CIA to declassify its 'family jewels'

CIA to declassify its 'family jewels'

www.latimes.com

The CIA will declassify hundreds of pages of long-secret records detailing some of the intelligence agency's worst illegal abuses — the so-called "family jewels" documenting overseas assassination attempts, domestic spying, kidnapping and infiltration of leftist groups from the 1950s to the 1970s, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said Thursday.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This, to me anyways, seems like some unknown ploy at this time.

Why release ANY incriminating evidence at all. For Decades the CIA has held many secrets and preformed many 'distasteful' tasks- this is common knowledge to most people.

Could there be another reason they are coming clean on many of the escapades over the years?

www.latimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm quite excited about this - obviously they will only release stuff relating to people who are dead or can't be held accountable - with much editing but if they even release the tip on the iceberg from the 50s it should help to build a fuller picture of the post-war/cold war era. I am going to be going through it with a fine tooth comb as soon as it goes on-line.

Obviously the CIA is fulfilling its own agenda, but that is what we all have to work with. Nothing is to gain for humanity as a whole by these secrets, it only confuses the issues. We have to let it all hang out, we can't move forward unless we do and however horrifying the truth may be - we'll adapt, we always do.

The CIA is probably attempting to bring the U.S. government down with it if the likes of Dick Cheney try to bridle it.

This could be a "This is just the beginning. Mess with us any further, Dick, and we'll release EVERYTHING" from the CIA. That's about the only reason I can see for them doing this. We all know Dick Cheney tried to set the CIA up as the fall-guy for the Iraqi WMD fiasco, as well as for the "failure" to prevent 9/11. I guess The Farm is mad as hell and aint' gonna take it no more.

Originally posted by grailkeeper

Why release ANY incriminating evidence at all. For Decades the CIA has held many secrets and preformed many 'distasteful' tasks- this is common knowledge to most people.

Could there be another reason they are coming clean on many of the escapades over the years?

www.latimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I think to take heat off of other more current issues. Such as Iraq, Iran, WTC, UFO's, etc. I think the U.S. has had a re-newed interest in these subjects and the documents they are to release will push issues away from current discussion to thos of decades old conspiracies that no long hold any importance internationally.

[edit on 22-6-2007 by tyranny22]

IMHO I feel that the CIA has had it's nuts removed by NSA, Council for Foreign Relations(CFR) so for me the CIA is only releasing Cold War files. The real deals are still going to be hidden for alomg time to come

Ill have to dig for it, but i read an article a few days ago referenced from an ATS thread about the "age of revealing" or as they call it "the end game" where the participants in the NWO would begin to release information about who they are and what they've been doing as well as where they're headed. Could this be the beginning of that phase? I really see no good reason for the CIA to give up all their most hidden secrets.

Originally posted by Valorian...so for me the CIA is only releasing Cold War files. The real deals are still going to be hidden for alomg time to come...

That's what I think it will probably be as well. Since the Cold War no longer exists (at least on the surface), there is no real need to keep those things secret.

But to think that they would be releasing anything truly pertinent to us CT'ers, I think not. So, don't get your hopes up too high.

I just want to know for once and for all though, who else did they have on the grassy knoll?

edit to include JFK reference, and typo.



[edit on 6/22/2007 by Mechanic 32]

I'm betting that whatever they release, it will fit some agenda, but just what might that agenda be??

They could just feed us a bunch of lies and tell us it's old secrets.....how would we know the difference??

When I get a chance to look through it, I'll be using a very large grain of salt.

Originally posted by frayed1

They could just feed us a bunch of lies and tell us it's old secrets.....how would we know the difference??

I was thinking this as well, but I am guessing they will have more than enough colaboration from the 'general public' that would help strengthen any story deemed unbelievable.

Witnesses everywhere. lol

And as for Mechanics reference to Kennedy... I think the released documents will have all kinds of information on who 'THEY' suspected, with no incriminating evidence towards themselves.

I'm interested in seeing it even if it doesn't reveal the big conspiracies that we want disclosed. At least we only have to wait until next week to find out.

What this may do though, is increase the perception of the public that the CIA is very capable of keeping secrets and is able to act on its own. And that is a win for us since it helps support the evidence of the bigger conspiracies out there. When you tell people about conspiracy theories, skeptics will just say "how can they possible keep that a secret"... well these documents should hold that answer.

