Obvious examples of Central Intelligence Agency covert action abroad are difficult to identify today, save for occasional acknowledged calamities, such as the long-running $1 billion effort to overthrow the government of Syria, via funding, training and arming barbarous jihadist groups.
If you’re looking for a comparison child sibling fights, a much more apt one would be your sibling putting their fingers millimeters from your face going “I’m not touching you” for an hour straight. Then the prick runs and tattles to mom the second you respond by hitting them.