7 of the strangest CIA covert operations in history

1. Operation "Lunnik"

What do you think it takes to steal a Soviet satellite? Some believe that the shuttles were designed specifically to steal other people's spacecraft. But in fact, complex equipment is not required - just... pay the person who transports this very device.

After the Soviet Luna-2 spacecraft flew to the natural satellite of our planet, NASA was excited - how did it happen? And the CIA decided to learn more about the USSR’s lunar space technology. Fortunately for him, the communists themselves provided the spies with such an opportunity.

One of the real, but not sent into space, devices of the “Luna” series traveled to different countries along with an exhibition of industrial and economic achievements of the USSR. And so, at the end of 1959 - beginning of 1960, a team of four CIA employees bribed the driver of the truck in which the probe was transported.

Overnight, they disassembled the satellite screw by screw, photographed and documented every detail, and then assembled it and returned it to its place until the morning.

Knowing the exact weight and dimensions of the “Lunnik” allowed Americans make more accurate assumptions about the power of Soviet launch vehicles and their technological capabilities. This information helped the United States ultimately “catch up and overtake” the Soviet Union in the space race.

2. Operation Mongoose

As part of Operation Mongoose, the C.I.A. undertook numerous attempts to overthrow Fidel Castro, the permanent leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008. The fact is that he initiated the rapprochement of his state with the USSR and the deployment of Soviet missiles on the island, which led to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

To begin with, the CIA simply tried to kill Castro - and quite inventively. For example, they tried it throw Fidel, who is keen on diving, a diving suit treated with toxic substances. They also placed an exploding mollusk shell at the bottom of the bay where he usually swam. It was planned that he would become interested in it, pick it up, and it would detonate.

In addition, the CIA sent Castro a fountain pen with a spike containing fast-acting poison embedded in it, and poisoned cigars.

But, in addition to physical liquidation, the CIA also wanted to undermine the reputation of the Cuban leader. Thus, one of the most unusual plans of the Agency was to put thallium in Castro's shoes when he went abroad. And this is a very toxic metal, which, among other things, can cause baldness.

Americans hopedthat this will lead to loss beards Castro. In their opinion, this could deprive Fidel of authority and popularity, since facial hair was a symbol of his revolutionary image and masculinity. True, at the last minute he canceled the trip, and the beard was saved.

In general, the CIA made about 400 attempts to get rid of Fidel Castro. But they all failed, and after the normalization of relations with the USSR, Operation Mongoose was discontinued. The Cuban died of natural causes in 2016 at the age of 90.

3. Operation Happy Days

Codenamed Operation Happy Days, it targeted Indonesian President Sukarno, who ruled the country in the 1950s. That one was famous his anti-American views and sought to strengthen ties with the Soviet Union, and this caused serious concern in Washington.

Therefore the C.I.A. developed a plan that involved discrediting Sukarno in the eyes of his own people and the world community. The agents created a pornographic film, actually called “Happy Days.” It featured an actor who looked like Sukarno.

The CIA hoped that, seeing their national leader in such an awkward situation, the Indonesians would be disappointed in him.

However, the operation did not bring the expected results. When the film was shown to some Indonesian officials, they either did not believe it was genuine or didn't give it of great importance to him. The Indonesians had long been making jokes about the sexual appetites of their leader, and the CIA could not show them anything new.

The USSR, by the way, too tried it blackmail Sukarno in the same manner by filming him harassing flight attendants (who later turned out to be KGB agents). He just laughed and asked to send him a copy of the tape.

In general, neither the CIA nor the KGB achieved their goal, and Sukarno remained in power until 1967, when he was overthrown in a military coup.

4. Operation Devil Eyes

In 2005, the Central Intelligence Agency appealed to toy creator Donald Levine with an unusual request. He developed one of the most popular series of G.I. figures. Joe for Hasbro and was a true veteran of the business. And the CIA ordered from him... a doll of Osama bin Laden.

