Download Original Historical Documents
The Washington Post is reporting that the Central Intelligence Agency will release next week hundreds of documents that details abuses going back decades. The "family jewels", as these documents are called, are "unflattering, but it is CIA's history" said CIA Director General Michael Hayden in the Post article. These documents were collected internally by James R. Schlesinger, who was the Director at the time, in 1973 because he wanted to know about "all of the operations that were outside the agency's legal charter." Schlesinger was concerned about press articles discussing a CIA involvement in the Watergate affair. All sorts of organizations have been trying to access these documents via Freedom of Information Act requests for years, but were unsuccessful. There are some very interesting tidbits listed in the article such as opening Jane Fonda's mail, surveillance of reporters, infiltration of so called peace groups and others. Most of these abuses are common knowledge, but these documents will provide a lot of the detail that is currently lacking. There should be some very interesting reading ahead.
I'm kind of surprised the CIA didn't partner with FamilySearch.org/Footnote/WorldVitalRecords on this release....
