Press release,
10 September 2001

For more information:
Jeffrey Richelson (703) 684-8274

Washington, D.C., September 10 - The National Security Archive today published over 40 declassified CIA and Intelligence Community documents tracing the CIA’s involvement in the exploitation of science and technology for intelligence purposes. The documents illuminate some of the CIA’s most significant achievements, from breakthroughs in overhead reconnaissance, to some of its more dubious efforts including an attempt to employ alleged psychics for “remote viewing” of Soviet installations and the wiring of cats for use in audio surveillance operations. The documents were obtained by Archive Senior Fellow Jeffrey Richelson for his latest book, The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology, and include material obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the National Archives, and the CIA public affairs office.

The documents show how the agency, in its first fifteen to twenty years became involved in the development of satellite and aerial reconnaissance systems, the technical analysis of foreign space and missile systems, the analysis of foreign nuclear programs, the collection of electronic intelligence to aid analysts of Soviet missile systems as well as those charged with determining the vulnerability of CIA  reconnaissance aircraft.  (One CIA program, PALLADIUM, involved manipulating Soviet radars to place “ghost aircraft” on the screens of Soviet operators – and determine how well the Soviets could detect aircraft of different sizes.) The documents also trace the evolution of CIA’s science and technology activities and organization during the Cold War and beyond – as well as conflicts with the National Reconnaissance Office and Air Force with regard to satellite development and technical intelligence analysis.
 
In addition to employing “psychics” to attempt to peer into Soviet and other foreign military activities, other questionable scientific activities, illustrated by the documents, included behavior modification research and the attempt to use cats as mobile bugging devices (a project dubbed “Acoustic Kitty”). A never before published document contains a rather negative evaluation of a “remote viewing” exercise directed at a facility the CIA designated URDF-3 (Unidentified Research and Development Facility-3). 

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