In a recent release under Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) case EOM-2020-00275, the CIA has provided new insights into the propaganda tactics and internal conflicts within the Communist world during the Cold War. The documents, initially released in 2017 under FOIA case F-2012-02068 and Civil Action No,. 17-cv-00160 as filed by James Lesar at the Assassination Archives and Research Center (AARC), have undergone further declassification, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of Communist dissensions, particularly between April 11 and April 24, 1964. The document entitled, “Propagandist’s Guide to Communist Dissensions,” was part of a biweekly series aimed at providing propaganda guidance…
Author: John Greenewald
Newly released documents shed light on communications between the UAP Task Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The documents are part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by The Black Vault on June 27, 2021, seeking communications between the NRO and the UAP Task Force (UAPTF). The request was made following the publication of the 2021 UAP report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which indicated that the UAPTF had received input from the NRO. This request sought specifically the records that pertained to the input from the NRO to the UAPTF about their…
According to the “objective” of the report: The objective of this evaluation was to determine the extent to which the DoD managed and tracked displaced persons from Afghanistan through the biometric enrollment, screening, and vetting process. Specifically, we evaluated the: • screening of individuals biometrically, and whether the processes to screen these individuals was followed; • identification, tracking, and management of the biometric enrollment of individuals who have never been enrolled in a DoD database; • management of individuals identified as security risks through the screening process; and • management and tracking of individuals’ ingress and egress to DoD‑managed facilities.…
On May 13, 2021, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review request with the CIA, seeking to lift redactions on the document known as the “KUBARK Counterintelligence Interrogation” manual, dated July 1963. The case, EOM-2021-00117, aimed to reveal more about the CIA’s interrogation techniques by lifting the redactions on the originally released manual. Although the declassification revealed very little new information, it did shed light on some articles related to interrogation that were used as reference material when the manual was written, prompting further requests by The Black Vault for various “Studies in Intelligence” documents. It appears they have…
On February 22, 2024, The Black Vault received a long-awaited response from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed on August 25, 2021. The request sought all records related to the “Havana Syndrome,” a mysterious condition that has affected U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers since 2016. Havana Syndrome first came to light when U.S. Embassy staff in Havana, Cuba, reported experiencing unexplained health issues, including headaches, dizziness, and hearing loss. Similar incidents have since been reported by American personnel in various countries, leading to speculation about the cause, ranging from sonic attacks to…