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Project MKULTRA, The CIA's Program
Of Research In Behavioral Modification
APPENDIX B
Documents Referring To Discovery
Of Additional MKULTRA Material
[document begins]
22 June 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
THROUGH: Deputy Director for Science and Technology
SUBJECT: Request for Guidance on Handling Recently Located MKULTRA
Material
1. (U/AIUO) This memorandum is
to advise you that additional MKULTRA documents have been discovered
and to obtain your approval for follow-on actions required. Paragraph
7 contains a recommended course of action.
2. (U/AIUO) As a result of John
Marks FOIA request (F-76-374), all of the MKULTRA material in
OTS possession was reviewed for possible release to him. Following
that review, the OTS material in the Retired Records Center was
searched. It was during that latter search that the subproject
files were located among the retired records of the OTS Budget
and Fiscal Section. These files were not discovered earlier as
the earlier searches were limited to the examination of the active
and retired records of those branches considered most likely
to have generated or have had access to MKULTRA documents. Those
branches included: Chemistry, Biological, Behavioral Activities,
and Contracts Management. Because Dr. Gottlieb retrieved and
destroyed all the MKULTRA documents he was able to locate, it
is not surprising that the earlier search for MKULTRA documents,
directed at areas where they were most likely to be found, was
unsuccessful. The purpose of establishing the MKULTRA mechanism
was to limit knowledge of the sensitive work being performed
to those with an absolute need to know. If those precepts had
been followed, the recently found B&F files should have contained
only financial and administrative documents. (In retrospect,
I realize that
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SUBJECT: Request for Guidance on Handling Recently Located MKULTRA
Material
a serious error was made in not having B&F files and other
seemingly innocuous files searched earlier.) As it happened most
of the individual subproject folders contain project proposals
and memoranda for the record, which in varying degrees, give
a reasonably complete picture of the avenues of research funded
through MKULTRA. For your information, the original memorandum
setting up MKULTRA, signed by Mr. Dulles, is also among these
documents. A copy of the memorandum is attached.
3. (U/AIUO) At this writing, it
does not appear that there is anything in these newly located
files that would indicate the MKULTRA activities were more extensive
or more controversial than indicated by the Senate Select (Church)
Committee Report. If anything, the reverse is true, i.e., most
of the nearly 200 subprojects are innocuous. Thus, the overview
of MKULTRA is essentially unchanged. With two exceptions, the
project find fills in some of the missing details.
4. (U/AIUO) One of these exceptions
is Subproject Number 45 which concerns an activity that should
have been reported earlier. That project deals with the search
for a knockout drug which was concomitant with, and a by-product
of, cancer research at a major university. It is believed that
an objective reading of that project would demonstrate the search
for knockout materials and anesthetics were compatible activities.
However, the research proposal stated that "chemical agents...
will be subjected to clinical screening... on advanced cancer
patients".
5. (C) Subproject Number 55 contains
full details of CIA's contribution of $375,000 to the [deletion]
Building Fund. The Agency was then involved in drug research
programs, many of which were being conducted by [deletion] whose
facilities were inadequate. In order to facilitate the ongoing
research programs, it was decided to expedite the building program
by contributing to it through a mechanism that was also being
used to fund some of the research projects.
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SUBJECT: Request for Guidance on Handling Recently Located MKULTRA
Material
The contribution could be controversial in that it was made through
a mechanism making it appear to be a private donation. Private
donations qualified for, and [deletion] received, an equal amount
of Federal matching funds. A letter from the Office of General
Counsel dated 21 February 1954 attesting to the legality of this
funding is in the file.
6. (U/AIUO) The Legislative Counsel
has been made aware of the existence of these additional MKULTRA
documents which are still under review and sanitation. The MARKS
case is in litigation and we are committed to advise Mr. Marks
of the existence of these files shortly, and to deliver the releasable
material to his attorneys by 31 July. A letter from the Information
and Privacy Staff to Mr. Marks' attorneys informing them of the
existence of this material is in the coordination process and
is scheduled to be mailed on 24 June.
7. (U/AIUO) There are now two actions
that should be taken:
a.
Release appropriately sanitized material to Mr. Marks' attorneys
as required by FOIA litigation.
b.
Inform the Senate Select Committee of the existence of the recently
located records prior to informing Mr. Marks' attorneys.
It is recommended that you approve of both of these actions.
8. (U/AIUO) If additional details
on the contents of this material are desired, the OIS officers
most familiar with it are prepared to brief you at your convenience.
[signature]
David S. Brandwein
Director
Office of Technical Service
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The Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, D.C. 20505
The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman
Select Committee on Intelligence
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
During the course of 1975 when
the Senate Committee, chaired by Senator Church, was investigating
intelligence activities, the CIA was asked to produce documentation
on a program of experimentation with the effect of drugs. Under
this project conducted from 1953 to 1964 and known as "MK-ULTRA,"
tests were conducted on American citizens in some cases without
their knowledge. The CIA, after searching for such documentation,
reported that most of the documents on this matter have been
destroyed. I find it my duty to report to you now that our continuing
search for drug related, as well as other documents, has uncovered
certain papers which bear on this matter. Let me hasten to add
that I am persuaded that there was no previous attempt to conceal
this material in the original 1975 exploration. The material
recently discovered was in the retired archives filed under financial
accounts and only uncovered by using extraordinary and extensive
search efforts. In this connection, incidentally, I have personally
commended the employee whose diligence produced this find.
Because the new material now on
hand is primarily of a financial nature, it does not present
a complete picture of the field of drug experimentation activity
but it does provide more detail than was previously available
to us. For example, the following types of activities were undertaken:
a.
Possible additional cases of drugs being tested on American citizens,
without their knowledge.
b.
Research was undertaken on surreptitious methods of administering
drugs.
c.
Some of the persons chosen for experimentation were drug addicts
or alcoholics.
d.
Research into the development of a knockout or "K"
drug was performed in conjunction with being done to develop
pain killers for advanced cancer patients, and tests on such
patients were carried out.
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e.
There is a possibility of an improper payment to a private institution.
The drug related activities described in this newly located material
began almost 25 years ago. I assure you they were discontinued
over 10 years ago and do not take place today.
In keeping with the President's
commitment to disclose any errors of the Intelligence Community
which are uncovered, I would like to volunteer to testify before
your Committee on the full details of this unfortunate series
of events. I am in the process of reading the fairly voluminous
material involved and do want to be certain that I have a complete
picture when I talk with the Committee. I will be in touch with
you next week to discuss when hearings might be scheduled at
the earliest opportunity.
I regret having to bring this issue
to your attention, but I know that it is essential to your oversight
procedures that you be kept fully informed in a timely manner.
Yours sincerely,
[signature]
STANSFIELD TURNER
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