Declassified Terrorist FBI Files

Ali Hasan Al-Majid Al-Tikriti (Chemical Ali) – [ 53 Pages, 3.64MB ] – Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (November 1941 – 25 January 2010) was a Ba’athist Iraqi Defense Minister, Interior Minister, military commander and chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. He was also the governor of annexed Kuwait, during the Persian Gulf War. A first cousin of former Ba’athist Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, he became notorious in the 1980s and 1990s for his role in the Iraqi government’s campaigns against internal opposition forces, namely the ethnic Kurdish rebels of the north, and the Shia religious dissidents of the south. Repressive measures included deportations and mass killings; al-Majid was dubbed “Chemical Ali” by Iraqis for his use of chemical weapons in attacks against the Kurds.

Berg, Nicholas – FBI Release #1-4 – [749 Pages, 119MB] – Nicholas Evan Berg (April 2, 1978 – May 7, 2004) was an American freelance radio-tower repairman and businessman who traveled to Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion to seek work rebuilding communication infrastructure. While in Iraq, he was abducted by militants associated with al-Qaeda and later executed in a widely publicized beheading video, which was released online in May 2004. His death became a focal point of controversy and debate, particularly regarding U.S. foreign policy, the security of American civilians abroad, and the treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib, which some speculated was a factor in his killing. Berg’s tragic murder highlighted the dangers faced by civilians in conflict zones and the growing influence of terrorist propaganda through digital media.

Bin Laden, Osama – FBI Release #1 – [19 Pages, 1.03MB] Bin Laden, Osama – FBI Release #2 – [107 Pages, 13.1MB]Usama (or Osama) Bin Laden, founder of the al Qaeda terrorist organization, was born in Saudi Arabia in 1957. On March 10, 1984, Bin Laden and others killed two German nationals. On March 16, 1998, authorities in Tripoli issued an arrest warrant for him for murder and illegal possession of firearms. Bin Laden was also wanted for the August 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He was killed by U.S. forces in May 2011.  This release consists of material that predates the 9/11 attacks.

Black September – [ 47 Pages, 4.54MB ] – The Black September Organization (BSO) was a Palestinian terrorist organization, founded in 1970. It was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of eleven Israeli athletes and officials, and the fatal shooting of a West German policeman, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, their most publicized event. These events lead to the creation of permanent, professional, and military-trained counter-terrorism forces of major European countries, like GSG9 or GIGN, or the reorganization and specialization of already standing units to such a group, like the Special Air Service of the UK.

Khalifa, Mohammed – [ 729 Pages, 28.91MB ] – Mohammad Jamal Khalifa Mohammad Jamal Khalifa (1957-2007), brother-in-law of Usama bin Laden, was arrested in the U.S. in December 1994 on immigration charges. Khalifa was deported to Jordan in June 1995 and later released by Jordanian authorities. This release consists of investigative files from the FBI’s San Francisco and New York offices concerning his arrest and ties to terrorist financing investigations between the years 1994 and 2003.

FBI’s Terrorist Photo Album – The Terrorist Photo Album was established in 1973. A request went out to the field offices requesting photos and biographic data on individuals that would be included in the album. The biographic data was to include name, akas, current residence, current employment, date and place of birth, marital status, alien status along with INS number, fingerprints if available, physical description and any other pertinent data. When the album was completed, it was distributed to each office. The field offices were expected to keep the information up to date. In 1989, the Terrorist Photo Album was discontinued.

Guantanamo (GTMO) [244 Pages, 9.1MB] – Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) Special Inquiry In 2004, the FBI initiated a special inquiry investigation into whether Bureau personnel had witnessed “any aggressive mistreatment, interrogations, or interview techniques” of detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba by representatives of the military, law enforcement, or the FBI. This release consists of responses to an FBI Office of General Counsel request to Bureau personnel assigned to Guantanamo Bay between September 11, 2001 and September 2004. There were no documented incidents of mistreatment involving FBI personnel.

Smuggling of Atomic Bombs into the United States –  [2,792 Pages, 153.7MB] – The is a very large file, which I have combined into a single .pdf. Not all sections have been released/obtained from the FBI (yet) but additional FOIA requests are still pending, and I will update this file, when they come available. The original files were obtained via a CD-ROM, in the form of a multi-page .tif file. These are very difficult (and archaic) to use, so I converted them to a .pdf.

The post FBI Files: Terrorism first appeared on The Black Vault.

 FBI documents were obtained from the FBI after their Investigation called “VANITYBOM” [138 Pages, 46.34MB]

 FBI Response To October 2003 Vanity Fair Article (Re: ______ Family Departures After 9/11/2001) [ 40 Pages, 0.95MB ] – This document was obtained by Judicial Watch in 2005. I have requested a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) of this document, in hopes to get more released.

 FBI documents released to researcher Russ Kick, regarding “Saudi Arabian Elites” and the flights they took to get out of the United States shortly after 9/11 [215 Pages, 52.9MB] – These records were provided by the family of anthologist and transparency activist Russ Kick, from his papers, facilitated by the generous assistance of Dr. Susan Maret.  

