But while this lethal action, the president’s hidden hand, may be underhanded and unethical, it is completely legal. They occurred under cover in “denied areas,” and were conducted to ensure “plausible deniability” to the chief executive. In the past, these special activities received little or no Congressional oversight or public scrutiny. A signed Memorandum of Notification, or “Presidential Finding,” unleashes this special power. Code gives the Central Intelligence Agency authority to engage in covert action on the president’s orders.

Can a great nation with global interests such as the United States simply forego using lethal covert action against violent threats after diplomacy has failed and outright war is inappropriate? The exigencies of the international order sometimes demand another way. Far easier it is for individuals to be ethical than for superpowers. Critics contend there can never be effective oversight, and that covert action against foreign targets is often ineffective, if not downright immoral. Is lethal covert action compatible with American democracy? President-mandated covert action against America’s enemies challenges our national ideals and sense of righteousness. Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and Assassins

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