The agency was going to create a figurine of the famous terrorist, but wanted to make it so unpleasant that it would scare small children. This was supposed to prevent potential attempts to indoctrinate young American citizens with destructive ideologies. This thing was codenamed "Devil's Eyes."

The bin Laden doll's face was covered with a special material that peeled off over time, revealing a demonic red face with bright green eyes and black patterns.

Perhaps this would really scare children, but fans of Darth Maul from Star Wars would probably like the figure.

The idea was eventually scrapped, but one of the early prototypes produced for the CIA was later released. sold at auction in 2014.

5. Operation Midnight Climax

Operation Midnight Climax was part of Project MKUltra, launched in the 1950s. CIA was looking for ways to manipulate human consciousness using various methods of influencing brain. Including the use of psychoactive substances.

In particular, it was assumed that it would be extremely useful during interrogations.

During Operation Midnight Climax, CIA agents recruited prostitutes who offered drugs to their clients. These “experiments” took place in specially equipped houses in San Francisco, New York and other cities. The rooms were equipped with hidden cameras, microphones and two-way mirrors so agents could observe the reactions of their “guinea pigs.”

These CIA experiments continued until 1963, and then were discontinued “for ethical reasons” without leading to any results. In the 1970s, information about the MKUltra project became publicly available, and this caused a monstrous scandal. True, all paper reports on the operation at the CIA were promptly destroyed, so no high-profile convictions were handed down to anyone as a result of the investigations.

6. Project "Stargate"

In 1978, at Fort Meade, Maryland, the CIA and the US Defense Intelligence Agency created a secret a unit whose purpose was to study paranormal phenomena and their possible application in military purposes.

The fact is that before the Americans got there rumors that the Russians are ahead of them and are already in full swing training combat sorcerers and psychics. Allegedly, the USSR annually spent 60 million rubles on “psychotronic” research. It was decided to bypass the communists by striking them with their own weapons.

The main focus of the Stargate program was the study of far vision - the ability to see or describe details of events at a distance. Those claiming to be psychics demonstrated their “abilities” to spy on a potential enemy in this way.

In addition, CIA scientists studied the phenomena of telepathy and precognition - the ability to predict the future.

For almost two decades, the CIA tried to create psychic spies. The Stargate project was canceled in 1995 after an independent commission concluded conclusion, that during all this time no evidence of the existence of paranormal abilities was obtained. According to the commission's verdict, the results of the experiments were not at all reliable and could not be used for intelligence needs.

In the USSR, by the way, there are similar experiments too were carried out - in particular, in the so-called military unit No. 10003. In 1997, it was even made one of the departments of the General Staff, and its commander Alexey Savin, who led the research, received general's shoulder straps. The unit was disbanded only in 2003.

7. Operation Canadian Cunning

In 1979 in Iran happened The Islamic Revolution, as a result of which Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown and Islamic fundamentalists under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini came to power. In November of the same year, supporters of the new regime seized the American embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage.

However, six diplomats were able to evade capture and took refuge in the homes of the Canadian ambassador and his deputy. And the CIA began to puzzle over how to get them out of there.

In the end there was developed operation called "Canadian Cunning" salvation these six unfortunates. It was led by Tony Mendez, an experienced CIA officer specializing in forged documents and disguises.

The plan was to create a fictitious Hollywood film company called Studio Six, which supposedly came to Iran to scout locations to shoot a science-fiction film.

A script was even written for the film, based on Roger Zelazny’s novel “The Prince of Light.” The film was to be called "Argo" and filmed against the backdrop of the real Middle East.

Mendes and his team prepared fake documents, visas and histories for each of the six diplomats. By the way, they made a mistake in the papers: the Americans missed that the new year in Iran begins at the end of March. However, it was quickly corrected.

In January 1980, imaginary filmmakers flew to Tehran and spent two days preparing diplomats for operation and successfully smuggled them out of the country on a commercial flight, passing them off as members of their film crew.

The history of this operation, by the way, later formed the basis film "Operation Argo" 2012.