The Black Vault has successfully obtained a less redacted version of a once-classified document detailing the Korean Communications Intelligence (COMINT) effort of 1971. Despite previous releases, this latest unsealing comes after The Black Vault’s effective Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request, which has resulted in the lifting of some, but not all, redactions. The document, originally reviewed for declassification as per Executive Order 13526, documents a critical time in COMINT history. As stated in the FOIA release letter, “Some portions deleted from the document were found to be currently and properly classified… The information denied meets the criteria for classification… and…
Author: John Greenewald
UPDATE: On May 6, 2024, the U.S. Secret Service decided to release additional records to The Black Vault through a 2023 FOIA request that was previously closed, all of which pertain to the below incident. Although the original published article from November 14, 2023, remains untouched, the additional 25 pages are now available below for download. The United States Secret Service has released files pertaining to an incident in July 2023, where a suspicious white powdery substance, later identified as cocaine, was found at the White House. These documents, released following a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The…
The Census Bureau released its Lessons Learned document from the 2000 decennial census. Every 10 years, the Census Bureau documents the lessons learned from the most recent 10-year national population census. Document Archive The Census Bureau Lessons Learned Documents from the 2000 Decennial Census [5,935 Pages, 102MB]
A previously classified document, “Independent Oversight Inspection of Safeguards and Security of the Los Alamos Site Office and Los Alamos National Laboratory,” published in February 2003, has been further released after a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) filed by The Black Vault. The document provides an in-depth examination of the safeguards and security programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Los Alamos Site Office (LASO) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) conducted in late 2002. The inspection, carried out by the Office of Independent Oversight and Performance Assurance (OA), was comprehensive and performance-oriented, covering six key areas: classified matter protection…
The previously released heavily redacted “FISA Amendments Act of 2008 Section 702 Summary Document” has been released in a less redacted form following a Mandatory Declassification Review filed by The Black Vault. The original document, published on December 23, 2008, provided a crucial insight into the U.S. government’s approach to acquiring foreign intelligence information, particularly from non-U.S. persons located outside the United States. The further declassified document offers a more detailed look at how the U.S. government compels electronic communication service providers to assist in intelligence gathering. Section 702 operates as an exception to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA),…