The post Unveiling the Departure of Saudi Nationals Post 9/11: A Puzzling Chapter first appeared on The Black Vault.

The First Round: NSA’s Effort against International Terrorism in the 1970s – Cryptologic Almanac, November – December 2002 by Robert J. Hanyok [6 Pages, 1.6MB]

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The post The First Round: NSA’s Effort against International Terrorism in the 1970s – Cryptologic Almanac, November – December 2002 by Robert J. Hanyok first appeared on The Black Vault.

That case was filed in December of 2021, and on February 14, 2022, the FBI responded by denying all of the records as being “exempt from disclosure.”

The full FOIA response is below.

The post United 93 Wreckage Photographs and Videos “Exempt from Disclosure” Nearly 21 Years After 9/11 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Document Archive

Alleged Misconduct By Senior DoD Officials Concerning The Able Danger Program and Lieutenant Colonel Anthony A. Shaffer, U.S. Army Reserve, September 18, 2006 [73 Pages, 6MB] – (Note: Documents were requested on ABLE DANGER from DIA. They sent this DoD/OIG report link, so I combined their letter with that report.)

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The post Alleged Misconduct By Senior DoD Officials Concerning The Able Danger Program and Lieutenant Colonel Anthony A. Shaffer, U.S. Army Reserve, September 18, 2006 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This material is being released in response to Executive Order 14040, signed September 3, 2021, on the declassification review of certain documents concerning the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

9/11 Material Released in Response to Executive Order 14040 – Release #1 [17 Pages, 2.5MB]

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The post 9/11 Material Released in Response to Executive Order 14040 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Mohamed Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta was an Egyptian hijacker and Islamic terrorist and one of the ringleaders of the September 11 attacks who served as the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, crashing the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the coordinated attacks.

Below, you will find various files on Atta, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Document Archive

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Regarding Atta, Requested October 2014 [2 Pages, 0.2MB] – More than 13 years after the attacks – the U.S. Government is still classifying material on Atta.

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Regarding Atta, Requested January 2016 [12 Pages, 0.7MB] – After waiting a couple more years, I requested records again in January of 2016. To my surprise, USCIS is now claiming they “can not find” Atta’s alien file, but included some prints from their electronic system. What happened to Atta’s alien file, after having it classified for so many years?!

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Regarding Atta, Entire FOIA Case File for the above case [28 Pages, 0.7MB]

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Regarding Atta, Requested June 2018 [2 Pages, 0.7MB] – This was the result of a “Mandatory Declassification Review” request to declassify records relating to Mohammad Atta. It was forwarded from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) back to USCIS, and they then denied access to the records. Although they denied it, they did forward the request to the FBI for another review. Results will be posted, when they become available.

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) FOIA Processing Procedures for requests related to Atta [122 Pages, 2.5MB] – I was told there were no records pertaining to my request (ie: no special instructions). I requested the entire case file to see what they discussed about behind the scenes. This was the result.

Department of Justice / Office of Information Policy (DOJ/OIP)

Department of Justice / Office of Information Policy (DOJ/OIP) FOIA Requests Relating to Mohamed Atta [17 Pages, 1MB]  – These records were considered “non-responsive” when forwarded to them from the FBI. I filed a second request to obtain them, and they consist mostly of FOIA request letters and responses.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Says All Files are Classified, November 2014 [4 Pages, 0.2MB] – Another denial of material on Atta, citing a law enforcement proceeding.

 Department of Justice / INTERPOL – FBI Referral [3 Pages, 0.7MB] – Another denial of material on Atta, citing a law enforcement proceeding.

 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) FOIA Requests Relating to Mohamed Atta [178 Pages, 70.8MB] – This is the first release of FOIA requests received by the FBI, that pertain to Mohamed Atta. Additional records will be added, when released.

The post 9/11 Hijacker: Mohamed Atta 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 below document was referenced in the 9/11 Commission Report. Prior to the posting of it here, on The Black Vault, it appears it has never been released before to the general public and has never appeared online. It should be noted, other individuals did go after its declassification as well, and The Black Vault’s request was not alone in the effort to see this record declassified, even in part.

Although partially redacted, you can find the document below.

Document Archive

Facilitating Disaster: An Overview of 11 September Finance, 22 August 2002 [14 pages, 1.8MB]

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The post Facilitating Disaster: An Overview of 11 September Finance, 22 August 2002 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Background

On December 16, 2020, the Department of Justice unsealed the indictment charging Cholo Abdi Abdullah. You can find their announcement archived below, along with the indictment.

Department of Justice Press Release

The Department of Justice announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Cholo Abdi Abdullah with six counts of terrorism-related offenses arising from his activities as an operative of the foreign terrorist organization al Shabaab, including conspiring to hijack aircraft in order to conduct a 9/11-style attack in the United States.  Abdullah was arrested in July 2019 in the Philippines on local charges, and was subsequently transferred on Dec. 15, 2020 in connection with his deportation from the Philippines to the custody of U.S. law enforcement for prosecution on the charges in the indictment.  Abdullah was transported from the Phillippines to the United States yesterday, and is expected to be presented today before Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger in Manhattan federal court.  The case is assigned to United States District Judge Analisa Torres.

