Fabula

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

National Intelligence Collection, Analysis, and Executive Advisory — Foreign Strategic and Tactical Surveillance

Description

Intelligence surges as a shadowy advisory powerhouse in the White House national security core, delivering urgent threat assessments alongside the State Department that propel embassy closures in Tanzania and Brussels. Sparked by Algerian terrorist Redin Hassan's nitroglycerin seizure at the Canadian border, it furnishes presidential-grade counsel on FAA protocols, risk thresholds, and protective timelines—fueling Bartlet's crisis deflection amid Oval bourbon rituals and shattering MS confessions, embodying the administration's veiled apparatus for threat triage and executive decision acceleration.

Affiliated Characters

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

12 events
S3E4 · On the Day Before
Leo Briefs Bartlet: Arafat Must Denounce Jerusalem Bombing

Central Intelligence Agency (Agency) intel concurred on by Leo as confirming Palestine Freedom Front's responsibility for the isolated bombing, bolstering case for de-escalation over wider conspiracy.

Active Representation

Via confirmed forensic/intel assessment

Power Dynamics

Provides authoritative backing to executive decisions

Institutional Impact

Arms White House with molecular proof amid brinkmanship

Organizational Goals
Pinpoint terror attribution accurately Support crisis de-escalation intel
Influence Mechanisms
Explosives tracing Concurring analysis with FBI
S3E4 · On the Day Before
Mujeeb Link Ignites Urgent Presidential Summit

The Central Intelligence Agency provides pivotal forensics via Nancy, tracing bomber's C-4 to Abdul Mujeeb ties, shifting the briefing from pure threat to opportunistic leverage against escalation.

Active Representation

Through Nancy's relayed intel disclosure

Power Dynamics

Empowers White House with shadowy insights

Institutional Impact

Bolsters U.S. crisis response toolkit

Organizational Goals
Unmask terror networks swiftly Enable U.S. diplomatic maneuvers
Influence Mechanisms
SIGINT and forensic analysis Direct briefings to principals
S3E4 · On the Day Before
Leo Briefed on Armed Israeli Jets and Mujeeb Link

Central Intelligence Agency intel, voiced by Nancy, chains bomber's C-4 to Abdul Mujeeb, providing the event's turning point that Leo seizes as de-escalation gold, shifting from pure threat assessment to actionable leverage.

Active Representation

Via Nancy's authoritative Agency-sourced revelation

Power Dynamics

Empowers U.S. crisis team with shadowy linkages over adversaries

Institutional Impact

Bolsters White House intel fusion in real-time crises

Organizational Goals
Unmask bomber networks for counterterrorism Supply leverage points like Mujeeb for diplomacy
Influence Mechanisms
Forensic explosive tracing Human intelligence ties
S4E14 · Inauguration Part I
When Words Become Images: The Khundu Atrocity Revealed

The CIA supplies the raw intelligence and imagery (delivered by an intelligence officer) that introduces the euphemism and the visual evidence; its reporting forces the White House to confront the humanitarian reality in Khundu.

Active Representation

Through an intelligence officer presenting findings and the televised imagery used in the briefing.

Power Dynamics

Knowledge-holder that shapes presidential perception; constrained by classification but powerful in agenda-setting.

Institutional Impact

Forces the administration to weigh moral action against political risk, exposing limits of euphemistic reporting and accelerating potential policy choices.

Internal Dynamics

Tension between delivering full, graphic evidence and the institutional impulse to sanitize language for diplomatic or operational reasons.

Organizational Goals
Provide accurate, timely intelligence to national leadership. Preserve sources/methods while informing policy decisions.
Influence Mechanisms
Delivery of classified reports and imagery Framing of intelligence through euphemism or sanitized language to manage impact
S4E14 · Inauguration Part I
From Routine Briefing to Khundu's Moral Reckoning

The CIA functions as the intelligence source whose reporting (phrased euphemistically at first) and visual materials prompt the President's demand for plain language and factual clarity about Khundu's atrocities.

Active Representation

Via on-scene intelligence briefers and the footage they supply to the Roosevelt Room.

Power Dynamics

Knowledge-provider to the President; holds the facts that constrain policy and moral action.

