CIA Special Activities Division

E88672
covert operations unit paramilitary unit special operations unit

The CIA Special Activities Division is a covert paramilitary and special operations unit of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency responsible for clandestine missions, including sabotage, counterinsurgency, and support to foreign proxy forces.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (3)

Surface form Occurrences
CIA Special Activities Center 2
CIA Directorate of Plans 1
CIA Special Operations Group 1

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf covert operations unit ⓘ
paramilitary unit ⓘ
special operations unit ⓘ
country United States of America ⓘ
engagedInConflict Bay of Pigs Invasion ⓘ
Global War on Terrorism ⓘ
Iraq War ⓘ
Korean War ⓘ
Nicaraguan Civil War ⓘ
surface form: Nicaraguan Contra War

Soviet–Afghan War ⓘ
Vietnam War ⓘ
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) ⓘ
operations in Libya ⓘ
operations in Somalia ⓘ
operations in Syria ⓘ
hasCharacteristic clandestine ⓘ
covert deployment ⓘ
deniable operations ⓘ
small unit operations ⓘ
hasRole counterinsurgency ⓘ
covert action ⓘ
covert logistics support ⓘ
covert paramilitary support ⓘ
covert training of foreign forces ⓘ
paramilitary operations ⓘ
political action ⓘ
propaganda operations ⓘ
psychological operations ⓘ
sabotage ⓘ
special operations ⓘ
support to foreign proxy forces ⓘ
hasSecrecy highly classified ⓘ
hasType clandestine service ⓘ
notableOperation covert support to anti-Saddam forces in Iraq ⓘ
initial U.S. covert operations in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 ⓘ
support to Afghan mujahideen against the Soviet Union ⓘ
support to Nicaraguan Contras ⓘ
operatedBy Central Intelligence Agency ⓘ
parentOrganization Central Intelligence Agency ⓘ
partOf Central Intelligence Agency ⓘ
predecessorOf CIA Special Activities Division self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: CIA Special Activities Center
reportsTo Deputy Director for Operations ⓘ
Director of the National Clandestine Service ⓘ
subdivision Political Action Group ⓘ
Special Operations Group ⓘ
successorTo CIA Special Activities Division self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: CIA Special Operations Group
usesPersonnelFrom CIA officers ⓘ
contract paramilitary operatives ⓘ
former U.S. military special operations forces ⓘ

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Delta Force → cooperatesWith → CIA Special Activities Division ⓘ
this entity surface form: CIA Special Activities Center
Brigade 2506 → organizedBy → CIA Special Activities Division ⓘ
CIA Special Activities Division → predecessorOf → CIA Special Activities Division self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: CIA Special Activities Center
OPC → subsequentOrganization → CIA Special Activities Division ⓘ
subject surface form: Office of Policy Coordination
this entity surface form: CIA Directorate of Plans
CIA Special Activities Division → successorTo → CIA Special Activities Division self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: CIA Special Operations Group
Operation Neptune Spear → supportUnit → CIA Special Activities Division ⓘ