“This case, which involved a plot to use an aircraft to kill innocent victims, reminds us of the deadly threat that radical Islamic terrorists continue to pose to our nation.  And it also highlights our commitment to pursue and hold accountable anybody who seeks to harm our country and our citizens.  No matter where terrorists who plan to target Americans may be located, we will seek to identify them and bring them to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers.  “We owe a debt of gratitude to the detectives, agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this defendant’s arrest.”

“As alleged, Cholo Abdi Abdullah, as part of a terrorist plot directed by senior al Shabaab leaders, obtained pilot training in the Philippines in preparation for seeking to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the United States,” said Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss.  “This chilling callback to the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, is a stark reminder that terrorist groups like al Shabaab remain committed to killing U.S. citizens and attacking the United States.  But we remain even more resolute in our dedication to investigating, preventing, and prosecuting such lethal plots, and will use every tool in our arsenal to stop those who would commit acts of terrorism at home and abroad.  Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the FBI’s global partnerships with law enforcement agencies around the world, Abdullah’s plot was detected before he could achieve his deadly aspirations, and now he faces federal terrorism charges in a U.S. court.”

“Nearly 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there are those who remain determined to conduct terror attacks against United States citizens. Abdullah, we allege, is one of them,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. “He obtained a pilot’s license overseas, learning how to hijack an aircraft for the purpose of causing a mass-casualty incident within our borders. Fortunately, the exceptional work by the men and women assigned to the many agencies that comprise the FBI’s New York JTTF have, once again, disrupted a threat to our communities.”

“As alleged in the federal indictment against him, Cholo Abdi Abdullah had obtained pilot training and begun plotting a terrorist attack against a target in the United States,” said NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.  “But the outstanding work of our NYPD detectives and federal agents of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with all of our law enforcement partners, put an end to those plans and ensured that no one would be harmed.”

As alleged in the Indictment,[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

The charges in the Indictment unsealed today arise out of a coordinated scheme by the terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” to target Americans both at home and abroad.  Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and serves as al Qaeda’s principal wing in East Africa, is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives.  Recently, al Shabaab has embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation purportedly in response to the United States’ decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.”  In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab include an attack on Jan. 15, 2019, at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, New York; a Sept. 30, 2019, attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a Jan. 5, 2020, attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed.

As alleged in the Indictment, Abdullah was an al Shabaab operative who participated in a plot to hijack commercial aircraft and crash them into a building in the United States.  Beginning in 2016, at the direction of a senior al Shabaab commander who was responsible for, among other things, planning the 2019 Nairobi hotel attack, Abdullah traveled to the Philippines and enrolled in a flight school there (the “Flight School”), for the purpose of obtaining training for carrying out the 9/11-style attack.  Between 2017 and 2019, Abdullah attended the Flight School on various occasions and obtained pilot’s training, ultimately completing the tests necessary to obtain his pilot’s license.

While Abdullah was obtaining pilot training at the Flight School, he also conducted research into the means and methods to hijack a commercial airliner to conduct the planned attack, including security on commercial airliners and how to breach a cockpit door from the outside, information about the tallest building in a major U.S. city, and information about how to obtain a U.S. visa.

Thanks to the extraordinary work of the FBI, law enforcement authorities foiled this plot.  Abdullah has remained in custody since his arrest on the local charges in the Philippines.

Abdullah, 30, of Kenya, is charged with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (al Shabaab), conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, conspiring to destroy aircraft, and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.  Abdullah faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.  The specific penalties for each of the charges is reflected in the chart below.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Assistant Attorney General Demers and Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD. They also thanked the FBI Hudson Valley office and the New York State Police.  Ms. Strauss also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, the Philippines; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; “…the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Kenyan Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya, and the Kenyan Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; and the Philippine National Police, Philippine Department of Justice, the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group – Philippines, and Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton, Jr., Sidhardha Kamaraju, and Elinor Tarlow are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

---

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein are only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Document Archive

Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab [19 Pages, 1MB]

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The post Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab first appeared on The Black Vault.

This is the “Terrorism Review” for January 1999, as created by the CIA and released to The Black Vault in June of 2019.

The result was from a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request. The record had been released in July of 2011, but had many more redactions. The 2019 release was successful in getting many of them lifted.

I put a ‘clean’ version below, along with a highlighted version showing the new information released (information that was previously redacted.)

Document Archive

Terrorism Review for January 1999, CIA – June 2019 Release – [39 Pages, 10MB]

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Terrorism Review for January 1999, CIA – June 2019 Release – Highlighted Version – [39 Pages, 10MB]

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The post Terrorism Review for January 1999, CIA first appeared on The Black Vault.

According to Wikipedia:

Gul Rahman (died 20 November 2002) was an Afghan man, suspected by the United States of being a militant, who was a victim of torture. He died in a secret CIA prison, or black site, located in northern Kabul, Afghanistan known as the Salt Pit. He had been captured October 29, 2002.

