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     MindNet Journal - Vol. 1, No. 17
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     V E R I C O M M / MindNet         "Quid veritas est?"
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Editor: Mike Coyle 

Contributing Editors: Walter Bowart
		      Harlan Girard
		      Alex Constantine

Assistant Editor: Rick Lawler

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Human Experimentation at CIA 
 
Steven Aftergood 

Oct. 10, 1995

	The recent Final Report of the Advisory Committee on
Human Radiation Experiments makes a number of interesting
observations about the role of the CIA in human experimentation
programs including the following:

*       "The CIA indicated that it is currently performing
classified human research projects. The agency informed the
Advisory Committee that all human subjects are informed of the
CIA's sponsorship and of the specific nature of the study in
which they are participating, even if the general purposes of the
research are classified."  (p. 686).

*       "From 1988 to 1993, the CIA approved twelve proposals for
human subjects research. However, none of these proposals
involved ionizing radiation as an element of the research
design."  (page 720).

*       "The CIA... reported that it was unable to retrieve any
records of its participation in the midcentury DOD panels that
met in secret to discuss, among other things, human experiments.
In addition, the CIA's classified records of its secret MKULTRA
human experimentation program were... substantially destroyed at
the direction of then-Director of Central Intelligence Richard
Helms in 1973. In 1995 the CIA concluded, following a search for
remaining records and interviews of those involved, that it did
not likely conduct or sponsor human radiation experiments as part
of MKULTRA. The Advisory Committee, which was necessarily limited
in its abilities to directly review CIA files, did not find
evidence to the contrary.... [T]he circumstances of the CIA's
MKULTRA record keeping will likely leave questions in the
public's mind."  (p. 646).

*       "The Advisory Committee recommends... that the CIA's
record- keeping system be reviewed to ensure that records
maintained by that agency are accessible upon legitimate request
from the public or governmental sources. This review could be
performed by the CIA inspector general or an oversight panel."
(pp. 829-830).

*       "The Advisory Committee recommends that all records of
the CIA bearing on programs of secret human research, such as
MKULTRA and the related CIA human behavior projects from the late
1940s through the early 1970s, including Bluebird, Artichoke,
MKSEARCH, MKDELTA, Naomi, Chance, Often, and Chickwit, become a
top priority for declassification review with the expectation
that most, if not all, of these documents can be declassified and
made available to the public."  (p. 838).

*       "Twenty years after they were first revealed to the
public, there continues to be a strong public interest in the
CIA's 'mind control' programs. The Advisory Committee received
numerous queries about MKULTRA and the other related programs
from scholars, journalists, and citizens who have been unable to
review the complete record. Although these CIA projects were the
subject of significant governmental inquiry in the mid to late
1970s... and a substantial portion of the records have been
declassified and released to the public, a number of documents
remain classified, and many of the documents that have been
released contain numerous redactions."  (pp. 838-839).

*       "So long as documents about secret human experiments are
withheld from the public, it will be impossible to put to rest
distrust with the conduct of government. The rapid, public
release of the remaining documents about MKULTRA and other secret
programs would be a fitting close to an unhappy chapter in the
nation's history."  (p. 839).

	The Report also provides informative background material
on the abuse of classification for non-national security
purposes, the practice of active deception of the public about
human subject research, and the continuing conflict between
secrecy and environmental laws.

	Copies of the massive (925 pages) Final Report of the
Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (stock number
061-000-00-848-9) can be purchased for $44 from the Government
Printing Office at (202) 512-1800.

Steven Aftergood 
Project on Government Secrecy 
Federation of American Scientists 
email: saftergood@igc.apc.org
http://www.fas.org/pub/gen/fas/