The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman. The act also created a Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to serve as head of the United States intelligence community; act as the principal adviser to the President for intelligence matters related to the national security; and serve as head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 amended the National Security Act to provide for a Director of National Intelligence who would assume some of the roles formerly fulfilled by the DCI, with a separate Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Below you will find a collection of CIA agents and various personnel connected with the agency.

FBI Files

Abramson, Harold Alexander – [20 Pages, 9.9 MB] – Harold Alexander Abramson (November 27, 1899 – September 1980) was an American physician (allergist and pediatrician) noted as an early advocate of therapeutic LSD. He played a significant role in CIA’s MKULTRA program to investigate the military applications of LSD.

Angleton, James Jesus – FBI Release #1 – [347 Pages, 83.4 MB] Angleton, James Jesus – FBI Release #2 (Final) – [97 Pages, 7MB] – James Jesus Angleton (December 9, 1917 – May 11, 1987) was chief of CIA Counterintelligence from 1954 to 1975. His official position within the organization was “Associate Deputy Director of Operations for Counterintelligence (ADDOCI)”. Angleton was significantly involved in the U.S. response to the purported KGB defectors Anatoliy Golitsyn and Yuri Nosenko. Angleton later became convinced the CIA harbored a high-ranking mole, and engaged in an intensive search. Whether this was a highly destructive witch hunt or appropriate caution vindicated by later moles remains a subject of intense historical debate.

Bissell, Richard – FBI Release #1 – [36 Pages, 3MB]  Bissell, Richard – FBI Release #2 – [9 Pages, 3.5MB] – Richard Mervin Bissell Jr. (September 18, 1909 – February 7, 1994) was a Central Intelligence Agency officer responsible for major projects such as the U-2 spy plane and the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

Buckley, William Francis – William Francis Buckley (May 30, 1928 – June 3, 1985) was a United States Army officer and CIA station chief in Beirut from 1984 until 1985. His cover was as a Political Officer at the US Embassy.  He died on or around June 3, 1985—five months before the date claimed by his captors—while in the custody of Hezbollah. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and is commemorated with a star on the Memorial Wall at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Colby, William – FBI Release #1 – [128 Pages, 8.7MB] – Colby, William – FBI Release #2 – [134 Pages, 9.5MB] – William Egan Colby (1920-1996) was an American intelligence officer and diplomat who served as the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from 1973 to 1976 during a transformative period for the U.S. intelligence community. A World War II veteran and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) operative, Colby had a long, varied career in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), beginning in 1950. He was instrumental in controversial covert actions like the Phoenix Program during the Vietnam War, aimed at dismantling the Viet Cong’s infrastructure. As DCI, Colby faced a tumultuous time marked by increased scrutiny of CIA activities; he was a key figure during the Church Committee hearings of the 1970s, where he divulged classified information about the Agency’s questionable practices, leading to significant changes in oversight and control of American intelligence operations. His candid approach brought both commendation for transparency and criticism for revealing too much, the latter leading to his forced resignation in 1976.

Conein, Lucien – [45 Pages, 8.3MB] – Lt. Col. Lucien Emile Conein (born 29 November 1919, Paris, France – died 3 June 1998, Bethesda, Maryland) was a noted U.S. Army officer and OSS/CIA operative. Among other exploits, he was instrumental in the November 1963 coup against Ngô Đình Diệm that resulted in Diệm’s assassination, having served as Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.’s liaison officer with the coup plotters and delivering $42,000 of the known cash disbursements.  He later ran secret operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Although the FBI said that additional possible records could exist, they claim they could not find/locate them.

Cameron, Donald Ewen – [21 Pages, 8.3MB] – Donald Ewen Cameron (24 December 1901 – 8 September 1967) — known as D. Ewen Cameron or Ewen Cameron — was a Scottish-born psychiatrist who served as President of the American Psychiatric Association (1952–1953), Canadian Psychiatric Association (1958-1959), American Psychopathological Association (1963), Society of Biological Psychiatry (1965) and World Psychiatric Association (1961-1966). In spite of his high professional reputation, he has been criticized for administering electroshock therapy and experimental drugs to patients without their informed consent. Some of this work took place in the context of the Project MKUltra mind control program.

Clarridge, Duane –  [17 Pages, 2.8MB] – Duane Ramsdell “Dewey” Clarridge (April 16, 1932 – April 9, 2016) was an American senior operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and supervisor for more than 30 years. Clarridge was the chief of the Latin American division from 1981 to 1987 and a key figure in the Iran-Contra Affair.

George, Clair– FBI Release #1 –  [64 Pages, 9MB] George, Clair – FBI Release #2 –  [64 Pages, 2.2MB] – Clair Elroy George (August 3, 1930 – August 11, 2011) was a prominent American intelligence officer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Over his three-decade career, he became known for his expertise in espionage and counterintelligence, holding several key positions, including Deputy Director for Operations. George played a pivotal role during the Cold War, overseeing clandestine operations globally. His career was marked by controversy during the Iran-Contra affair, where he was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice, though later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush. Clair George’s legacy remains a significant chapter in the history of U.S. intelligence operations.