His name was kept secret by the United States for more than seven years although his death was announced. In 2010 the Associated Press reported that before his death he was left half-stripped and chained against a concrete wall on a night when the temperature was close to freezing. The United States government did not notify his family (wife and four daughters) of his death, according to the report.

The CIA conducted an investigation into his death, and the record was first released in 2016. The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request in June of 2019, and the record was re-released with much less redaction.

Below, you will find the release of the record, and the new information revealed.

Document Archive

The CIA’s Death Investigation of Gul Rahman, 2002 [37 Pages, 16MB] – Released March of 2020 to The Black Vault after an MDR.

The CIA’s Death Investigation of Gul Rahman, 2002 – Highlighted Newly released information – [37 Pages, 16MB] –  This is the document above, with newly released information highlighted.

Previous Releases

The CIA’s Death Investigation of Gul Rahman, 2002 – 2016 CIA Release – [37 Pages, 16MB]

The post The CIA’s Death Investigation of Gul Rahman, 2002 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Operation Vulgar Betrayal was a counterterrorism probe, allegedly targeting Middle Eastern terrorist funds used to finance attacks on U.S. soil. The program also targeted those on U.S. soil planning such attacks.

It was an operation through the late 1990s and possibly into the early 2000s. FBI Agent Robert Wright was the case agent of Operation Vulgar Betrayal, who has spoken out extensively about the cancellation of the program, and the fact the FBI did not adequately pursue the many known U.S.-based Middle Eastern terrorists and their financial supporters identified via Vulgar Betrayal.

Below, I have archived thousands of pages relating to the program which the FBI has released. In a follow up FOIA request, the FBI says the below 9,425 pages is everything they have on the program.

Document Archive

Operation Vulgar Betrayal, Counterterrorism Probe, 1990s-2000s – FBI Release #1 (COMBINED / SEARCHABLE .pdf file of the individual files below) [9,425 Pages, 360MB] – Please note: This is a LARGE file. It is recommended you right click, and press “save as” to download to your hard drive before opening.

Operation Vulgar Betrayal, Counterterrorism Probe, 1990s-2000s – FBI Release #1 (.ZIP FILE OF SEARCHABLE, IDIVIDIAL .pdf FILES) [9,425 Pages, 305MB]

The post Operation Vulgar Betrayal, Counterterrorism Probe, 1990s-2000s first appeared on The Black Vault.

Superviolence is defined as the illegitimate use of nuclear, chemical, or biological mass destruction devices by domestic agents for attack or threat against U.S. civil society. Political extremism, sever mental imbalance, and criminal gain are examined as possible motivations. Since the nuclear industry constitutes the primary source of fissionable material for fabricating an illicit weapon, its policies, practices, and diversion safequards program are investigated. The threat process is analyzed in five phases: idea conception, group formation, weapon fabrication, application (attack or threat), and consequences. The steps of each phase are described for various weapons, with emphasis on the human factors, skills and resources involved. Potential failure modes are identified, and assessed as more severe in the nuclear than in the chemical or biological case. The important distinctions between direct attack, coercive threat, and sham are analyzed in detail. Actual nuclear superviolence is held to be an extremely unlikely phenomenon due to its dependence on the coalescence of specialized motives, high commitment, inhibition of restraints, technical skills, and significant resources in a risky, failure-prone process of inapparent utility. Chemical or biological superviolence is deemed more practicable, with the latter having an anit-personnel potential greater than the nuclear case. Provisions for controlling and responding to superviolent incidents are examined.

Document Archive

Superviolence: The Civil Threat of Mass Destruction Weapons, 1972 [448 Pages, 18.5MB]

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The post Superviolence: The Civil Threat of Mass Destruction Weapons, 1972 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Defense Support to Civil Authorities: WMD/E Consequence Management is a supplemental handbook that presents an appreciation of U.S. military forces and their roles as part of Department of Defense support to Federal emergency response in a terrorist WMD/E incident. This handbook supports a U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence capstone reference guide on terrorism, DCSINT Handbook No. 1, A Military Guide to Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century. Both the capstone guide and supplemental handbook are prepared under the direction of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence-Threats. Understanding WMD/E and terrorism spans foreign and domestic threats with specific strategies, tactics, and targets. A central aspect of this handbook comprises is the use of U.S. military capabilities during a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high yield explosive (CBRNE) incident in a contemporary operational environment (COE).

Document Archive

Defense Support of Civil Authorities. Handbook No. 1.04, 15 August 2004 [69 Pages, 0.8MB]

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The post Defense Support of Civil Authorities. Handbook No. 1.04, 15 August 2004 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, USS Liberty, by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats, on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two Marines, and one civilian), wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship. At the time, the ship was in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula, about 25.5 nmi (29.3 mi; 47.2 km) northwest from the Egyptian city of Arish.

Israel apologized for the attack, saying that the USS Liberty had been attacked in error after being mistaken for an Egyptian ship. Both the Israeli and U.S. governments conducted inquiries and issued reports that concluded the attack was a mistake due to Israeli confusion about the ship’s identity, though others, including survivors of the attack, have rejected these conclusions and maintain that the attack was deliberate.

