what's the differene between CIA and FBI?

[v0031]

What's the differene between CIA and FBI?

[dead0man]

The CIA is external and into intel gathering.  The FBI is internal and into investigative work.

[Iosif is a COTHO]

The FBI actually has a rationale and is slightly useful.

[Verily]

The purpose of the CIA is international investigation. It is legally bound to not operate within the United States, but there are fewer restrictions on what it can do. The FBI is a domestic law enforcement organization with greater legal responsibility to the judiciary.

[minionofmidas]

The CIA is a secret service specialized into foreign affairs - the American equivalent of the (former Soviet) KGB.*
The FBI is really just a special police force investigating crimes. It's position is unusual within the American federal framework, since the federal government doesn't have any "normal" police forces, hence why it's frequently mistaken to be a secret service-like organization.
The intra-US secret service is actually the somewhat lesser-known NSA.


*Not saying the two organizations behaved *exactly* the same, of course, just that they filled the same role.

[opebo]

In practice the FBI may be used for intelligence (privacy violation), and the CIA may also act internally, though these are supposedly disallowed functions.  Also the CIA is often involved not only in intelligence but counter-intelligence, propaganda, coups, assassinations, kidnappings and torture.  The FBI usually only assassinates blacks, leftists, and in the one case a president.

[v0031]

The CIA is a secret service specialized into foreign affairs - the American equivalent of the (former Soviet) KGB.*
The FBI is really just a special police force investigating crimes. It's position is unusual within the American federal framework, since the federal government doesn't have any "normal" police forces, hence why it's frequently mistaken to be a secret service-like organization.
The intra-US secret service is actually the somewhat lesser-known NSA.


*Not saying the two organizations behaved *exactly* the same, of course, just that they filled the same role.

Are you Chinese-American?

[2952-0-0]

^^ No. He's German and he's making a joke right now.

[minionofmidas]

^^ No. He's German and he's making a joke right now.

Oh, you mean "Chairman Meow"? I just liked the image. And the flag was just to go with the name and image. I've frequently changed my flag to conform to my username.

[ag]

The CIA is a secret service specialized into foreign affairs - the American equivalent of the (former Soviet) KGB.*

Actually, this is also wrong factually. The former Soviet KGB was "equivalent" to FBI+CIA+Homeland Security Department+a few other assorted agencies all merged into one. Post Soviet break-up it was split into several distinct agencies, one of which (Russian acronym SVR) is an analogue of the CIA, while another (FSB) is the analogue of the FBI. In Soviet years nobody would have thought of keeping the two separate.

Of course, the the KGB (previously MGB, and still before that, though briefly NKGB) had itself been a splinter of a still more powerful agency. In the 1930s it was part of the NKVD, which, in addition to the future KGB also controlled every single police department in the country, the concentration camps, and a bunch of diverse industries, including such incongruous bits as sugar production

[Silent Hunter]

Actually, this is also wrong factually. The former Soviet KGB was "equivalent" to FBI+CIA+Homeland Security Department+a few other assorted agencies all merged into one. Post Soviet break-up it was split into several distinct agencies, one of which (Russian acronym SVR) is an analogue of the CIA, while another (FSB) is the analogue of the FBI. In Soviet years nobody would have thought of keeping the two separate.

Of course, the the KGB (previously MGB, and still before that, though briefly NKGB) had itself been a splinter of a still more powerful agency. In the 1930s it was part of the NKVD, which, in addition to the future KGB also controlled every single police department in the country, the concentration camps, and a bunch of diverse industries, including such incongruous bits as sugar production

The GRU dealt with military intelligence and was kept separate to keep a check on the KGB. It also had its own special forces- as did the KGB.

[ag]

Actually, this is also wrong factually. The former Soviet KGB was "equivalent" to FBI+CIA+Homeland Security Department+a few other assorted agencies all merged into one. Post Soviet break-up it was split into several distinct agencies, one of which (Russian acronym SVR) is an analogue of the CIA, while another (FSB) is the analogue of the FBI. In Soviet years nobody would have thought of keeping the two separate.

Of course, the the KGB (previously MGB, and still before that, though briefly NKGB) had itself been a splinter of a still more powerful agency. In the 1930s it was part of the NKVD, which, in addition to the future KGB also controlled every single police department in the country, the concentration camps, and a bunch of diverse industries, including such incongruous bits as sugar production

The GRU dealt with military intelligence and was kept separate to keep a check on the KGB. It also had its own special forces- as did the KGB.

That's military intellingence - they were (and are) part of the Defense Ministry. Obviously, there has always been rivalry between the military and the security services, so the military had their own shop. But the head of the GRU was just a general, with a bunch of military bosses and no direct link to the national leadership. KGB was a "cabinet-level" agency, and its boss was, normally, a Politbureau member - i.e., he was himself one of the leaders. Quite some difference