The CIA has tweeted a GIF marking its 71st birthday – and while some folks on Twitter took the opportunity to express their sincere thanks to the intelligence agency for the work it does, others were, let’s just say, not so kind.
The simple self-congratulatory GIF showed confetti falling over the years ‘1947 – 2018’ with the words “celebrating 71 years” written underneath and the CIA’s logo in the middle. It wasn’t long before the responses to the birthday tweet started rolling in.
Some Americans praised the “heroes” of the organization and the “sacrifices” made to ‘keep the US safe’.
— CIA (@CIA) September 18, 2018
A significant proportion of the responses, however, came from users calling the agency out for its questionable behavior and outright terrorism over the past 71 years.
One user congratulated the CIA on 71 years of “deception, death and destruction,” while another noted it had been 71 years chock full with “espionage and regime change” abroad. One user was more straightforward and condemned the more than seven decades of “supporting terrorists” and “killing all sorts of innocent people along the way.”
Of deception, death and destruction, war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICC needs to dock you in the Hague, you demented Ivy League excuses for human beings.
— CJ Saalman (@CJSaalman) September 18, 2018
Celebrating 71 years of espionage and regime change.
— Jacob Graham (@Thegrahammy) September 18, 2018
71 years of illegally overthrowing governments worldwide, supporting terrorists of all stripes, and killing all sorts of innocent people along the way. America….Fuck Yeah.
— 🌈A Peter Of Color (@WamsuttaLives) September 18, 2018
