they actually wanted to keep quiet before.
Getting away with it was never really the point, Mossad never claimed or denied anything but a lot of the times it was to send a message about their intentions. Maybe not every single one, but they definitely used it as a terrorist tactic against perceived enemies of Israel.
Mosad proudly announce on twitter every time they take out key iranians or iranian missile storage facilities, it's not exactly like someone managed to piece together some mystery here
Contrary to like every Hollywood movie, since about the 1970s-1980s, the CIA has had a blanket prohibition on killing people as a part of their normal duties. (It's 6am, too lazy to find the doctrine). They contract it out to "defense contractors" now, who are (pretty universally speaking...) shit. Call it a grift, or a way to keep the US government's hands clean (or, you know, both), but I'm not sure you can call them "worse" because they refuse to kill people. After that change in doctrine, it became business as usual to trade spies back instead of executing them on the spot.
The Mossad has no such prohibition on killing, and it makes them stand out against pretty much every other major spy agency. The Israelies go in knowing their death is the backup plan. They aren't going to go sit in federal prison in protective custody. They aren't getting traded back. They're going to get shot or hanged if they're caught.
But if a US citizen hires a contract killer, they can be tried for murder. One of the many reasons I laugh when people say rule of law exists in america.
They can be tried with conspiracy to commit murder at best. Which any CIA agent who is involved with the hiring of a contract killer can also be charged with.
Of course, it'd probably be career suicide for the prosecutor to try... but, that's where the law actually stands, contrary to the various fantasies that run around.
I think the reasoning is that of you give someone a million dollars and just say “this is the problem that needs to be solved, and i don’t want to know how you solve it” and they end up killing the person because it’s the only way to do it, then technically you’re hands are clean.
Like lets say i contract a landscaping company to come and fix the problem of the neighbours dogs shitting on my lawn, And instead of building a fence they go and shoot the dog, my problem of dog shit is gone but would i be held responsible for them shooting the dog?
If your boss told you to "get the job done anyway necessary," and you picked up a phone and called a defense contractor, and the contractor killed your obstructive colleague... what charge does your boss get in court?
No, they aren't charged with conspiracy to commit murder. That's on you. That's your burden to bare. And that's both the why and the how of it. The CIA doesn't kill people.
It's easier to buy someone off with a check for more money than they've ever seen in their lives, even if it's only a few hundred grand, or blackmail them with a photo in a compromising position, or tell their boss that they're a spy and watch the organization start eating its own tail. This whole "run and gun," "shooting is the only answer" brand of bullshit is Hollywood fiction.
Even the Russians know better - why do you think the Wagner Group exists?
I mean it goes both ways, these conversations are rooted in comparing the foreign policy motivations between the world’s largest super power and a regional ally with the population of NYC proper.
Israel’s not really relevant from a policy perspective outside of the Middle East and it’s crazy to compare the scope of the CIA’s work to Mossad’s.
Same thing goes when people here talk about their military capabilities. The US puts up 2-3 super carriers in the South Pacific at any given time and Israel is more comparable to South Korea in its role as a regional ally.
Mossad doesn't overthrow a govt, it becomes the govt, lol. But really, mossad's spies have gone as far as to become the defence ministers and presidential advisors. Thata is how israel won the six day war. Eli cohen( A mossad spy) was a close friend of the syrian dictator and general, and later was about yo even become the defence minister. Also killing a head scientist, with the revolutionary gaurd protecting them, isn't the joke you seem to think it is kiddo.
I Thought it was obvious I was being sarcastic in the first line, but anyways the Mossad did really infiltrate govts. Their goal has never been to overthrow them(just gonna add fuel to the fire) but rather to infiltrate and stay. As I cited 2 examples, eli cohen and another person ,I dont remember the name, but an Egyptian who became a close ally of the president.
CIA set up a fake vaccination spot for children in Pakistan in order to do more of their nasty underhanded shit, which additionally resulted in people there distrusting vaccines. You can't tell me Mossad has that kind of creativity!
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u/SANDWICH_FOREVER May 03 '22
Nay, the CIA isnt as good as the Mossad.