Difference between revisions of "Office of Policy Coordination"

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The '''Office of Policy Coordination''' ('''OPC''') was a [[United States]] [[Covert operation|covert]] [[psychological operation]]s and [[paramilitary]] action organization. Created as an independent office in 1948, it was merged with the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) in 1951.  
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The '''Office of Policy Coordination''' ('''OPC''') was a [[United States]] [[Covert operation|covert]] [[psychological operation]]s and [[paramilitary]] action organization. Created as an independent office in 1948, it was merged with the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) in 1951 (or 1952?){{cn}}.  
  
 
==Origins==
 
==Origins==
 
OPC was created in 1948 under the [[United States National Security Council]] document NSC 10/2. The OPC's directors included representatives of the [[United States Department of State|State]] and [[United States Department of Defense|Defense]] departments and the CIA. Though a unit of the CIA, the OPC Director reported to the State Department.<ref name=miscamble199 /> State Department official [[George F. Kennan]] was the key figure behind OPC's creation.<ref name=miscamble199>Miscamble, 199</ref>  
 
OPC was created in 1948 under the [[United States National Security Council]] document NSC 10/2. The OPC's directors included representatives of the [[United States Department of State|State]] and [[United States Department of Defense|Defense]] departments and the CIA. Though a unit of the CIA, the OPC Director reported to the State Department.<ref name=miscamble199 /> State Department official [[George F. Kennan]] was the key figure behind OPC's creation.<ref name=miscamble199>Miscamble, 199</ref>  
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==Expansion==
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The OPC “became the fastest-growing unit within the nascent CIA,” historian [[Lisa Pease]] observes, “rising in personnel from 302 in 1949 to 2,812 in 1952, along with 3,142 overseas contract personnel. In the same period, the budget rose from $4.7 million to $82 million.”<ref>http://memoryholeblog.org/2015/08/26/the-cia-and-the-news-media-50-historical-facts-the-world-needs-to-know/</ref>
  
 
==Activities==
 
==Activities==

Revision as of 15:50, 14 April 2018

Group.png Office of Policy Coordination   Powerbase SourcewatchRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
SuccessorCIA
FormationJune 1948
FounderUnited States National Security Council
Extinction1951
Typeintelligence agency
A forerunner of the CIA, "staffed by reckless adventurers"

The Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) was a United States covert psychological operations and paramilitary action organization. Created as an independent office in 1948, it was merged with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1951 (or 1952?)[citation needed].

Origins

OPC was created in 1948 under the United States National Security Council document NSC 10/2. The OPC's directors included representatives of the State and Defense departments and the CIA. Though a unit of the CIA, the OPC Director reported to the State Department.[1] State Department official George F. Kennan was the key figure behind OPC's creation.[1]

Expansion

The OPC “became the fastest-growing unit within the nascent CIA,” historian Lisa Pease observes, “rising in personnel from 302 in 1949 to 2,812 in 1952, along with 3,142 overseas contract personnel. In the same period, the budget rose from $4.7 million to $82 million.”[2]

Activities

One of the first covert operations conducted by OPC was to spread unrest in Communist countries. To that end, OPC agents went into Albania where they tried to start a revolution. Their operation was a dismal failure and most of the agents were captured. It was later claimed that Kim Philby, was responsible for identifying many of the OPC agents to the Albanian secret service.[3]

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References