Gottlieb, Sidney – FBI Release #1 – [43 Pages, 15.4MB] – Sidney Gottlieb (born Joseph Scheider; August 3, 1918 – March 7, 1999) was an American chemist and spymaster best known for his involvement with the Central Intelligence Agency’s 1950s and ’60s assassination attempts and mind control program, known as Project MKUltra.

Harvey, William King – [376 Pages, 172 MB] – William King “Bill” Harvey (September 13, 1915 – June 9, 1976) was a Central Intelligence Agency officer, best known for his role in Operation Mongoose. He was known as “America’s James Bond”, a tag given to him by Edward Lansdale.

Helms, Richard – [342 Pages, 190 MB]  Helms, Richard – Letter stating additional FBI Records were destroyed – [2 Pages, 0.4MB]Richard McGarrah Helms (March 30, 1913 – October 23, 2002) served as the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from June 1966 to February 1973. Helms began intelligence work with the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Following the 1947 creation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) he rose in its ranks during the Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy administrations. Helms then served as DCI under Johnson, then Nixon.

Maheu, Robert – [1,151 Pages, 852MB] – (Note: This is a large file. It is recommended you right click and select “save as” instead of opening in a browser).   Robert Aime Maheu (October 30, 1917 – August 4, 2008) was an American businessman and lawyer, who worked for the FBI and CIA, and as the chief executive of Nevada operations for the industrialist Howard Hughes. Maheu said: “The CIA was my first steady client, giving me ‘cut-out’ assignments [those jobs in which the Agency could not officially be involved].”

Marchetti, Victor– [30 Pages, 2.2MB] – Victor Leo Marchetti, Jr. (December 23, 1929-October 19, 2018) was a special assistant to the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency who later became a prominent critic of the United States Intelligence Community and the Israel lobby in the United States.

McCone, John – [746 Pages, 46.4MB] – John Alexander McCone (January 4, 1902 – February 14, 1991) was an American businessman and politician who served as Director of Central Intelligence during the height of the Cold War.  After the disaster of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, president John F. Kennedy forced the resignation of the CIA director Allen Dulles and some of his staff. McCone replaced Dulles on November 29, 1961.

Millis, John I. – [184 Pages, 103MB] – John I. Millis was a former case officer with the Central Intelligence Agency who also served as the top staff member of the House Intelligence Committee.

Montgomery, Hugh – [746 Pages, 46.4MB] – Hugh Montgomery (November 29, 1923 – April 6, 2017) was a United States diplomat and intelligence officer. He served for 63 years with the Central Intelligence Agency and has been called one of the CIA’s founding fathers.

Paisley, John – [297 Pages, 183.3MB] – John Arthur Paisley (August 25, 1923 – September 24, 1978) was a former official of the Central Intelligence Agency.  Paisley served in the CIA from 1963 to 1974. During his career, he was heavily involved in Soviet operations. Paisley retired as deputy director in the Office of Strategic Research, the branch that monitored Soviet military movements and nuclear capabilities.

Shackley, Theodore “Ted” – [340 Pages, 96MB] – Theodore George “Ted” Shackley, Jr. (July 16, 1927 — December 9, 2002) was an American CIA officer involved in many important and controversial CIA operations during the 1960s and 1970s. He is one of the most decorated CIA officers. Due to his “light hair and mysterious ways”, Shackley was known to his colleagues as “the Blond Ghost”. Note: There are 1,092 (approximate) additional pages which will require $40 to get. Please CONTACT if you are interested in sponsoring the file.

Tofte, Hans – FBI Release #1 – [33 Pages, 3.4MB] Tofte, Hans – FBI Release #2 – [41 Pages, 5.4MB] – Hans V. Tofte (1911–1987) was a Danish-American intelligence officer who played a significant role in Allied and U.S. covert operations during and after World War II. Born in Copenhagen, he fled Nazi-occupied Europe and joined the British Special Operations Executive, training guerrilla fighters in Burma and China. He later served with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Yugoslavia and Italy, where he supported resistance groups and earned the Legion of Merit. After the war, he joined the CIA and became known for bold paramilitary missions, including a 1951 operation that intercepted medical supplies bound for Chinese forces in Korea. Tofte was also involved in Cold War operations in Latin America, including the 1954 coup in Guatemala. His CIA career ended in 1966 amid controversy over classified documents found in his home. He retired with his pension and lived out his final years in New York, passing away in 1987.

