Covert Action and Armed Conflict

For this question, use any known, suspected, or accused covert action from 2001 and earlier. For this one we’re not restricting it to the U.S. Covert action plays a critical role in many armed conflicts, as it provides a useful means of escalating and de-escalating tenuous situations based on the desires and end-state for the government using that capability. For this week’s discussion, identify a known or suspected covert action from 2001 and prior. In 500 words or less, describe the action, its goals and aims, and how that action contributed to (or detracted from) the overall effort.