Apart from the nuclear confrontation with the Soviets, there was an intense covert war, from back alleys in Europe to the Congo, Indochina to Latin America.

FORBES: What Happened To The American Declaration Of War?

The confirmation hearing Thursday sets the stage for a public airing of some of the most controversial programs in the covert war on al-Qaida, from the deadly drone strikes to the CIA's use of interrogation techniques like waterboarding during President George W. Bush's administration.

NPR: Lawmakers To Get Drone Report Before CIA Hearing

To those of us who have watched the war on terror in the South Asian theater closely, the United States has been in a covert war with Pakistan for years, simultaneously funding the military and fighting semi-secretly, but on Pakistani terrain, with actors it believes the military may be shielding.

FORBES: Bin Laden Dead: The Sovereignty Debate

While the covert drone war is claiming a fast-rising toll, it's not clear it is significantly weakening AQAP.

CNN: Obama ramps up covert war in Yemen

Indeed, it was waged everywhere precisely because the threat of nuclear war was so terrible: Covert warfare became a prudent alternative.

FORBES: What Happened To The American Declaration Of War?

Early in the decade, Coward undertook a number of covert intelligence-gathering missions for a war that he was sure was coming.

ECONOMIST: Collected letters

Kennan gave counsel to the Administration during the Korean War, and was instrumental in setting up the covert-operations wing of the Central Intelligence Agency.

NEWYORKER: Getting Real

And while we haven't yet found, and may not find, stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons in Iraq, David Kay reports that the Iraq survey group has obtained corroborative evidence of Saddam's nuclear, chemical and biological programs, covert laboratories, advanced missile programs, and Iraq's program active right up to the start of the war to conceal WMD-related developments from the U.N. inspectors.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations