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In light of the recent negative press surrounding the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the war in Iraq, conspiracy theories about the agency abound. To paraphrase Al Pacino's character in The Recruit, failures always make the front page while the successes are never known. Still, the CIA has been on the front lines of American foreign policy for more than 50 years. They are the secret movers and shakers behind the closed doors of government. Although …

…only is the CIA constantly in the news, they've been Hollywood's bread and butter for years. Countless films are either about the CIA or mention it in passing. Movies like The Recruit, Spy Game, and Three Days of the Condor, as well as the books of celebrated authors like Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy establish, beyond a doubt, that there's nothing as exciting as an intricate blend of facts and fiction about this elusive organization.