Institutional Impact

The agency's wording and evidence directly shape how the administration perceives and prioritizes the Khundu crisis.

Internal Dynamics

Implicit tension between cautious phrasing and the President's demand for plain speech; possible concern about releasing graphic material publicly.

Organizational Goals
Deliver vetted intelligence to policymakers. Ensure evidence is presented accurately to inform decisions.
Influence Mechanisms
Provision of classified intelligence and imagery Framing via analyst testimony and euphemistic language
S4E14 · Inauguration Part I
Interagency Blowback — Reese Reassigned

The CIA (and its intelligence officers) supplies the blunt, euphemistic intelligence—'neighbors are swapping family members'—that reframes the briefing from conventional items to evidence of systematic atrocities, forcing moral clarity from the President and staff.

Active Representation

Through the voice of briefers (Clark) and the images shown on Roosevelt Room television.

Power Dynamics

Provides indispensable intelligence authority; its reports shape executive attention and can catalyze policy decisions despite interagency resistance.

Institutional Impact

Forces the White House to confront uncomfortable moral truths that challenge diplomatic and military calculations; intelligence wording affects subsequent policy framing.

Internal Dynamics

Tension between analytic bluntness and diplomatic sensitivity; analysts may phrase findings cautiously, affecting how decisively leaders respond.

Organizational Goals
Deliver actionable intelligence about potential mass atrocities. Alert policymakers to humanitarian crises requiring urgent attention.
Influence Mechanisms
Delivering classified reports and graphic imagery to senior policymakers Framing events with chosen language (euphemism vs. direct terminology) to manage political consequences
S2E18 · 17 People
Leo Cautions Agitated Toby Before Charged Oval Entry

Intelligence advises embassy closures post-Hassan arrest, cited by Bartlet to justify actions and deflect Toby, positioning shadowy apparatus as bulwark in security debate preceding personal revelation.

Active Representation

Through advisory counsel to President

Power Dynamics

Informing executive authority on threats

Institutional Impact

Embodies national security triage amid political fracture

Organizational Goals
Mitigate transnational terror risks Coordinate protective protocols
Influence Mechanisms
Expert threat assessments Policy recommendations on closures
S2E18 · 17 People
Bartlet Confesses MS Diagnosis to Stunned Toby

Intelligence provides advice leading to embassy closures in Tanzania and Brussels following Hassan's nitroglycerin seizure, positioned by Bartlet as swift action contrasting FAA delays, embedding shadowy advisory weight into Oval tension preceding revelation.

Active Representation

Through cited counsel to President

Power Dynamics

Advisory influence accelerating diplomatic protections

Institutional Impact

Reinforces national security apparatus amid political fragility

Internal Dynamics

Coordinated with State on rapid response

Organizational Goals
Mitigate follow-on terror risks via lockdowns Triage threats for executive prioritization
Influence Mechanisms
Threat assessments Policy recommendations
S2E18 · 17 People
Bartlet Deflects with Nitroglycerin Terror Threat

Intelligence advises Bartlet alongside State on closing Tanzania and Brussels embassies in response to Hassan's arrest, their counsel positioned as authoritative rationale for swift action, underscoring shadowy threat assessment driving Oval decisions.

Active Representation

Through advisory input to the President on embassy risks

Power Dynamics

Expert influencers shaping presidential security posture

Institutional Impact

Accelerates global U.S. footprint retrenchment under peril

Organizational Goals
Mitigate transnational terror spillover via embassy protections Assess nitroglycerin seizure's broader implications
Influence Mechanisms
Threat intelligence briefings Recommendations for diplomatic lockdowns
S3E21 · Posse Comitatus
Leo Faces Gang of Eight Grill on Shareef Assassination Finding

CIA directors' preparation and sign-off on the finding is highlighted by Leo, anchoring the document's legitimacy as it circulates among lawmakers, fueling defenses against EO 11905 and Posse Comitatus challenges.

Active Representation

Through directors' sign-off referenced in briefing

Power Dynamics

Empowering White House with vetted intel for assassination greenlight

Institutional Impact

Exemplifies CIA's pivotal gatekeeping in covert ops approvals

Organizational Goals
Authorize action via finding endorsement Counter terror financing networks
Influence Mechanisms
Document preparation and approval Evidence aggregation for executive use
S4E23 · Twenty-Five
Lockdown and the President's Fracture

The CIA is being briefed and wired into the Ops Center to provide intelligence context beyond domestic leads, contributing to the strategic assessment that Fitzwallace invokes.

