Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the American foreign intelligence agencies, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. The State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Defense Department's Defense Intelligence Agency comprise the other two. Its headquarters is in Langley, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.. The CIA is part of the American Intelligence Community, which is now led by the United States Director of National Intelligence.
The CIA is controversial for frequently getting involved in shady practices and having supported the overthrow of democratically elected governments in some countries (for instance, Chile in 1973), to establish dictatorial regimes.
Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa was very critical of the C.I.A. In several interviews (Frank Zappa: Outraged Consumer (1975), Zappa On Air (1977), Stern Words In Knightsbridge (1978), That Ol' "Fish Thing" (1984)) and in The Real Frank Zappa Book, he mentioned how the C.I.A. used LSD to experiment on people which, according to Zappa, was a method to prevent possible youth rebellions. He admired journalist Daniel Schorr for his investigations of illegal CIA and F.B.I activities.
Zappa referenced the C.I.A. a few times in his work:
- Plastic People: "And there's this guy from the C.I.A. and he's creeping around Laurel Canyon."
- Jesus Thinks You're A Jerk: "But this person looks like Tom Braden!". (Tom Braden was a CIA official who left the organisation in 1954 and became a journalist very critical of the CIA and US governments. He was later co-host of the talkshows Confrontation and CNN Crossfire.)
- The Untouchables: "Bill Casey! You're dead.", referencing William J. Casey.
C.I.A. directors William J. Casey and George H.W. Bush are referenced frequently in Zappa's songs and during interviews.
