Executive Summary 

Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a new emphasis on the counterterrorism mission pushed the CIA back towards its paramilitary (Office of Strategic Service) roots. This allowed for the rise of more paramilitary officers in leadership roles at Langley and in the field– including in more traditional, non-warzone assignments–infusing a larger part of the organization with strong military leadership traits.

At the same time, some paramilitary officers who rose in the ranks were less experienced in, and less energized by, more traditional espionage against strategic targets (Iran, China, Russia). The emphasis on counterterrorism also drove a trend of new operations officers being sent to war zones for their first tours, providing them with less experience in traditional HUMINT tradecraft than would be obtained in more traditional assignments. The pivot in focus came with another price–an increase in fatalities. 

In the past decade, however, the CIA has laid a corrective course and shifted focus back to long-term strategic threats like China, Russia, and Iran. In 2019, CIA Director Gina Haspel emphasized greater investment in “hard targets.” By 2021, the Agency had reformed spy training to strengthen HUMINT capabilities and better address threats from major state adversaries. [source, source]