Assassinations, Retaliations, and the CIA Shadow War We Don’t See

 

Elite warriors. Silent. Deadly. Unseen

     It starts with a name. A whisper from an informant. A signal intercepted. A pattern recognized in the endless flood of global intelligence. Somewhere, in a dimly lit operations center buried deep within Langley or an undisclosed military base, U.S. analysts watch, listen, and piece together the puzzle. And when that puzzle reveals a face—a face tied to a clear and imminent threat to American lives—the machinery of targeted killing begins to turn.

     It’s not like the movies where the U.S. just picks a bad guy and takes him out overnight. It all starts with a deep dive—figuring out who this person is, who they’re working with, and how much of a threat they really pose. The CIA, NSA, and JSOC comb through every scrap of intel—spying on their calls, tracking their movements, even watching from space—making sure this isn’t just some low-level thug but someone actually plotting against the U.S.

     That’s what made Qasem Soleimani a marked man. For years, U.S. intelligence tracked his role in arming and directing militias that killed American soldiers in Iraq. But what sealed his fate was fresh intel—evidence that he was planning attacks on U.S. embassies and bases. That meant one thing: it was time to act. On January 3, 2020, a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad’s airport took him out.

     Taking out a high-value target isn’t just about firepower—it’s a legal and political minefield. Every operation goes through a long, careful review to make sure it’s justified. The National Security Council, Pentagon lawyers, and top intelligence officials all have to sign off. Is this strike legal under U.S. law? Will innocent people get caught in the crossfire? And the biggest question of all—what’s worse, taking the shot or letting this person walk free?

     Sometimes, the answer is clear. Take Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical cleric turned al-Qaeda operative. He wasn’t just spreading extremist ideology; he was actively planning attacks inside the U.S.—influencing the Fort Hood shooter, inspiring the underwear bomber, and guiding the Times Square bombing attempt. He was a direct and ongoing threat. The Obama administration wrestled with the legal and moral implications of targeting an American citizen, but in the end, the decision came down. A CIA drone found him in Yemen, locked onto his vehicle, and fired. Just like that, a man who had spent years plotting the deaths of Americans was gone.

     Not all operations happen from the sky. Some require boots on the ground, close-range eliminations, and the kind of precision that only elite special operations teams can deliver. When U.S. intelligence learned that Osama bin Laden was hiding in Abbottabad, Pakistan, they didn’t trust a drone to do the job. They needed proof. They needed finality. That meant sending in SEAL Team 6. Helicopters roared in under the cover of darkness. The team moved with surgical efficiency, clearing the compound until they reached their target. A few seconds. A burst of gunfire. And then, silence. The most wanted man in the world lay dead.

     But assassinations aren’t just about eliminating immediate threats. Sometimes, they’re about sending a message. That was the case in my spy thriller Crimson Shadows, when CIA Deputy Director Kimble sat in a high-level White House briefing, briefing the President on a growing crisis in Latin America. General Hector Alvarez, a rogue military commander in Panama, was on the verge of seizing power with the backing of Russian oligarch Viktor Orlov. Alvarez wasn’t just a dictator-in-waiting—he was making deals with cartels, smuggling weapons, and setting up Panama as a Russian proxy.

     Kimble didn’t mince words. "If we let this play out, Moscow gets a foothold in our backyard. And next time, it won’t be just Latin America they’re after." The President listened, nodded, and then gave the order.

     Within hours, Corey Pearson, a seasoned CIA operative, was leading a JSOC team into the depths of Panama. Their mission was clear: Alvarez had to go. Orlov, too, if they could get to him. It wasn’t just an assassination; it was a warning shot to the Kremlin.

     Taking out high-value targets always comes with risks. Iran retaliated after Soleimani’s death, launching missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq. The elimination of bin Laden triggered a surge in terrorist propaganda. And the death of al-Awlaki sparked debates over whether an American citizen should be killed without trial. These are the shadows that follow every operation—the lingering consequences of striking first.

     But here’s the hard truth: there are people out there who wake up every day plotting to harm Americans. They plan bombings, fund terror networks, and throw entire regions into chaos for power or politics. The men and women of U.S. intelligence stand in their way. They work in the shadows, in the gray areas, in places where war doesn’t look like war and battlefields have no borders.

     Somewhere, right now, a name is being whispered. A pattern is emerging. And in the depths of some classified intelligence report, the pieces are falling into place. The question isn’t whether the next target has already been chosen. The question is when the order will come down. And when it does, the silent war will claim another ghost.

 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and an accomplished author. He writes the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster Short Story, blending his knowledge of real-life intelligence operations with gripping fictional storytelling. His work offers readers an insider’s glimpse into the world of espionage, inspired by the complexities and high-stakes realities of the intelligence community.