Active Representation

Via intelligence briefings and direct wiring into the Ops Center's feeds.

Power Dynamics

Provides international intelligence that can push civilian leadership toward strategic or military options; operates as advisory rather than command.

Institutional Impact

Elevates the incident from law enforcement matter to one with potential geopolitical consequences, shaping military and diplomatic options.

Internal Dynamics

Quick pull-together of foreign intelligence analysts to support rapid assessments; tension between speed and verification.

Organizational Goals
Correlate foreign intelligence with domestic evidence to identify external links Inform senior staff about potential international actors and timelines
Influence Mechanisms
Classified intelligence channels Reputation as the repository of foreign threat analysis
S4E23 · Twenty-Five
Low‑Tech Abduction, High‑Level Uncertainty

The CIA is described as being briefed and wired into the Ops Center; its intelligence capability is implied as part of cross-checking foreign links and contextual signals in the analytic debate.

Active Representation

Via real-time intelligence feeds and briefings into the Situation Room.

Power Dynamics

Provides classified intelligence that can validate or rebut field indicators; exerts soft power through information asymmetry.

Institutional Impact

CIA involvement raises the stakes—inputs can shift the incident from local crime to international crisis.

Internal Dynamics

Pressure to produce rapid assessments; potential tension between tactical intelligence and strategic interpretation.

Organizational Goals
Analyze international indicators and possible foreign connections Provide timely intelligence to inform the President's decision-making
Influence Mechanisms
Classified intelligence reporting Analytic assessments that shape threat framing

Related Events

Events mentioning this organization

30 events
S1E1
Pullover: Mandy's Defiance Meets Authority

Mandy, still performing dominance on a phone call, is yanked out of her verbal onslaught when a motorcycle cop catches her running a red light …

S1E1
Bartlet Forces Christian Leaders to Denounce the Lambs of God

A tense delegation from the Christian right presses the White House for concessions after Josh's televised gaffe. The meeting spirals from politicking to moral abrasion …

S1E2
Keg of Glory — Donna's Quiet Alarm

Josh bursts from his office declaring a gleeful, public victory — strutting, demanding muffins and bagels, and soaking up the bullpen's applause. The beat plays …

S1E2
Leo Quietly Makes Morris Permanent

A routine visit from Captain Morris Tolliver—a new father and the President's physician—shifts into an unofficial job offer when Leo pulls him aside. Against the …

S1E2
Lloyd Lost — Denial and Damage Control

Mandy returns home to find her assistant Daisy and delivers a single, crushing line: Lloyd Russell is no longer their client. Daisy immediately voices the …

S1E2
Client Lost — Money, Masks, and a Closed Door

Mandy returns to find Daisy waiting with news and immediate damage-control pressure. Mandy calmly reveals that Lloyd Russell is no longer their client; Daisy erupts, …

S1E2
Sam Interrupts Laurie's Meeting — Patronizing Damage Control

Sam barges into a private back‑room conversation and attempts to contain an awkward social moment by inserting himself as White House emissary. He name‑drops and …

S1E2
The Savior Complex Collides with Autonomy

On a cold D.C. sidewalk Laurie ambushes Sam for humiliating her inside the restaurant; what begins as an angry, public rebuke becomes a private reckoning. …

S1E3
Containment and the Address: From Outrage to Operational Focus

Leo convenes senior staff after the President's fury, and Sam produces a damning transcript of Congressman Coles threatening the President alongside military officers. Toby erupts, …

S1E3
Fitzwallace Reframes the Charlie Question

While Leo confirms the retaliatory strike (Pericles One) and imposes a media lockdown, Josh pulls Leo aside to press for hiring a talented young applicant …

S1E3
Pericles One Launched — Lockdown, Optics, and a Staff Fraying

President Bartlet's retaliatory strike, code-named Pericles One, has been launched and Leo immediately imposes a strict operational lockdown: no calls, no press, and a tightly …

