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CIA Declassifies the "Family Jewels"

Posted by kdawson on from the in-case-you-were-inclined-to-trust-the-government dept.

An anonymous reader informs us that the CIA has recently declassified for your reading pleasure some records relating to illegal spying, assassination attempts, and other goodies. These are available from the CIA's FOIA portal. From the BBC article: " Last week, CIA chief Michael Hayden announced the decision to declassify the records, saying the documents were 'unflattering but part of CIA history.' The documents detail assassination plots, domestic spying, wiretapping, and kidnapping... Among the documents is a request in 1972 for someone 'who was accomplished at picking locks' who might be retiring or resigning from the agency."

12 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. Good stuff for people across the world by cygnusx · · Score: 5, Interesting

    For example, readers from India might want to check out the CIA's files about the India-China war of 1962, especially since India's Freedom of Information laws (IIRC) don't cover matters of national security.

    1. Re:Good stuff for people across the world by topher_k · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There is one reason to keep information that old classified: Protecting the identities, and the lives, of current operatives.

      Here's an example: Let's say the CIA's current operatives in Shanghai were all recruited by a long-serving operative there, starting back in the 1960's. If the classified information provides enough information for China to identify him, China can go back into their intelligence files and possibly identify people with whom he has had regular contact over the years, allowing them to identify the current operatives. This could cripple the intelligence network for that area, and possibly result in the deaths of many CIA employees.

      --
      They'll get my encryption algorithm when they pry it from my cold, dead hard drive.
  2. bah! by ekran · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Where are the top secret documents about the assassination of Kennedy? I wanna read them!

    1. Re:bah! by Nazlfrag · · Score: 5, Funny

      You see, the role of the CIA is to assassinate foreign heads of state. It's the NSA and FBI files you're after.

    2. Re:bah! by joss · · Score: 5, Funny

      How do you know the CIA had nothing to do with Kennedy assassination:
      because he's dead.

      --
      http://rareformnewmedia.com/
    3. Re:bah! by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Funny

      You sure? I think I saw Dick Cheney's soul on EBay a while ago. Think it was counterfeit? Should I report it?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  3. This quote seems fitting by Mgns · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "We confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no large ones".

            Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613 - 1680)

  4. Re:A surprise? by Kokuyo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What exactly is your point? That we should stop giving the CIA the finger because Mossad and KGB and all the others were/are doing the same thing?

    I think it's an interesting step to release all this information, though. Would be great if more agencies would follow.

    What I find very funny about your post, though: Do you really think the agencies are there to protect the security and wealth of a nation? The nation basically consists of the people and the government. So this is at least partially wrong. The agencies are there to protect the government and its agenda. Nothing more, nothing less. Whether that is in the best interest of the public is a matter of opinion and coincidence.

  5. The message this sends current CIA operatives by niceone · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The message this sends current CIA operatives: go ahead, do whatever illegal stuff you want because you're going to get away with it - in 50 years time we'll tell everyone and have a good laugh about it.

    --
    ccalam - acoustic versions of new songs.
  6. Re:"Among the documents" by El-Wrongo · · Score: 5, Informative

    I also got interested by that comment, so I searched for 1972 in Wikipedia and here is what I found: # May 28 - Watergate first break-in. # May 30 - The Angry Brigade goes on trial in the United Kingdom. From the Wikipedia article on the Watergate burglaries, it appears (without me having completely read trough them) that those who broke in was from the CIA.

  7. Re:A surprise? by Admiral+Ag · · Score: 5, Funny

    It makes no sense for Canada to have a military that is focused on anything other than UN peacekeeping. Now that the cold war is over, Canada has no enemies. What on earth do you need a huge military for if you have no enemies? Other than the United States (which could probably buy Canada if it really wanted to), who is in a position to invade Canada?

    Who has reason to strike Canada when Canadians will pretty much give you anything if you ask nicely and say you like hockey.

    The answer is no-one. Canada has no need for a cold war level military.

    --
    "by that I mean people who don't sit on slashdot all day wondering why everyone else isn't building robots" DECS
  8. More Dirt by ChemE · · Score: 5, Informative

    The "Family Jewels" are also available from National Security Archive website. Also included is a short history and some additional documents.


    The National Security Archive (a private organization based at George Washington University) has lots of other dirt from the CIA and other organizations all obtained by the Freedom of Information Act. The site is definitely worth a visit.