White, George Hunter FBI Release #1 (to The Black Vault) – [53 Pages, 3.5MB]  White, George Hunter FBI Release #1 (third party requester, archived here for reference) – [19 Pages, 12.9MB]  White, George Hunter FBI Release #2 (third party requester, archived here for reference) – [31 Pages, 20.7MB] – George Hunter White was a CIA operative who had worked on the MKULTRA / Mind Control projects.  He was also heavily involved in the previous OSS “truth drug” experiments.

Wilson, Edwin Paul – [651 Pages, 304MB] – Edwin Paul Wilson (May 3, 1928 – September 10, 2012) was a former CIA and Office of Naval Intelligence officer who was convicted in 1983 of illegally selling weapons to Libya. It was later found that the United States Department of Justice and the CIA had covered up evidence in the case. Wilson’s convictions were overturned in 2003 and he was freed the following year.

The post FBI Files: Directors, Agents and Personnel of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) first appeared on The Black Vault.

The plan included various possible scenarios, such as staging attacks on American military installations in Guantanamo Bay, sinking boats carrying Cuban refugees, and orchestrating fake hijackings of civilian airliners. These incidents were to be designed in such a way that they would appear to be carried out by Cuban operatives. The hope was that these provocations would lead the American public and international community to support military action against Cuba. The operation’s proposals went as far as considering the possible loss of American lives, which would have been falsely blamed on the Cuban government to rally support for intervention.

Operation Northwoods was never approved, and President John F. Kennedy ultimately rejected the plan. The proposal was part of a broader effort by the U.S. government during the Cold War to contain the spread of communism, particularly in Latin America. This rejection is often viewed as a critical moment in Kennedy’s presidency, demonstrating his reluctance to escalate military conflict in Cuba, especially in the wake of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion the previous year.

The details of Operation Northwoods remained classified for decades until documents related to the operation were declassified in the 1990s. These revelations sparked widespread controversy and debate about the ethics of such proposals and the extent to which governments might go to achieve political or military objectives. While the operation was never carried out, its existence highlights the extreme measures considered during the Cold War and serves as a reminder of the lengths to which some officials were willing to go in the fight against communism.

Ultimately, the exposure of Operation Northwoods has contributed to ongoing discussions about the transparency and accountability of government actions, particularly in the context of military and intelligence operations. It remains a significant example of a covert plan that, had it been implemented, could have had far-reaching consequences for U.S.-Cuba relations and global perceptions of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War era.

Document Archive

Central Intelligence Agency

 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Records from the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [ 24 Pages, 2.92MB ]

 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Denial After my Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) [ 1 Page, 0.7MB ]

Joint Chiefs of Staff

 Justification for US Military Intervention in Cuba, 13 March 1962 [ 15 Pages, 2.92MB ]

 Report by the Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Representative of the Caribbean Study Group to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on CUBA PROJECT, 9 March 1962 [ 13 Pages, 2.5MB ]

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

 Northwoods [181 Pages, 25.6MB ] – This, according to the National Archives, is the only document within their collections that deals with Operation Northwoods.  Special thanks to friend and fellow FOIA requester Michael Best for obtaining this document and notifying me about it.  He graciously created the searchable PDF for The Black Vault.

(The following document is ARCHIVED, but no longer relevant. The referenced document in this order form was received, and added above.)
 Northwoods – Original response to The Black Vault from NARA [ 7 Pages, 2.9MB ] 

The post Operation Northwoods first appeared on The Black Vault.

Operation 40 was a covert operation established by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1960 during the early years of the Cold War. The operation was initially conceived as a counterintelligence and counterinsurgency task force aimed at undermining communist influence in Latin America, particularly in Cuba. This operation was part of the broader U.S. strategy to contain the spread of communism in the Western Hemisphere, which was seen as a direct threat to U.S. national security.

Operation 40 was formed in response to the growing concern over Fidel Castro’s communist regime in Cuba, which had come to power in 1959. The operation was authorized by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and involved the recruitment of anti-Castro Cuban exiles, CIA operatives, and other U.S. intelligence personnel. The main objectives of Operation 40 were to gather intelligence, conduct sabotage, and carry out assassination missions against key figures within the Castro government.

Operation 40 played a significant role in the preparation for the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961. The operation was involved in intelligence-gathering missions, identifying targets for sabotage, and planning the assassination of Cuban leaders, including Fidel Castro. However, the Bay of Pigs invasion, which aimed to overthrow Castro, ended in failure, and the role of Operation 40 in this disaster has been a subject of considerable debate among historians.

Beyond Cuba, Operation 40 also conducted activities throughout Latin America, aiming to destabilize leftist movements and support pro-U.S. regimes. The operation’s activities included political assassinations, sabotage of infrastructure, and the dissemination of propaganda to undermine communist influence.

Operation 40 has been surrounded by controversy, particularly regarding its alleged involvement in assassinations and other covert actions that violated international law. Critics have argued that the operation represented an extreme approach to Cold War geopolitics, with little regard for the long-term consequences for the countries involved. The operation’s connection to various assassination plots, including those against Castro, has fueled numerous conspiracy theories over the years.

