Three broad categories explain periods of CIA retreat: international events, technological change, and domestic political considerations

Loved in Russia but distrusted by the establishment, the next potential overseer of US intelligence agencies could very well clean house. Cue an almighty showdown.

A pact signed by Iranian Premier Mohammad Mosaddegh and Syrian President Fawzi Selu quickly soured after the two leaders were toppled. Relations remained icy until Khomeini came to power in 1979.

A recently declassified document drawn up in 1947 highlights how US intelligence predicted war and Israel's ongoing need for support while worrying about its impact on American interests in the region

In 2002, the CIA informed Iraqi Kurds of its plan for regime change. In part 1 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla publishes first-hand accounts of the conversations that would change the Middle East.