Documents / FOIA release
This is a letter from researcher Timothy S. Cooper to the Central Intelligence Agency's Agency Release Panel, dated 14 February 2020 and released by the CIA in 2023. Cooper appeals the Agency's January 2020 response to his March 2018 FOIA request (reference F-2018-01827). He calls that response unacceptable and makes a formal Mandatory Declassification Review request for General Smith's 19 December 1952 briefing book on flying saucers, presented to President Truman. He argues the historical document should be declassified and released in full.
Approved for Release: 2023/04/14 006849974 {Z . Q_Q l <61» -9) 32,,
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Timathv S. Cooaer 14 February 2020
Approved for Release: 2023/04/14 C06849974
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Agency Release Panel
énformatien and Privacy Qeerdinater
Central lntelligence Agency
llvashingion, D.C. 26505
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Ref: F*2O18—01827W»
Dear Mr. Mark Lilly:
l received ynur 23 January 2020 letter regarding the above referenced subject
and find the response unacceptable. The four decuments accempanying yew
letter do not address my 2 March 2018 FOlA request in any meaningful way.
Meet of the deeumente can be pulled frem the Ageney’s own eniine F0315; digital
reading ream web site and 2317 CREST files, The Agency has had almost twe
years to lecate and review the cements 0? General Smlth’s Friday, 19 December
1952 Weekly Free‘; Blaels Beak Briefing ee the ef eeeeers.” glazes’:
to President Truman in the Gval Office. l therefore make a formal Mandatory
Deelassificailcm Revlew requeai lei“ the wraele izrieffig beak, aiiaehrcervie, §:»l“:<::tes;
maps, Air Force, Army, Navy, State Department, F-“Bl and Department cf Defense
anaiysie eiwfiregectfiigfie Eeelg UPI} case files méiected item AF inteiligenw and
fcrelgn sources that wéluldrllébmprlse the repofl and attachments.
l base my MDR request on the fact that the Agency admits the briefing document
dees exist. l mast assume it haabeer": revieww at the highesi level and should
be declaasifed and released as the Agency has done with the rest of the UFO
film that are aneeesibie ie the pubiie unless there is some averriding reason for it
te remain classified, l have net been field the real reasens why the clecument
sheulfi net he released. Fire: ef all, this §s a histeriwl document of lmmense
imeeréeece ‘re the Amerécen peeele (aecl the werld ‘fer that matter) as well as an
inteiilgenee product for the Presidenfs eyes cniy. l am save mere are rnarry in
ihe Agency wim weukzl like is knew whai Geeeieé Smiira are '€‘rurea21
as as yea or i would. My logic is this: that ffthere is nothing beyond what
me Agency has aiz"%dy releases; in in-at nneflng dc-cument, then vmy wathneld rt‘?
l would think it would make the Agency shine if it conclucled almost 70 years age
that there was naming fie LlFGs (if zaefle the aaee}. Seec@§:i§y* ifsaei it hare fie
iaelivewe mat its eerrterrts meld be any mere sensational, more profound, or more
damaging to the nafialeai than what ha awn raleaaecl by Pentagen
and since 292?. Not linked to a story yet.
FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 3 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.