Reuel Marc Gerecht worked for the C_A in the 1980s recruiting Iranians.
Reuel Marc Gerecht argued that Islamic fundamentalists, not Muslim liberals, will be the engine of political reform and democratization in the Middle East.
So when I put 2 + 2 together, It is clear than our C_A recruited and funded Islamic terrorists starting in the 1980s.
I know we all know this but this is some pretty good proof of it happening in at least the 1980s.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/30/the-shadow-commander
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuel_Marc_Gerecht