The Myths of America’s Shadow War ▻http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/01/the-myths-of-americas-shadow-war/272712
MYTH #8: Covert action is resorted to only in extreme circumstances that threaten the United States.
The expense of covert action would be more tolerable if this approach were limited to operations that protect the United States from parlous circumstances, but the record shows that Washington officials have resorted to this approach far below that standard. Frequently the targets have been, as Senator Church put it during his committee’s inquiry into covert action, “small, weak countries.” Again, today, small nations serve as the battlefields for covert action, often leaving the impression around the world that the United States is just another hegemon, throwing its weight around — often secretly — in poor nations unable to defend themselves.