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),…
Author: John Greenewald
A document recently released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reveals the intricate details of a clemency request for John Factor, also known as “Jack Factor,” “Jake Factor,” “J. Franklyn,” and infamously “Jake the Barber,” who was pardoned by President John F. Kennedy in December 1962. The document is a letter of advice from the Attorney General to the President, discussing the merits and background of Factor’s pardon application. John Factor, convicted in 1942 for orchestrating a complex mail fraud scheme involving whisky warehouse receipts, served a 10-year sentence and was released on parole in 1949. The document enclosed…
The declassified FBI document “Terrorism — Its Tactics and Techniques,” dated January 12, 1973, provides an analytical overview of the methods employed by terrorists during that period. The document, prepared for a National Symposium on Terrorism, draws from public sources and information provided by foreign police contacts to aid law enforcement in combating political violence. It outlines the primary tactics of terrorists, which include hijackings, kidnappings, murders, assassinations, massacres, and bombings. The document emphasizes the imitative nature of terrorist activities, where methods used in one region are quickly adopted in others. It also distinguishes between political terrorists, who have specific…
On November 9, 2023, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks issued the following statement about the departure of All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick: All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick announced that he will retire from federal service in December. During his distinguished 27-year career of public service in the Department of Defense and the United States Intelligence Community, and since assuming leadership of AARO, Dr. Kirkpatrick has served the American people with honesty and integrity, tackling an incredibly difficult mission to explain the unknown. During his tenure, Dr. Kirkpatrick stood up the office…
Background Operation Highjump, officially known as The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946–1947, was a significant United States Navy mission initiated shortly after World War II. The primary objective was to establish the Antarctic research base Little America IV. This operation, also referred to as Task Force 68, commenced on August 26, 1946, and concluded in late February 1947. The expedition was a monumental effort involving 4,700 personnel, 13 ships, and a fleet of aircraft which included 33 planes. It was overseen by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and represented the largest sea and air operation in Antarctica up…