In Deep: The FBI, the CIA, and the Truth about America's "Deep State"

by David Rohde

Carter approved a new covert action campaign backed by his national security advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, that distributed cassette tapes, fax machines, and magazines across Eastern Europe. In the Soviet Union itself, the CIA disseminated the work of dissident writers. The goal of the operation was to foment dissent and undermine the Soviet control of information. The covert program was part of Carter’s broader strategy to promote human rights as a way to delegitimize the Soviets. Strengthening the Church reforms, Carter signed an executive order that broadened Ford’s ban on assassinations and required intelligence chiefs to regularly update congressional intelligence committees on their work. It also banned the CIA from conducting electronic surveillance inside the United States, and authorized only the FBI to conduct physical searches inside the country. Carter’s approach, though, was inconsistent and did not always prioritize human rights. He continued to support certain dictators, such as the shah of Iran, a policy that would prove disastrous.