S1E3
Bullpen Triage: Missile Clarification and a Quiet Apology

The communications bullpen is a pressure cooker — phones ringing, staff scrambling — as Cathy frantically triages incoming calls while Toby and Sam furiously redline …

S1E3
Charlie Supplies the Phoenix Context

As the Oval descends into frantic pre-broadcast chaos — missing glasses, a shredded speech draft, and the revelation that "we just blew up the Syrian …

S1E3
Leo Reclaims Control: Quietly Redirecting the President

Amid chaotic pre-broadcast preparations—missing paragraphs, a ruined Syrian intelligence source, and the President’s missing glasses—Charlie attempts to supply crucial context but is cut off by …

S1E4
Triumph on Stage, Crisis Backstage

President Bartlet delivers a rousing, mobilizing speech celebrating the gun-control push while the ballroom erupts in applause. Offstage, Leo learns — to his horror — …

S1E4
72‑Hour Emergency: Votes Flip, Plan Formed

A celebratory late-night gathering in the Roosevelt Room turns urgent when Leo confirms two unexpected defections—Katzenmoyer and Chris Wick—jeopardizing the President's gun-control bill. The room's …

S1E4
No Hoynes — The 72‑Hour Pitch and Leo's Exit

In a late‑night Roosevelt Room huddle—Chinese food, tuxes and frayed nerves—the senior staff discovers two unexpectedly flipped votes and Leo declares a 72‑hour fight to …

S1E4
Authorize the Hard Line on Katzenmoyer

In Leo's office, a domestic panic (Leo realizing he forgot his anniversary) is undercut by urgent political crisis: Josh bursts in determined to confront Congressman …

S1E4
The Cost of Compromise at the Lincoln Memorial

Outside the Lincoln Memorial Leo pleads with Congressman Richardson for the crucial vote, arguing political reality and incrementalism. Richardson answers with a blistering moral rebuke: …

S1E5
Bullpen Banter: Hollywood Privilege vs. Political Calculation

In a brisk hallway-to-bullpen exchange Mandy corners C.J. for a definitive stance on Larry Posner's Malibu fundraiser. C.J. deflects the moral calculus toward Toby, then, …

S1E5
Kitchen Startle and Protocoled Play

In the Residence kitchen Josh sneaks up on Zoey while she cooks chili, producing a quick, domestic moment that reveals the staff's easy affection and …

S1E5
Seasoning the Rules

In the Residence kitchen Zoey Bartlet stages a small rebellion: while Josh hovers, visibly tense, Charlie arrives with an almost comically formal presidential instruction forbidding …

S1E5
Josh Refuses the Evacuation Card — Choosing Staff Over Protection

In the Residence at night, after lighthearted conversation and a family-style toast, Josh produces the green evacuation card he's been carrying and refuses it publicly. …

S1E6
Intruder at the North Lawn — Zoey Identified as the Target

In the Oval Office Ron Butterfield delivers a terse security briefing: a mentally unstable woman tripped an external alarm and, crucially, the intruder was not …

S1E6
C.J. Gets Schooled on Sampling

Alone in the briefing room, Sam patiently gives C.J. a concise, practical lesson on why a simple head count fails the census—homeless populations, language barriers, …

S1E6
Beer Break — A Lightening, Humanizing Setup

In the briefing room Sam patiently tutors C.J. on why a straight head count fails the census, turning technical exposition into a moment of professional …

S1E6
Bar Confrontation — Charlie Protects Zoey

At a crowded Georgetown bar a night out turns dangerous when three men aggressively corner Zoey, testing the fragile normalcy she tries to hold onto. …

S1E7
Tuxedos, Evasions and a Human Plea

In Josh's office, the veneer of a polished state dinner frays as personal panic and bureaucratic absurdity peel back the administration's control. Donna fusses over …

S1E7
Small-Talk, Big Problems: Banter That Becomes Briefing

A slice-of-life moment at the reception — Abbey and C.J. trade warm, slightly meddlesome banter about gowns and suitors — quickly reveals the White House's …

S1E7
Mandy Interrupts the Reception: Idaho Standoff & Red Cross Alarm

At a glittering state reception, Mandy fractures the social veneer by bursting into the bullpen, urgently querying Donna and staff about an armed standoff in …