History

FBI Denies Release of Files on Reddit

Background On December 25, 2017, The Black Vault requested all FBI files on the social news and discussion platform known…

February 11, 2020

USS Stark Incident, May 17, 1987

Background The USS Stark incident occurred during the Iran–Iraq War on 17 May 1987, when an Iraqi jet aircraft fired…

January 27, 2020

USS Liberty Attack, June 8, 1967

Background The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, USS Liberty, by Israeli…

January 27, 2020

Studies in Intelligence, Volume 1, Number 2, January 1956

Background Studies in Intelligence is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal on intelligence that is published by the Center for the…

December 12, 2019

Effectiveness of the CIA Counterterrorist Interrogation Techniques, March 2005

Background This is an odd example of how a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) case unfolded. In November of 2018, I…

December 12, 2019

Visual Media Presentation for Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Staffers, September 2, 1987

Background An unknown list of films were shown to Senate Select Committee on Intelligence staffers. Edward Levine, John Nelson, Britt…

November 21, 2019

Briefing For SSCI Aides on May 1981 Assassination Attempt Against The Pope (John Paul II), 1981

Background IAD/CTG Briefing for SSCI Aides on May Assassination Attempt Against the Pope. The below two page document was requested…

November 21, 2019

Audit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Management of its Confidential Human Source Validation Processes, Audit Report 20-009, November 2019

Background The objectives of this audit were to: (1) evaluate the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Confidential Human Source (CHS)…

November 19, 2019

Cicada 3301

Background Cicada 3301 is a nickname given to an organization that on three occasions has posted a set of puzzles…

October 29, 2019

NSA Emails: Media Leaks Strategic Guidance Needed on Engaging FOIA Requesters, 2013

Background The following emails were internal communications between NSA employees on how to deal with certain types of FOIA requesters.…

September 27, 2019