In May 1968, the Israeli government paid US$3,323,500 (US$22.2 million in 2013) as full payment to the families of the 34 men killed in the attack. In March 1969, Israel paid a further $3,566,457 in compensation to the men who had been wounded. On 18 December 1980, it agreed to pay $6 million as settlement for the final U.S. bill of $17,132,709 for material damage to the Liberty itself plus 13 years’ interest. (Source: Wikipedia)

Document Archive

National Security Agency Collection

On 02 July 2003, the National Security Agency (NSA) released additional information relative to the 08 June 1967 attack on the U.S.S. Liberty. This release includes three audio recordings, transcripts (in English), three follow-up reports, and a U.S. Cryptologic History Report entitled “Attack on a SIGINT Collector, the U.S.S. Liberty.” The recordings are in Hebrew and contain time counts in English that were added by the intercept operator. The follow-up reports are summaries of the three transcripts with non-substantive chatter omitted and a compiled report that summarizes the activity and contains the text of the transcripts. The U.S. Cryptologic History Report is a less redacted version of the same document originally released in 1999.

How the information was obtained:

Within an hour of learning that the Liberty had been torpedoed the Director, NSA, LTG Marshall S. Carter, USA, sent a message to all intercept sites requesting a special search of all communications that might reflect the attack or reaction. No communications were available. However, one of the airborne platforms, a U.S. Navy EC-121, had collected voice conversations between two Israeli helicopter pilots and the control tower at Hazor Airfield following the attack on the Liberty.

Audio Recording Labeled 104 (.wav)
Transcript

Audio Recording Labeled 105
Transcript

Audio Recording Labeled 130
Transcript

Follow-up Report No. 1, dated 9 June 1967, 0831Z

Follow-up Report No. 2, dated 9 June 1967, 1422Z

Aftermath of Israeli Attack on U.S.S. Liberty, 22 June 1967, 1454Z

U.S.Cryptologic History Report, “Attack on a SIGINT Collector, the U.S.S. Liberty”, dated 1981

A Review of the Technical Research Ship Program 1961-1969 (1989 release – see below link for 2017 release) [138 Pages, 3.84mb]

A Review of the Technical Research Ship Program 1961-1969 (2017 Release) [137 Pages, 25.5MB] – In September of 2016, I requested a Mandatory Declassification Review of this document. Although previously released, it had a lot of redactions. In February of 2017, the NSA released this version of the document, after another review was conducted. (It appears I was not the only one who requested an MDR of the record — not sure who the other requester(s) were.

Office of the Secretary of Defense Collection

Formal Investigation into the Circumstances Surrounding the Attack of the USS Stark in 1987 [46 Pages, 1.6mb]

Messages Concerning U.S. Liberty Attack [5 Pages, 0.3mb]

USS Liberty Incident [194 Pages, 5.3mb]

USS Liberty Incident Chronology of Significant Events relating to the Employment of US Forces in Lebanon [4 Pages, 0.4mb]

USS Pueblo [15 Pages, 0.8mb]

The post USS Liberty Attack, June 8, 1967 first appeared on The Black Vault.

During the war in Iraq that began in March 2003, personnel of the United States Army and the Central Intelligence Agency committed a series of human rights violations against detainees in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. These violations included physical and sexual abuse, torture, rape, sodomy, and murder.  The abuses came to widespread public attention with the publication of photographs of the abuse by CBS News in April 2004. The incidents received widespread condemnation both within the United States and abroad, although the soldiers received support from some conservative media within the United States.

The administration of George W. Bush asserted that these were isolated incidents, not indicative of general U.S. policy. This was disputed by humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. These organizations stated that the abuses at Abu Ghraib were not isolated incidents, but were part of a wider pattern of torture and brutal treatment at American overseas detention centers, including those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay. Several scholars stated that the abuses constituted state-sanctioned crimes.

The United States Department of Defense removed seventeen soldiers and officers from duty, and eleven soldiers were charged with dereliction of duty, maltreatment, aggravated assault and battery. Between May 2004 and March 2006, these soldiers were convicted in courts-martial, sentenced to military prison, and dishonorably discharged from service. Two soldiers, Specialist Charles Graner and PFC Lynndie England, were sentenced to ten and three years in prison, respectively. Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the commanding officer of all detention facilities in Iraq, was reprimanded and demoted to the rank of colonel. Several more military personnel who were accused of perpetrating or authorizing the measures, including many of higher rank, were not prosecuted. It is reported that most inmates were innocent of the crimes they were accused of and were simply detained due to them being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Documents popularly known as the Torture Memos came to light a few years later. These documents, prepared shortly before the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States Department of Justice, authorized certain enhanced interrogation techniques, generally held to involve torture of foreign detainees. The memoranda also argued that international humanitarian laws, such as the Geneva Conventions, did not apply to American interrogators overseas. Several subsequent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006), have overturned Bush administration policy, and ruled that Geneva Conventions apply.

Many of the torture techniques used were developed at Guantánamo detention centre, including prolonged isolation; the frequent flier program, a sleep deprivation program whereby people were moved from cell to cell every few hours so they couldn’t sleep for days, weeks, even months, short-shackling in painful positions; nudity; extreme use of heat and cold; the use of loud music and noise and preying on phobias.