Operation 40 officially disbanded in the early 1960s, but its legacy lived on through other covert CIA operations during the Cold War. The operation is often cited as an example of the U.S. government’s willingness to engage in covert and sometimes morally questionable activities to achieve its strategic goals during this tense period in global history.

Document Archive

 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Records on Operation 40 [7 Pages, 1.47MB] – Although the CIA released a few pages, they went on to state they would neither confirm nor deny any additional pages existed.  Why, after 50+ years, would they remain such a secret?

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Origins and Release

The Family Jewels documents were originally compiled in response to a 1973 request by then-CIA Director James Schlesinger, who wanted to know if there were any agency operations that might be considered illegal or improper. This internal investigation was prompted by the Watergate scandal and increasing public scrutiny of government agencies. The resulting reports were intended to be kept confidential, but they eventually became part of the public record due to the persistent efforts of journalists and researchers, along with Freedom of Information Act requests.

In 2007, under pressure from a lawsuit filed by the National Security Archive, the CIA finally declassified and released the Family Jewels. The release was significant, not only because it shed light on past abuses but also because it marked a rare instance of transparency for an agency known for its secrecy.

Assassination Plots

One of the most shocking revelations in the Family Jewels was the CIA’s involvement in plots to assassinate foreign leaders. The documents detail various attempts to eliminate Cuban leader Fidel Castro, including collaboration with the Mafia to poison him and plans to use exotic devices like exploding cigars. In one instance, the CIA even considered using a contaminated diving suit to kill Castro.

The agency’s involvement in assassination plots was not limited to Cuba. The documents also reveal efforts to target leaders in the Congo, the Dominican Republic, and other countries. These revelations raised significant ethical and legal questions about the extent to which the United States was willing to go to influence foreign governments and political outcomes.

Illegal Surveillance

The Family Jewels also uncovered extensive illegal surveillance operations conducted by the CIA within the United States. Despite its mandate to operate only outside U.S. borders, the agency engaged in domestic spying activities, including the monitoring of American journalists, political activists, and dissidents. Operation CHAOS, one of the programs detailed in the documents, aimed to uncover foreign influences on domestic protest movements during the 1960s and early 1970s. However, it quickly expanded to include broad surveillance of American citizens, violating their constitutional rights.

Human Experimentation

Perhaps the most disturbing revelations in the Family Jewels are related to the CIA’s human experimentation programs. The documents detail Project MK-Ultra, a clandestine program focused on mind control and behavioral modification. Under this program, the CIA conducted experiments on unknowing subjects, including administering LSD and other drugs, subjecting individuals to sensory deprivation, and using psychological manipulation techniques. These experiments were often conducted without the informed consent of the participants, leading to severe psychological and physical harm in many cases.

One of the most infamous incidents involved the death of Frank Olson, a CIA scientist who was secretly dosed with LSD and later fell to his death from a hotel window under suspicious circumstances. The Family Jewels documents shed light on the agency’s attempts to cover up the true nature of Olson’s death and the broader unethical practices of the MK-Ultra program.

Quotes and Reactions

The release of the Family Jewels prompted a wide range of reactions from government officials, historians, and the public. Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden stated, “The documents provide a view of a very different era and a very different agency,” acknowledging the mistakes of the past while emphasizing the CIA’s efforts to operate within legal and ethical boundaries in the present day.

Senator Edward Kennedy, who had been a vocal critic of the CIA’s practices, remarked, “The release of these documents underscores the necessity of vigilant oversight of our intelligence agencies to ensure they do not overstep their bounds.” The documents’ release also fueled calls for greater transparency and accountability in the intelligence community.

Legacy and Impact

The Family Jewels documents have had a lasting impact on the public’s perception of the CIA and its operations. They serve as a reminder of the potential for abuse of power within secretive government agencies and the importance of checks and balances to prevent such abuses. The revelations prompted legislative reforms, including the establishment of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which were designed to provide oversight and accountability for the CIA and other intelligence agencies.

In the years since their release, the Family Jewels have become a crucial resource for historians, journalists, and researchers seeking to understand the complexities and ethical challenges of intelligence work. They provide a sobering account of the lengths to which the CIA went during the Cold War to achieve its objectives, often at the expense of legal and moral considerations.

Document Archive

Download the entire “Family Jewels” collection [702 Pages, 21.4MB]

Mandatory Declassification Review Request on First 11 Pages of “Family Jewels” collection [12 Pages, 3.5MB] – On March 22, 2018, I requested a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) on the first 11 pages of the Family Jewels document. I requested only the first 11 pages, due to the fact that the first item listen in the breakdown of projects and incidents outlined in the document, is entirely withheld. If anything in the first 11 pages would be unredacted and released, it would pave the way to request a full MDR of the document. However, they continue to deny the information, as of September 2019, when the CIA released the responsive records. The redactions were the same.

