We Asked a CIA Officer 24 Tough Questions | Honesty Box

The CIA engages in spy recruitment, device surveillance, targeted assassinations, and has faced internal ethical conflicts over its methods.

• Device access — Phones, laptops, and smart TVs can be controlled remotely for listening even when powered off

• Ideal agents — People with sociopathic tendencies are preferred as they pass polygraphs but follow orders [01:28]

• Homemade gadget — A $10 briefcase from a Pakistani market was fitted with wires and batteries to eavesdrop on meetings [03:11]

• Weekly killings — A National Security Council committee approves a kill list each Tuesday for CIA execution [05:34]

• Spy recruitment — Targets are spotted at parties, developed with lavish trips like deep sea fishing, then recruited for payment after CIA identity is disclosed [06:44]

• Personal danger — Survived multiple assassination attempts, including one where a neighbor was killed instead [09:16]

• Torture disclosure — Public revelation of the torture program in 2007 resulted in 23 months imprisonment on a plea deal [19:33]

• China assessment — China poses no real expansionist risk to the West due to lack of invasion history [24:09]

• Why does the US have a permanent wartime economy?

• What punishment did a US soldier receive for waterboarding in 1968?