Former Director of NSA & CIA: "I didn't need to ask 'mother, may I' from Congress or president"

[Autumn]

16. You are defending a person who is in charge of an agency that states he answers to no one?

Including the President and Congress? A person nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate? Seriously educate yourself because you are trolling poorly. Who in the heck do you think makes up the National Security Council ?

The CIA stands for the Central Intelligence Agency. Its primary stated mission is to collect, evaluate and disseminate foreign intelligence to assist the president and senior United States government policymakers in making decisions about national security. The CIA may also engage in covert action at the president's request. It doesn't make policy. It isn't allowed to spy on the domestic activities of Americans or to participate in assassinations, either -- though it has been accused of doing both.

Like other aspects of the U.S. government, the CIA has a system of checks and balances. The CIA reports both to the executive and legislative branches. During the CIA's history, the amount of oversight has ebbed and flowed. On the executive side, the CIA must answer to three groups -- the National Security Council, the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and the Intelligence Oversight Board.

The National Security Council is made up of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense. "The NSC advises the President on domestic, foreign and military issues that relate to national security and provides guidance, review and direction on how the CIA gathers intelligence," according to the CIA Web site. The President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board comprises people from the private sector who study how well the CIA is doing its job and the effectiveness of its structure. The Intelligence Oversight Board is supposed to ensure that intelligence collection is done properly and that all intelligence gathering is legal.

On the legislative side, the CIA works primarily with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. These two committees -- along with the Foreign Relations, Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees -- authorize the CIA's programs and oversee the CIA. The appropriations committees appropriate funds for the CIA and all U.S. government activities.