The post The “Family Jewels” Collection (CIA) first appeared on The Black Vault.

Background: In the early 1950s, a surge of UFO reports flooded into the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book, which was responsible for investigating these sightings. These reports garnered significant public and media attention, leading to concerns within the U.S. government. Some officials were worried that potential enemies could exploit the UFO phenomenon, either by using the public’s fascination with UFOs as a psychological weapon or by saturating communication channels with false reports during a real attack. This led the CIA to convene a panel of experts to examine the UFO issue.

The Robertson Panel: Convened in January 1953, the panel was chaired by Dr. H.P. Robertson, a physicist from the California Institute of Technology, hence the name “Robertson Panel”. The group included various other scientists, including experts in astrophysics, radar, and atmospheric optics.

The panel’s primary task was to review the UFO reports collected by Project Blue Book and assess the potential threat these reports might pose to national security.

Key Findings and Conclusions of the Robertson Panel:

1. No Direct Threat: After examining the evidence, the Robertson Panel concluded that UFOs did not appear to pose any direct threat to national security.
2. Explanation for Sightings: The panel believed that most UFO sightings could be easily explained as misidentifications of natural phenomena, man-made objects, or other ordinary occurrences. They were of the opinion that if these explanations were promoted and publicized, the number of unexplained sightings would significantly decrease.
3. Potential Indirect Threat: The panel did, however, express concerns about the indirect effects of UFO reports. Specifically, they were concerned that the Soviets might try to exploit the public’s interest in UFOs for propaganda purposes or that a deluge of UFO reports might overwhelm military communication channels in the event of a real threat.
4. Recommendations: The Robertson Panel made several recommendations:
   • Public Education: The U.S. government should engage in a public education campaign to demystify and debunk UFOs. This would reduce the hysteria and public concern around the phenomenon.
   • Monitoring: The panel suggested monitoring civilian UFO groups since they might be prone to manipulation by foreign powers.
   • Limit Reporting: They recommended that the Air Force reduce the priority of Project Blue Book and make efforts to strip UFOs of their mysterious aura. This also included a recommendation to reclassify some UFO reports to reduce public access.
5. Limitation of Examination: It’s worth noting that the panel spent only a very limited amount of time examining the evidence (about 12 hours over several days), and they did not conduct field investigations or speak directly with many of the primary witnesses.

Aftermath and Criticism: The recommendations of the Robertson Panel were adopted by the CIA and other governmental agencies. As a result, Project Blue Book adopted a more skeptical approach to UFO reports, and efforts were made to debunk sightings publicly.

Over the years, the Robertson Panel has been a source of controversy among UFO researchers and enthusiasts. Critics argue that the panel’s approach was dismissive and that their conclusions were preordained. They believe that the panel was more interested in dismissing the UFO phenomenon rather than seriously investigating it.

Regardless of one’s stance on the matter, the Robertson Panel played a significant role in shaping the U.S. government’s public stance on UFOs for many years.

Document Archive

2013 CIA Release: The Robertson Panel Report, January 14 – 18, 1953 [28 Pages, 1.8MB]

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Archived Releases

2001 CIA Release: The Robertson Panel Report, January 14 – 18, 1953 [28 Pages, 1.8MB]

The post The Robertson Panel, The Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects Convened by the CIA first appeared on The Black Vault.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Inspector General Report on 9/11/01

 OIG Report on CIA Accountability with Respect to the 9/11 Attacks – Executive Summary [19 Pages, 1MB]

 Inspection Report of the DCI Counter-Terrorist Center Directorate of Operations, August 2001  [81 Pages, 1.68MB]

 Joint Response to Draft IG 9/11 Report  [16 Pages, 7.3MB]

 Joint Response to OIG Report – “Accountability Regarding Findings and Conclusions of the Joint” [18 Pages, 1.20MB]

 Memorandum to Inspector General Helgerson from George J. Tenet Regarding Assessment of Performance [19 Pages, 1.44MB]

 Office of Inspector General Report on Central Intelligence Agency Accountability Regarding Findings [490 Pages, 17.9MB]

 Response to Inspector General’s 9/11 Accountability Final Draft Report [10 Pages, 0.8MB]
 Response to Inspector General’s 9/11 Accountability Final Draft Report – MDR Release 23 July 2021 (No new information was released) [11 Pages, 0.8MB]

Interrogation

CIA/OIG Report on Counterterrorism Detention and Interrogation Activities, 07 May 2004

The post Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Records on 9/11/01 Terrorist Attacks first appeared on The Black Vault.

The Alsos Mission was an organized effort by a team of British and United States military, scientific, and intelligence personnel to discover enemy scientific developments during World War II. Its chief focus was on the German nuclear energy project, but it also investigated both chemical and biological weapons and the means to deliver them.

