CIA Freedom Fighter’s Manual, 1983

The CIA’s support for the Contras included training in sabotage to disrupt Nicaraguan government and society. In 1983 the CIA prepared the Freedom Fighter’s Manual and air-dropped thousands of pamphlets over Nicaragua. Promising “minimal risk for the combatant,” the manual’s advice ranged from passive and mundane techniques—such as showing up late for work, spreading false rumors, and plugging up toilets with sponges—to more aggressive methods of sabotage, shown here.