covert operations
Hidden government actions
Covert operations are secret activities conducted by governments, intelligence agencies, or military forces—typically abroad and often deniable.
The term covers espionage, sabotage, assassinations, and covert support for foreign groups: The CIA ran covert operations throughout the Cold War.
Distinguished from overt military action by their hidden nature and plausible deniability.
- infiltrationCovert entry into organization
- double agentsSpies betraying their employers
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
- espionageCovert intelligence gathering
- counterintelligenceDefense against enemy espionage
dead drop · rendition · wet work · reconnaissance · demolition · extraction team · tradecraft · clandestine · safe house · black site · black ops · propaganda · false flag · plausible deniability · need to know · psychological warfare · deception tactics · spycraft
- espionagespy, spies, double agent, double agents, spying
- security termsPIN, password, passwords, encryption, encrypted
- foreign policydiplomacy, diplomatic negotiations, sanctions, containment, deterrence
- American HegemonyMonroe Doctrine, manifest destiny, territorial expansion, interventionism, regime change
- classified inteltop secret, classified, classified documents, state secrets, military secrets
- covert activitiesspying, sneaking, eavesdropping, snooping, hiding
covert operationsconventional warfare
Armed conflict using standard military forces
frontal assault · pitched battle · occupation · blockade · siege warfare