The Alsos Mission was created following the September 1943 Allied invasion of Italy with a twofold assignment: search for personnel, records, material, and sites to evaluate the above programs and prevent their capture by the Soviet Union. It was established as part of the Manhattan Project’s mission to coordinate foreign intelligence related to enemy nuclear activity. Alsos personnel followed close behind the front lines in Italy, France, and Germany, occasionally crossing into enemy-held territory to secure valuable resources before they could be destroyed or scientists escape or fall into rival hands.

The Alsos Mission was commanded by Colonel Boris Pash, a former Manhattan Project security officer, with Samuel Goudsmit as chief scientific advisor. It was jointly staffed by the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), the Manhattan Project, and Army Intelligence (G-2), with field assistance from combat engineers assigned to specific task forces.

Alsos teams were successful in locating and removing a substantial portion of the German research effort’s surviving records and equipment. They also took most of the senior German research personnel into custody, including Otto Hahn, Max von Laue, Werner Heisenberg and Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker.

Document Archive

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Documents

CIA Documents on the ALSOS Mission [25 Pages, 9.1MB]

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The post The Alsos Mission: World War II Program To Spy on Enemy Scientific Advances first appeared on The Black Vault.

From the document below:

“This reconstruction of Agency involvement in plans to assassinate Fidel Castro is at best an imperfect history. Because of the extreme sensitivity of the operations being discussed or attempted, as a matter of principle no official records were kept of planning, of approvals, or of implementation.

The few written records that do exist are either largely tangential to the main events or were put on paper from memory years afterward.”

In July of 2016, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request for this record. Although previously released, it was heavily redacted. The most recent known version at the time of filing, was THIS ONE, appearing to have been last reviewed in 2002.

In March of 2019 (added to The Black Vault on December 16, 2020), the below record was reviewed for release.

There are less redactions, but more so, the copy is much more legible.

Document Archive

CIA Inspector General Report on Operation Mongoose [144 Pages, 38.2MB]

The post CIA Inspector General Report on Operation Mongoose first appeared on The Black Vault.

Studies in Intelligence is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal on intelligence that is published by the Center for the Study of Intelligence, a group within the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It contains both classified and unclassified articles on the methodology and history of the field of intelligence gathering.

Document Archive

Studies in Intelligence, Volume 2, Number 3, 1958 [133 Pages, 45MB]

The post Studies in Intelligence, Volume 2, Number 3, 1958 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Studies in Intelligence is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal on intelligence that is published by the Center for the Study of Intelligence, a group within the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It contains both classified and unclassified articles on the methodology and history of the field of intelligence gathering.

Document Archive

Studies in Intelligence, Summer 1984, Volume 28 [82 Pages, 30MB]

The post Studies in Intelligence, Summer 1984, Volume 28 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Back in 1998, I requested from the CIA all records relating to the death of Princess Diana. I was surprised, at the time, the CIA would neither confirm, nor deny, the existence of records. This is also called a “Glomar Response.”

Given the conspiracy theories surrounding her death – I felt that was rather strange. There was nothing I could do to fight it, however, I tried again two decades later in 2018. After a little more than two years after that, I asked the CIA for a status of the request. To my surprise, they said they had fulfilled it two years prior.

Mysteriously, though, the files must have been lost in transit. I never received them!

I asked for them to be sent again, as I had zero indication they had ever arrived. This is one of those requests that would definitely stick out, should the files have shown up in my mailbox.

I was shocked to see when I was resent the files, the CIA took a little over two weeks to process it originally in 2018. Kind of a record, given the history I’ve had with the agency, and what a coincidence the files were lost in the mail.

Now, I present to you all, the CIA records pertaining to the death of Princess Diana, with one exception. The CIA is still refusing to acknowledge whether additional documents exist beyond what they feel is already a publicly acknowledged link between the agency and the death of Princess Diana. Although some files are from the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS), or just newspaper articles, others were not. They are all available below.

Maybe in 10 years, I will try again for more.

Document Archive

CIA Records Relating to the Death of Princess Diana, Princess of Wales [168 Pages, 72MB]

The post The Death of Princess Diana, The Government Files first appeared on The Black Vault.

The following is the “Afghanistan Situation Report” dated 4 June 1985.

Although the CIA had previously released the document in 2010, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) in April of 2020 to see if additional information could be released.

The below is the result, which did accomplish in getting a few redactions removed.

Document Archive

Afghanistan Situation Report, 4 June 1985 [16 Pages, 5MB]

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In 1958, the CIA completed the below report about its role in the event of a nuclear war.

The Black Vault saw references to this document in other declassified CIA documents, but not the report itself. In August of 2019, a FOIA request was filed to the CIA for the record, and in October of 2020, it was released.

You can find the report below.

