Office of Policy Coordination
The Office of Policy Coordination was the body responsible for covert action in the early years of the CIA.
It was initially known as the Office of Special Projects, a body established under NSC directive 10/2 of 18 June 1948, empowered to conduct "any covert activities" related to "propaganda, economic warfare; preventive direct action, including sabotage, anti-sabotage, demolition and evacuation measures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance movements, guerrillas and refugee liberation groups, and support of indigenous anticommunist elements in threatened countries of the free world."[1]
The Office was headed by Frank Wisner from 1 September 1948.[2]