[edit on 22-6-2007 by curiousbeliever]

the so called jewels include:

www.gwu.edu...
1. Confinement of a Russian defector that "might be regarded as a violation of the kidnapping laws."
2. Wiretapping of two syndicated columnists, Robert Allen and Paul Scott.
3. Physical surveillance of muckraker Jack Anderson and his associates, including current Fox News anchor Britt Hume.
4. Physical surveillance of then Washington Post reporter Michael Getler.
5. Break-in at the home of a former CIA employee.
6. Break-in at the office of a former defector.
7. Warrantless entry into the apartment of a former CIA employee.
8. Mail opening from 1953 to 1973 of letters to and from the Soviet Union.
9. Mail opening from 1969 to 1972 of letters to and from China.
10. Behavior modification experiments on "unwitting" U.S. citizens.
11. Assassination plots against Castro, Lumumba, and Trujillo (on the latter, "no active part" but a "faint connection" to the killers).
12. Surveillance of dissident groups between 1967 and 1971.
13. Surveillance of a particular Latin American female and U.S. citizens in Detroit.
14. Surveillance of a CIA critic and former officer, Victor Marchetti.
15. Amassing of files on 9,900-plus Americans related to the antiwar movement.
16. Polygraph experiments with the San Mateo, California, sheriff.
17. Fake CIA identification documents that might violate state laws.
18. Testing of electronic equipment on US telephone circuits.

id call it more bling than jewels.

with the ones you just listed, imagine 10 more between each one that will never be released.

Really, who would know the difference?

Perhaps this is being released as part of Hayden's Strategic Intent 2007-2011. Out with the old... and in with the new. Here's hoping.

I have no doubt that there are many many more documents for each document they release. These documents will be edited with black marker and won't really tell the big picture of the important events.

Reason they're releasing it? I personally don't think there is one. What will happen if they do? Nothing. Do you guys actually think the general public of American people care about this? Do you think they're going to pull away from their Paris Hilton coverage and reality shows to read through some 1950's CIA documents?

Originally posted by subz
The CIA is probably attempting to bring the U.S. government down with it if the likes of Dick Cheney try to bridle it.

This could be a "This is just the beginning. Mess with us any further, Dick, and we'll release EVERYTHING" from the CIA. That's about the only reason I can see for them doing this. We all know Dick Cheney tried to set the CIA up as the fall-guy for the Iraqi WMD fiasco, as well as for the "failure" to prevent 9/11. I guess The Farm is mad as hell and aint' gonna take it no more.

This is a possible reason, I think.

I'm not very old (19), so clearly I haven't seen many presidencies. In fact, I never got into politics until this administration. But I can't imagine there being THIS much corruption, secrecy, and incompetence both intentional and not intentional in many other administrations.

It seems like the wall is crumbling in DC. We can only hope.

[edit on 6/22/07 by NovusOrdoMundi]

FYI, General Hayden's complete speech about the FOIA, declassifying information, keeping information classified and the part about the 'family jewels' is on the CIA website:

www.cia.gov...

Here's what he says about the 'Family Jewels':

In that context, we have completed our declassification review and are preparing to release most of the so-called “Family Jewels,” a very famous set of documents written over three decades ago, when Director Schlesinger asked employees to report activities they thought might be inconsistent with the Agency’s charter. Much of it has been in the press before, and most of it is unflattering, but it is CIA’s history. The documents provide a glimpse of a very different time and a very different Agency. When we release these declassified documents, we will put them on our public Web site, just as we have with many others, ensuring easy access.

[edit on 22-6-2007 by curiousbeliever]

Originally posted by NovusOrdoMundi
Reason they're releasing it? I personally don't think there is one. What will happen if they do? Nothing. Do you guys actually think the general public of American people care about this? Do you think they're going to pull away from their Paris Hilton coverage and reality shows to read through some 1950's CIA documents?

At the least it'll be fodder for writers - just the attempts on castro alone would make a very good read - whole picture or not.

Something to pass the time - doubt any thing that could shake administrations or make people jump off buildings will be released.

Thanks, but I already had a thread for this:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by grailkeeper

CIA to declassify its 'family jewels'

www.latimes.com

The CIA will declassify hundreds of pages of long-secret records detailing some of the intelligence agency's worst illegal abuses — the so-called "family jewels" documenting overseas assassination attempts, domestic spying, kidnapping and infiltration of leftist groups from the 1950s to the 1970s, CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said Thursday.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Well, to me these documents that the CIA is going to release is more like low level jobs. I can't imagine an agency so secretive to give up their family jewels. Probably their releasing of these files is because people already suspected certain incidents happened but wanted confirmation. And the documents are not going to reveal a sinister plot.

Originally posted by IgnoranceIsntBlisss
Thanks, but I already had a thread for this:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

IIB, looks like your thread
was smitten by reptilianslayer.


The information they are releasing seems kinda lame.
"Family Jewels" eh? Sounds like we're gettin "Tea-Bagged".

To me, its like saying,
"Hey, we screwed up and did dumb
s*** when we were younger, but that
was then, this is now.. we've changed."
(wink wink)

This isn't the good, it isn't really that bad,
and I'm sure its far from the ugly.