Document Archive

The Taguba Report

The Taguba Report (May 2004) is the common name of an official Army Regulation 15-6 military inquiry conducted in 2004 into the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse by United States military forces in Iraq.

In his Findings of Fact, Major General Taguba wrote:

“That between October and December 2003, at the Abu Ghraib Confinement Facility (BCCF), numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees. This systemic and illegal abuse of detainees was intentionally perpetrated by several members of the military police guard force (372nd Military Police Company, 320th Military Police Battalion, 800th MP Brigade), in Tier (section) 1-A of the Abu Ghraib Prison (BCCF). The allegations of abuse were substantiated by detailed witness statements (ANNEX 26) and the discovery of extremely graphic photographic evidence…In addition to the aforementioned crimes, there were also abuses committed by members of the 325th MI Battalion, 205th MI Brigade, and Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center (JIDC). Specifically, on 24 November 2003, [name redacted], 205th MI Brigade, sought to degrade a detainee by having him strip and returned to cell naked. (ANNEXES 26 and 53)”.

The Taguba Report [3,367 Pages] – PDF 1 | PDF 2 | PDF 3 | PDF 4 | PDF 5 | PDF 6

The Taguba Report – Annexes (Partial release)

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Documents

 Records pertaining to: FBI’s Abu Ghraib Investigation of its agents and their potential knowledge of what happened inside the prison FBI Release #1 [56 Pages, 20.9MB]

 Records pertaining to: FBI’s Abu Ghraib Investigation of its agents and their potential knowledge of what happened inside the prison FBI Release #2 [4 Pages, 0.6MB]

Donald Rumsfeld Visit to Abu Ghraib

On May 13, 2004, then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld visited Abu Ghraib prison.  He stated during this time that whomever was responsible for the atrocities at the prison, would be brought to justice.

Intrigued by the event, I was interested in documents relating to this. So, on May 18, 2004, I requested all documents from the Department of Defense, related to Rumsfeld’s visit.

I did not know it then, but I would wait more than 11 YEARS for the documents to be reviewed and released.  But, what I also did not realize, was that it would be another 15 MONTHS before I would find out that the DOD sent my response to the wrong address.

I did check in from time to time asking for updates relating to my request. However, I never got any updates. When I finally stopped asking, and requested the FOIA Case Processing notes on September 14, 2016, I was contacted by the DOD with the following note:

Good morning Mr. Greenewald,

We have received your request for the case processing notes for 04-F-1563. I was concerned by your statement that you never received a response, particularly because I recall signing this case. It was one of our ten oldest last year so I remember it fairly well.

We did close you request in June of 2015, however, it appears your final response was mailed to the incorrect address. The AO for the case will send you a copy of the response letter and the responsive documents electronically.

Please accept our apologies and let me know if we can do anything else for you on this matter.

Thankfully, the office at the DOD sent me the responsive documents electronically (now available below). And by looking at their letter — they sent these records to the Associated Press (AP) in June of 2015.  I am glad I kept pushing for answers – or I would’ve been a REALLY old man before I figured out what happened.

Although not the longest I have waited for documents to come, it’s up there. But what is strange, is why would it take so long? There were only 12 pages that required review. That is almost 1 YEAR PER PAGE by the time I got the documents in my hands. In addition, the redactions are all (b)(6) exemptions, which means they are names or it’s information redacted that is an invasion of personal privacy, if released. Those are pretty easy to determine, and should not take a year per page for review.

I also obtained the case processing notes, and once I did, there were excessive (b)(5) redactions. I appealed that, and received a second release two years later. All the records are available below.

Declassified DOD Documents

Donald Rumsfeld Visit to Abu Ghraib Documents [15 Pages, 2.7MB]

FOIA Case 04-F-1563 Processing Notes (Post-Appeal Release) [42 Pages, 5.9MB] – Since the case took 11+ years to process, it’s always interesting to see the progression of how the documents were handled and ultimately declassified. I appealed the release below, based on the fact I got excessive (b)(5) exemptions. They released a bit more of the case processing notes, based on that appeal. This is the post-appeal response.

FOIA Case 04-F-1563 Processing Notes (Original Release) [45 Pages, 12.1MB] – This is the original release of case processing notes. I appealed this released, and two years later, received the above link. This released is archived here for reference.

The post Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal first appeared on The Black Vault.

April 13, 1993: Fourteen men believed to be in the employ of Saddam Hussein smuggled bombs into Kuwait with the intent of planting car bombs to assassinate Bush during his visit to Kuwait University. Two of the suspects Wali Abdelhadi Ghazali and Raad Abdel-Amir al-Assadi retracted their confessions at the trial claiming that they were coerced. The plot was foiled when Kuwaiti officials found the bomb and arrested the suspected assassins. Bush had left office in January 1993. The Iraqi Intelligence Service, particularly Directorate 14, was proven to be behind the plot.

