Covert Action: Perils and Advantages

Abstract

Covert action is intelligence activity that is described as the "hidden hand" of states, in which states can create political, military, economic, ideological, and cultural effects in foreign policy and hide their roles while creating these effects. While covert action has a use rate of around five per cent in traditional intelligence activities, it has a vital and facilitating effect in the foreign policy tools of states. Besides carrying out traditional intelligence activities, states seek to achieve foreign policy goals that cannot be achieved with such activities, through covert action due to its facilitating nature. It provides capacity and influence to states in the international system, can hide states' involvement in events via "plausible deniability", and contributes to maintaining the existing war ecosystem in different dimensions. While covert action has an accelerating effect on foreign policy, it is controversial and risky in nature. While covert action may provide quick and cost-effective solutions in the short term, it can leave a long-term hostility in the hostile state. Although it is managed under complete control, it may fail due to its unpredictable nature and may produce unintended consequences. As a research method, the literature review is utilized. Despite its importance, covert action is controversial in intelligence studies, as it is difficult to define, and it suffers from epistemological vulnerability and evidence bias. This article aims to contribute to intelligence studies literature by analyzing covert actions in Iran, Albania, and Syria.