The CIA just released its decades-old "Family Jewels" report on activities in the '60s and '70s including assassination plots, domestic spying, drug experimentation.... The big question: why now?
Congress got the documents 30+ years ago, and much of the info became public through scholars' and writers' Freedom of Information Act requests (Washington Post). CIA Director Michael Hayden said that he just wants to set the record straight (WaPo).
(Sniff) What's that? Could it be the powerful odor of mendacity a public-relations stunt? Has our CIA grown kinder, gentler, and more trustworthy than it used to be?
Instead of what the CIA did 30+ years ago, wouldn't you rather know what it's been doing over the last six years?...
What about intelligence-gathering before the September 11th attacks? What about CIA input while the White House pushed to invade Iraq?
Aside from abducting and torturing people in secret prisons, what is the CIA doing now -- as the Bush Administration pushes to invade Iran?
The National Security Archive at George Washington University has the Family Jewels report (pdf), some summaries, and links to extracted pages for specific "jewels." Seven are listed below:
- Journalist surveillance (pp. 26-30)
- Drug-experimentation (p. 213)
.
- Plan to poison a foreign leader (p. 464)
- Secret mail-opening (pp. 28, 644-45)
- Training foreign police in bomb-making, sabotage...(pp. 599-603)
- Warrantless wiretapping (pp. 533-539)
.
- Watergate burglar/ex-CIA agent sought lock-picker (p.107)
I'm sure we'll hear a lot about this in the coming months, but I hope America's newsmedia will keep their eye on the ball re: the present day CIA. Many of the people involved in the stunts of 30+ years ago probably can't be dragged into court, and some may no longer be with us.
Below are links to what some others are saying:
- Revisiting the Family Jewels (No Quarter)
- Mob Hired CIA to Kill Castro (Chicago Syndicate)
-CIA Details Cold War Skullduggery (Cynic Views)
- Summary of some juicy jewels (MSNBC)
- CIA Spooked by Domestic Surveillance (Danger Room at Wired)
- Family Jewels (Top Cover)
Comments