On June 27, 1993 President Bill Clinton responded to the assassination attempt as part of Operation Southern Watch by firing 23 Tomahawk cruise missiles against the Iraqi Intelligence Headquarters. Clinton was convinced to attack by three compelling pieces of evidence. First, suspects in the plot confessed to FBI agents in Kuwait. Second, FBI bomb experts firmly linked the captured car bombs to the same explosives made in Iraq, including a 175-pound car bomb found in Kuwait City on April 14. Third, intelligence reports confirmed that Saddam had been plotting to assassinate the former President for some time. Leaders from both parties supported Clinton’s attack.  (Source: Wikipedia)

Document Archive

Assassination Attempt Records from CENTCOM [11 Pages, 2.46MB]

Assassination Attempt Records from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) [2 Pages, 0.7MB] – Records classified

Assassination Attempt Records from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) [3 Pages, 704KB]

Assassination Attempt Records from INSCOM [13 Pages, 1.84MB]

Requested MDR of these records in January 2018, no difference in release in June 2018 [13 Pages, 1.7MB]

Assassination Attempt Records from the US Air Force Office of Special Investigation (AFOSI) [5 Pages, 261 KB] – Responsive documents from a request I filed from the DIA.

Assassination Attempt Records from the US Department of Defense(DOD) [7 Pages, 221 KB] – Responsive documents from a request I filed from the DIA.

Assassination Attempt Records from the US Department of State [34 Pages, 3.93 MB] – Responsive documents from a request I filed from the DIA.

Initial Edit of 1993 Human Rights Report, November 1993 – 2019 Release (Highlighted newly released information) [10 Pages, 5.8MB] – This was one of the documents in the above release. In 2018, I requested an MDR review of the document, and in April of 2019, I received the record in full.

Assassination Attempt Records from NCIS [8 Pages, 1.6MB]

The post Assassination Attempt: George H. W. Bush – 4/13/1993 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Originally, this record was released on the CIA FOIA Reading Room, wherein each and every page read, “PAGE DENIED”. Page after page, it looked like the page to the right.

In June of 2018, I filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request for the record to be reviewed, since it was more than two years after the last one that resulted in each page being denied.

In March of 2019, I received the record, still in redacted form, but much was released. From the CIA letter, another requester received a copy released in August of 2018, which I found out was Jason Leopold – so kudos to him for getting this released.

There was no additional review on my request (since the August 2018 release is less than two years), but they gave me a copy of what was released. That is available below.

Document Archive

Summary and Reflection of Chief of Medical Services on the OMS Participation in the Detention and Interrogation Program [90 Pages, 51.8MB]

The post Summary and Reflection of Chief of Medical Services on the OMS Participation in the Detention and Interrogation Program first appeared on The Black Vault.

On 10 May 2005, Vladimir Arutyunian waited for United States President George W. Bush and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to speak. When Bush began speaking, he threw a Soviet-made RGD-5 hand grenade, wrapped in a red plaid handkerchief, toward the podium where Bush stood as he addressed the crowd. The grenade landed 18.6 metres (61 ft) from the podium, near where Saakashvili, his wife Sandra E. Roelofs, Laura Bush, and other officials were seated.

The grenade failed to detonate. Although original reports indicated that the grenade was not live, it was later revealed that it was. After Arutyunian pulled the pin and threw the grenade, it hit a girl, cushioning its impact. The red handkerchief remained wrapped around the grenade, and it prevented the striker lever from releasing. A Georgian security officer quickly removed the grenade, and Arutyunian disappeared.

Arutyunian later explained that he threw the grenade “towards the heads” so that “the shrapnel would fly behind the bulletproof glass”. Bush and Saakashvili did not learn of the incident until after the rally.

Declassified Documents

1.  Department of State records Release #1 [7 Pages, 1.5MB]
2.  Department of State records Release #2 [7 Pages, 1.8MB] – It appears this is the same release above, however, it is after an FBI review of redacted information, and therefore, more was released. Both are archived here for reference.
3.  European Command (EUCOM) records [5 Pages, 0.3MB]
4. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records – Release #1 [102 Pages, 3.90MB]
5. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records – Release #2 [17 Pages, 7.7MB] – These records were released after processing a request for FIVE years which began at the United States Secret Service, then was transferred to the FBI.  These records were released on October 2, 2017.

The post Assassination Attempt: President George W. Bush – May 10, 2005 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This document was first released in 2016 (which I have archived below). I requested a Mandatory Declassification Review in November of 2018, and it appears someone else did the same earlier in the year, and it was processed again with less redactions.

This is still highly classified and is available below.

Document Archive

 Additional Operational and Security Considerations for the Next Phase of Abu Zubaydah Interrogation, July 2, 2002 [6 Pages, 0.8MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/cia/EOM-2019-00096.pdf

 2016 Original CIA Release [6 Pages, 0.8MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/cia/0006541506.pdf

The post Additional Operational and Security Considerations for the Next Phase of Abu Zubaydah Interrogation, July 2, 2002 first appeared on The Black Vault.

According to the report:

“Saudi Arabia is a key base of financial support for al-Qa’ida. Most of the money originates from wealthy individuals, fundraisers who solicit smaller donations, and diversions from non-governmental organizations (NGOs); a portion of the funding is derived from legitimate religious contributions.”

