FOIA Electronic Reading Room
The CIA has established this site to provide the public with an overview of access to CIA information, including electronic access to previously released documents. Because of CIA's need to comply with the national security laws of the United States, some documents or parts of documents cannot be released to the public. In particular, the CIA, like other U.S. intelligence agencies, has the responsibility to protect intelligence sources and methods from disclosure. However, a substantial amount of CIA information has been and/or can be released following review. See "Your Rights" for further details on the various methods of obtaining this information.
What's New at FOIA?
Site last updated: November 8, 2008
The Original Wizards of Langley
This overview and collection of documents and other material related to the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) offer a glimpse of CIA's overall contribution to the analysis of Soviet capabilities in science and technology during the Cold War. It is by no means intended to be definitive, or even complete, with respect to all the activities associated with the Agency's scientific and technological capabilities, analysis, and resulting reporting. It does, however, highlight some key events and selected activities that contribute to our understanding of the unique role OSI played in the Agency's history.
Certification of FOIA Reading Room
25-Year Program Archive Search
The automatic declassification provisions of Executive Order 12958, as amended, require the declassification of nonexempt historically-valuable records 25 years old or older. By 31 December 2006 all agencies were to have completed the review of all hardcopy documents determined to be historically valuable (designated as "permanent" by the agency and the National Archives) and exclusively containing their equities. As the deadline pertains to CIA, it covers the span of relevant documents originally dating from the establishment of the CIA after WWII through 1981.
CIA has deployed an electronic full-text searchable system it has named CREST (the CIA Records Search Tool), which has been operational since 2000 and is located at NARA II in College Park Maryland. On this Agency site, researchers can now use an on-line CREST Finding Aid to research the availability of CIA documents declassified and loaded onto CREST through 2002. Data for the remaining years up to the present (CREST deliveries have been ongoing) will be placed on this site at later dates.
Search the CREST web database here. Note: it does not contain actual images of the documents as the regular Electronic Reading Room search does. Rather, it contains details on the files to speed FOIA requests.
New Documents!
21 new documents have been added to the site. Other new releases may be viewed here.
Top Searches!
The Frequently Requested Records section now shows August's Top 25 Search Phrases.
A Life in Intelligence - The Richard Helms Collection
This collection of material by and about Richard Helms as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and Ambassador to Iran comprises the largest single release of Helms-related information to date. The documents, historical works and essays offer an unprecedented, wide-ranging look at the man and his career as the United States' top intelligence official and one of its most important diplomats during a crucial decade of the Cold War. From mid-1966, when he became DCI, to late 1976, when he left Iran, Helms dealt directly with numerous events whose impact remains evident today and which are covered in the release.
Public Liaison Change
The designated FOIA Public Liaisons have been revised. Please check the CIA FOIA Request Status page for the current information.
2007 Annual Report
The Central Intelligence Agency Freedom Of Information Act Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2007 is now available. The text of the Annual Reports can be read in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
CIA FOIA Backlog Reduction Goals for FY08, FY09, and FY10
CIA Files Updated Status Report on Implementing Executive Order 13392
Updated Status Report From the Central Intelligence Agency Concerning Reported Deficiencies in Implementing Executive Order 13,392, "Improving Agency Disclosure of Information" 1 August 2007
This report updates the progress the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has made implementing its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) improvement plan required by Executive Order 13,392, "Improving Agency Disclosure of Information." The report conforms to the template the Department of Justice provided online in "Guidance on Submitting Updated Status Reports to the President's Management Council."
Improving Agency Disclosure of Information
Plan and Report of the Central Intelligence Agency Submitted to the Attorney General of the United States and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget In Compliance with Executive Order 13392.
This report is the response of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to Section 2(b) of Executive Order 13392 which requires the Chief Freedom of Information Act Officer of each federal agency subject to the FOIA to develop an "agency-specific plan to ensure that the agency's administration of the FOIA is in accordance with applicable law and the policies set forth in section 1 of this Order." PDF format, 410k.