Document Archive

Role of CIA in Nuclear War, 1958 [38 Pages, 12.5MB]

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Comments on Role of CIA in Nuclear War, 1958 [2 Pages, 1MB] – This document was released in 2000 by the CIA, which referenced the above report. It was dated 19 March 1958, and written by the Chief, Economic Research Area of the CIA. Name is unknown.

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The post Role of CIA in Nuclear War, 1958 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The President’s Daily Brief (PDB), sometimes referred to as the President’s Daily Briefing or the President’s Daily Bulletin, is a top-secret document produced and given each morning to the President of the United States, and is also distributed to a small number of top-level US officials who are approved by the President, and includes highly classified intelligence analysis, information about CIA covert operations and reports from the most sensitive US sources or those shared by allied intelligence agencies. The PDB is also provided to the President-elect of the United States, between election day and inauguration.

In September of 2017, I filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) seeking the following:

“…any new or updated guidelines or for any/all memos regarding the preparation and formatting and creation of the President’s Daily Brief.  Please note that I limit this request to records during Calendar Year 2016 and 2017.”

On March 16, 2018, they sent out the responsive documents.

The records show that their instructions are heavily classified and exempted from release. You can see from the records below, that much of the information is redacted, however, there are some instructions and notes that made it through, and it is very telling how the PDB’s are created for President Donald Trump.

For example, use lots of pictures:

And, “one(ish)” has become a proper page count directive:

And finally, use the least amount of acronyms possible:

Declassified Documents

 Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Memos on Creating Presidential Daily Briefs for Donald Trump [20 Pages, 2.4MB]

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The above release contained quite a bit of “non-responsive” material, which they consider not responsive to my request, so they do not review it for release. I then filed a second FOIA request specifically for the “non-responsive” material previously unreviewed. The below is the result. In large part, they denied it all again, just citing various other FOIA exemptions.

 Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Memos on Creating Presidential Daily Briefs for Donald Trump [26 Pages, 5MB]

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The post Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Memos on Creating Presidential Daily Briefs for Donald Trump first appeared on The Black Vault.

This National Intelligence Daily was issued on February 10, 1980.  Originally, it was released in 2004 with heavy redactions.

In April of 2020, I requested a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR), and in July of 2020 – the CIA released the below version with less redactions.

Document Archive

National Intelligence Daily — February 10, 1980 [24 Pages, 8MB] – MDR Release to The Black Vault in 2020. All NEWLY RELEASED information is highlighted in yellow. Interesting to note that the original release misrepresented how many pages were withheld in full.

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Archived Versions

National Intelligence Daily — February 10, 1980 – 2004 Previous Release – [24 Pages, 0.9MB]

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The post National Intelligence Daily — February 10, 1980 first appeared on The Black Vault.

A number of years ago the Soviet Union toured several countries with an exhibition of its industrial and economic achievements. There were the standard displays of industrial machinery, soft goods, and models of power stations and nuclear equipment. Of greater interest were apparent models of the Sputnik and Lunik space vehicles. U.S. intelligence twice gained extended access to the Lunik, the second time by borrowing it overnight and returning it before the Soviets missed it. This is the story of the borrowing, which required the efforts of many people and close cooperation between covert and overt intelligence components.

This document was released prior by the CIA, but multiple redactions hid an important fact. Three different versions of the release are below for comparison. The un-redacted information reveals that the CIA was able to read factory markings / stamps that allowed them to trace down where the hardware was created along with the components used.

Document Archive

THE KIDNAPPING OF THE LUNIK By Sydney Wesley Finer, 1967 [10 Pages, 3.6MB]

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The post THE KIDNAPPING OF THE LUNIK By Sydney Wesley Finer, 1967 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This National Intelligence Daily was issued on April 24, 1980. It appears in the CIA’s CREST database, as CREST #0005148740.  Originally, it was released in 2010 with heavy redactions.

In June of 2019, I requested a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR), and in March of 2020 – the CIA released the below version with less redactions.

Document Archive

 National Intelligence Daily – June 2, 1990 – 2020 Release  – [26 Pages, 11MB]

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The post National Intelligence Daily — April 24, 1980 first appeared on The Black Vault.

It is a fact that most documents relating to MKULTRA and other drug research programs were destroyed.

In this one-page CIA Memorandum for the Record, it was documented that the order came from CIA Director Richard Helms, and was passed through to numerous individuals by Dr. Sydney Gottlieb.

You will note on the bottom of this CIA document, the number 52-HQ-101074. This is an FBI file reference number. After looking it up, I realized that is the file number for Dr. Gottlieb, in which I have already received his file. You can download his file here.

Document Archive

The post 1975 Memo Documenting the Destruction of CIA Drug Research Programs like MKULTRA first appeared on The Black Vault.

In April of 1980, the CIA’s Domestic Contacts Division passed on a SECRET memo to the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI that they had received from a man by the name of “Sunshine, The Psychic.”  This person believed he had a “strong psychic message” about Edward Kennedy and an assassination that would take place on April 6, 1980.