The report was originally released in 2012, but heavily redacted.

I filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) on September 11, 2018, and did receive a new, SLIGHTLY less redacted version in November of the same year.

The follow appears to be the only new information from the MDR, which appeared in the SCOPE NOTE for the document. Previously, it was entirely redacted (the full document is downloaded below):

Document Archive

 CIA Report: Saudi-Based Financial Support for Terrorist Organizations, 14 November 2002 [17 Pages, 1.8MB]

https://documents2.theblackvault.com/documents/cia/SaudiBasedFinancialSupportTerrorist-November2018.pdf

The post CIA Report: Saudi-Based Financial Support for Terrorist Organizations, 14 November 2002 first appeared on The Black Vault.

According to the document:

“Analysis of all plots against the United States and US interests between 2001 and 2010 by action-oriented indicted Islamic extremists indicated there was an 11 percent increase in the number of incidents after 2006 as compared to the earlier half of the decade. The FBI and the Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC) assess [[ REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED  ]] based on available and reliable open source reporting, that US person activity drove the post-2006 rise, as the group was five times more active than foreign nationals in the same timeframe.”

Document Archive

 Intelligence Assessment: “Decade in Review: Self-Selecting US Persons Drive Post-2006 Increase in Anti-US Plotting” – 7 March 2011 [18 Pages, 8.9MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/fbifiles/1357639.pdf

The post Intelligence Assessment: “Decade in Review: Self-Selecting US Persons Drive Post-2006 Increase in Anti-US Plotting” – 7 March 2011 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Although controversial due to the fact it was paid for by tax payers, Attorney General John Ashcroft used to travel by private jet during his tenure as Attorney General.  This began in the beginning of 2001, before the attacks on 9/11.

Conspiracy theorists have long pointed to this fact as further proof that the government had prior knowledge that something bad was about to happen. Prior attorney generals used to travel primarily by commercial airlines, and extra security was simply added to their flights to ensure their safety. But early in 2001, that changed, and Ashcroft traveled by private, chartered jet.   The FBI cited a “threat assessment” for the reason of requesting Attorney General Ashcroft travel in this manner, but never released that actual assessment. It was often cited by media sources.

One such mention, was made in July of 2001, by CBS News:

Fishing rod in hand, Attorney General John Ashcroft left on a weekend trip to Missouri Thursday afternoon aboard a chartered government jet, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart.

In response to inquiries from CBS News over why Ashcroft was traveling exclusively by leased jet aircraft instead of commercial airlines, the Justice Department cited what it called a “threat assessment” by the FBI, and said Ashcroft has been advised to travel only by private jet for the remainder of his term.

“There was a threat assessment and there are guidelines. He is acting under the guidelines,” an FBI spokesman said. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department, however, would identify what the threat was, when it was detected or who made it.

A senior official at the CIA said he was unaware of specific threats against any Cabinet member, and Ashcroft himself, in a speech in California, seemed unsure of the nature of the threat.

In July of 2016, I requested a copy of this “threat assessment” from the FBI. In June of 2017, it was declassified at released. As far as I can tell, I do not believe this document has ever been released before.

Introduction

The document’s introduction states:

There is a societal need to preserve the safety and security of the United States Attorney General and his family. In his official position as the head of the Department of Justice and chief law enforcement officer of the federal government, he represents the United States in legal matters generally and gives advice and opinions to the President and to heads of executive departments of government. The Attorney General, through the Department of Justice, plays a pivotal role in ensuring healthy competition of our free-enterprise system, safeguarding the consumer, and in enforcing drug, immigration, and naturalization laws. The Department also has a vital role in protecting citizens against criminals and subversion through effective law enforcement, crime prevention, detection, prosecution, and rehabilitation of offenders.

The Department conducts all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States is a concern. The Attorney General directs these activities, as well as those of the U.S. Attorneys throughout the United States. As a result, due to the vast responsibilities of the Attorney General, the Attorney General will continue to be in the forefront of many disagreements and controversies. Consequently, the Attorney General will continue to be a target of choice for protest and retaliation by individuals, terrorist fanatics, drug cartels, and organized criminal enterprises seeking revenge or notoriety.

Document Archive

 Threat Assessment and Security Plan for the Attorney General, Undated circa early 2001 [39 Pages, 33.6MB]

The post Threat Assessment and Security Plan for the Attorney General, Undated circa early 2001 first appeared on The Black Vault.

I found reference to the following document, having been released due to an ACLU FOIA lawsuit in 2011.

Since a large amount of time had passed since it was originally released (and it was heavily redacted), I requested the document be reviewed again in December of 2016, with the filing of a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request.

Sadly, the result was nearly identical to the original release, but it does appear they did review it again, and redact the classified information.

This was the result:

Document Archive

 FBI Atlanta Intelligence Note from Domain Management: Terrorism and Counterintelligence Threat, September 8, 2009 [14 Pages, 4.8MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/terrorism/1363963-000.pdf

The post FBI Atlanta Intelligence Note from Domain Management: Terrorism and Counterintelligence Threat, September 8, 2009 first appeared on The Black Vault.