Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is largely standing by his 1974 critique of the CIA as a ‘‘dangerous institution’’ used to ‘‘prop up fascist dictatorships.’’

In a CNN town hall in South Carolina, Sanders says ‘‘that was 40 years ago’’ and that he believes the CIA plays ‘‘an important role.’’ But he says the agency nonetheless has ‘‘done things which they should not have done on behalf of the United States government.’’

Sanders pointed first to Iran’s Mohammad Mossadeq, a democratically elected prime minister who was overthrown in 1953, with CIA documents later confirming the agency’s role. Sanders says, ‘‘That led to the Iranian Revolution, and we are where we are today.’’