<span>One of the best known covert actions of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was its role in the 1953 overthrow of the Iranian government headed by Mohammed Mossadegh and the subsequent installation of the Shah in to power. While it is true that the coup was successful in large part due to CIA money, materials and strategy, it is also true that the CIA did not act alone.</span>
The significance of the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 was that it changed the rules of engagement for US ships, which can now fire upon approaching vessels without captain approval.