Document Archive

Alleged Psychic Message Re: Assassination Threat Against Senator Edward Kennedy, April 1980 [2 Pages, 0.5MB]

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The post Alleged Psychic Message Re: Assassination Threat Against Senator Edward Kennedy, April 1980 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This document was first requested, but fully denied, in ISCAP appeal number 2009-054-doc3. It was a CIA document, and it was only referred to by “Title and Date: [Classified], 1976.”

Originally, The Black Vault requested it in 2016, but it was reviewed and denied again.  In 2018, since two years had passed, another Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request was filed by The Black Vault.

This yielded a response in March of 2020, and about 50% of the record was released. Although much is redacted; the history is partially revealed.

Document Archive

Possible Resumption of Negotiations for US Reactor, Iran, February 1976 [4 Pages, 1.2MB]

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The post Possible Resumption of Negotiations for US Reactor, Iran, February 1976 first appeared on The Black Vault.

In yet another example of UFO history being lost, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recently informed The Black Vault that another UFO document was lost within their archives. The document, which is poorly titled within the CIA’s CREST Database as, “UNTITLED (23 SEPT (DELETED) WITH PERSONAL REQUEST TO INVESTIGATE UFO SIGHTED,” was requested to have a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) conducted.

The original release of the record appears to have been done on October 5, 1978, but was heavily redacted. The first release looked like this:

The MDR request was originally filed to the CIA on January 24, 2019. It took more than a year for the CIA to search out an un-redacted version of the record. However, they could not find it. In a letter to The Black Vault dated February 27, 2020, the CIA stated:

“Please be advised that we conducted a thorough and diligent search in an effort to locate a full text version of the document but were unsuccessful. The version that you referred to in your 24 January 2019 letter which is located in the CIA Reading Room is the best available copy.”

This is not the first time UFO documents have been lost with the CIA, nor is it the first time it has happened with the National Security Agency (NSA) or the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). It seems that as The Black Vault files more and more requests to have previously released, but redacted, UFO documents reviewed for further release; more and more documents are being “lost” to the history books.

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Original FOIA Response

The post Another CIA UFO Document “Lost” first appeared on The Black Vault.

Crypto AG was a Swiss company specializing in communications and information security. It was secretly jointly owned by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and West German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1970 until about 1993, with the CIA continuing as sole owner until about 2018. With headquarters in Steinhausen, the company was a long-established manufacturer of encryption machines and a wide variety of cipher devices.

Document Archive

CIA GLOMAR Response on Crypto AG Documents [2 Pages, 1MB]

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The post Crypto AG first appeared on The Black Vault.

According to the summary of the memorandum:

“Three unmanned lunar launchings this year, together with other new evidence and further analysis, clearly indicate a continuing strong Soviet interest in lunar exploration. We still cannot state conclusively, however, that the Soviets are in a race with the US for a manned lunar landing. On balance, we have no basis for changing our earlier estimate that the chances are better than even that the Soviets will seek to accomplish a manned lunar landing ahead of or in close competition with the US. It remains possible nevertheless, that Soviet lunar objectives are less ambitious.”

Previously, this document was released before, with heavy redactions in paragraph 12. The original release was sent to the National Security Archive.  In March of 2019, The Black Vault requested a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request to the CIA for a review of the record. Below, is the result.

Document Archive

Soviet Intentions Concerning Manned Lunar Landing, 25 April 1963 [12 Pages, 4.2MB]

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The post Soviet Intentions Concerning Manned Lunar Landing, 25 April 1963 first appeared on The Black Vault.

On February 10, 2020, The Black Vault filed a FOIA request for all documents that pertain to QAnon. It took two days for the CIA to issue their response, which was the fact that they could neither “confirm no deny” the existence or non-existence of records pertaining to QAnon. They state that the mere existence (or non-existence) of records pertaining to QAnon, would be classified.

Document Archive

CIA “Glomar Response” on QANON Documents [2 Pages, 0.5MB]

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The post CIA “Glomar Response” on QANON Documents first appeared on The Black Vault.

This document was first released in the mass of CIA related UFO records. Upon the first release of it, nearly the entire document was redacted, with only one paragraph readable.

The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) in January of 2019, and the record was further declassified and released in December of 2019. A side by side comparison is available below, along with the .pdf version for download.

Document Archive

2019 MDR Release

Possible Unidentified Flying Object in Ukraine, 1959 (CIA Intelligence Information Report) [7 Pages 5MB]

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Original Release

Possible Unidentified Flying Object in Ukraine, 1959 (CIA Intelligence Information Report) [3 Pages 1MB]

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The post Possible Unidentified Flying Object in Ukraine, 1959 (CIA Intelligence Information Report) first appeared on The Black Vault.