THE CIA AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY Yang Yongyi (38) The Central Intelligence Agency is by no means just an ordinary information-gathering agency. It was created out of foreign policy needs, and since then it has served as a necessary tool for U.S. foreign policy and as a "spy agency" for America's "covert actions". In addition to implementing policies, it also exerts important influence, whether direct or indirect, apparent or potential, on the making of U.S. foreign policy.