Earlier programs were 'the Domino Theory' (aka 'Reds Under the Beds') as US policy that lead to participating in the war in Vietnam. As well as propping up fiendish and oppressive right wing regimes anywhere in the world as long as they opposed Communism and nearby Communist countries or those threatening to adopt a communist or socialist system. This seemed primarily because the elites of the US were afraid of losing their priviliege if ordinary workers figured out they should get a bigger slice of the pie, so a propaganda war was started.
This included propping up and supporting govts in Japan (a former enemy, now an ally against Russia, already a threatening force at the end of WWII), South Korea, the Phillippines and Indonesia as supposed 'dams against Communism', encircling China and south east Asian countries threatening to become Communist. Singapore and HK remained listening posts. Obviously also covert programs were run inside many countries to undermine any groups the CIA did not like. A lot of extreme false flag operations were also run, such as performing bombings and framing various groups for them.
Another target was South America -- volumes of books need to be written about that one. Everything from the SOA to Chiquita bananas, the Sandanistas, Pinochet, etc etc etc.