Significant Information Reports (SIRs) are a specific type of reporting mechanism used by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to document and disseminate information about events, incidents, or activities that have substantial implications for law enforcement operations, public safety, or national security. These reports are intended to provide timely and relevant information to assist in decision-making, strategic planning, and operational responses. Below, you will find an archived of these report listings, as released by the ATF to The Black Vault via the FOIA. Document Archive Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and…
Author: John Greenewald
The following memo was first released in 1978 by the CIA, but much of it was redacted. In January of 2019, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request to get the document further declassified, and many of the redactions were lifted. The final response was sent in November of 2021, and the document is available below. Key points from the memo include: Aeroflot’s Medical Research: Aeroflot officials were involved in aerospace medical research, focusing on crewmember performance, physical conditioning, and the development of devices to test pilot biological functioning and motor response ability. Cosmic Ray Particles: Soviet…
Background Peter J. Kadzik was the Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs at the Department of Justice (Department). In that capacity, he was head the Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA), which is responsible for managing the Department’s relationships with Congress, and advancing its interests on Capitol Hill. OLA – working closely with the Department’s leadership offices, law enforcement components, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, litigating divisions, and grant-making components – advises and assists Department leadership on a wide variety of congressional matters; advocates for the Department’s legislative priorities; and responds to congressional inquiries and oversight requests. OLA also prepares Department witnesses for…
In February 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a raid on the Waco Branch Davidian compound in Texas, an event that became known as the “longest shootout in law enforcement history.” A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by The Black Vault led to the release of a PowerPoint presentation detailing the lessons learned from this raid. The presentation, prepared by the U.S. Department of Justice and the ATF, offers a comprehensive analysis of the planning, execution, and aftermath of the operation. The raid, known as Operation Trojan Horse, involved 137 ATF employees, including…
The Black Vault attempted to get a CIA document that has been shrouded in secrecy for decades further declassified. Although no redactions were lifted in the process, it revealed that even more information by the CIA is withheld on a UFO case that suggests a technology beyond known human capability at the time. Originally disclosed in 1978, the “Information Report” originally classified “Confidential” has a subject header of “Unusual Flying Object Sightings and Attendant Scientific Activity”. It had multiple, but relatively minimal, redactions when the single page was originally released. In January 2020, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification…