The Projects of MK ULTRA still in operation

According to the documents, the CIA mind-control program was run under four different project names. "'R 1949 the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSD undertook the analysis of foreign work on certain unconventional warfare techniques, including behavioral drugs, with an initial objective of developing a capability to resist or offset the effect of such drugs. Preliminary phases included the review of drug related work at institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital, Boston Psychopathic Hospital, University of Minnesota, Valley Forge General Hospital, Detroit Psychopathic Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and the National Institute of Health.

"This first project, code-named Project BLUEBIRD, was assigned the function of discovering means of conditioning personnel to prevent unauthorized extraction of infonnation from them by known means. It was further assigned to investigate the possibility of control of an individual by application of special interrogation techniques, memory enhancement, and establishing defensive means for preventing interrogation of agency personneL"

In August, 1951, Project BLUEBIRD was renamed Project ARTICHOKE, and was subsequently transferred from the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) to the Office of Security (OS). OSI, however, retained the responsibility for evaluating

foreign intelligence aspects of ARTICHOKE. In 1953, the OSI proposed that experiments be undertaken to test LSD on Agency volunteers. Records do not indicate however, whether or not such experiments were made. According to the information released, OSI's involvement in Project ARTICHOKE ceased in 1956.

The emphasis originally given ARTICHOKE by the OS became focused on the use of drugs such as sodium pentothal in connection with interrogation techniques and with the polygraph. During this period there was an informal group known as the Artichoke Committee which had representatives from OSI, OS, Medical Services, and Technical Services. True to form, only brief records were kept, so that the details of the exchanges of this committee are still secret.

ARTICHOKE evolved to become project MKULTRA which, according to CIA documents, was "an wnbrella project for funding sensitive projects ... approved by Allen Dulles on April3, 1953. Cryptonym MKDELTA covered. •• policy and procedure for use of biochemicals in clandestine operations .•. "

Besides drugs, MKDELTA and MKULTRA experimented with radiation, electroshock. psychology, psychiatry, sociology, anthropology, harassment substances, and what were called "paramilitary devices and materials." Contacts were made with individuals at prominent hospitals and drug "safe houses" under Bureau of Drug Abuse controL Through the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) and federal institutions such as prisons, drugs could be administered to unsuspecting individuals.

1. The following represents the best of my unaided recollection regarding the MKULTRA program. I was first briefed on it in 1962. At that time it was in the process of a significant decrease in activity and funding. As Chief, Defense and Espionage (C/DU), I continued to decrease funds significantly each year until the program was phased out in the late 1960s.

2. MKUL TRA was a group of projects most of which dealt with drug or counter-drug research and development. The Diiector Central Intelligence (DCI) and the Deputy Director of Plans (DDP) were kept informed on the program via annual briefings by Chief Technical Services Division (Cfl'SD) or his Deputy. Most of the research and development was extemally contracted and dealt with various materials which were purported to have characteristics appealing for their covert or clandestine administration under operational conditions. The objectives wem behavioral control, behavior anomaly production and counter-measures for opposition application of similar substances. Work was perfon:ned at U.S. industrial, academic, and govemmental research facilities. Funding was often through cut-out arrangements. Testing was usually done at such time as laboratory work was successfully completed and was often carried out at such facilities as the (deleted) and (deleted). In all cases that I am aware of, testing was done using volunteer inmates who were witting of the nature of the test program but not the ultimate sponsoring organization.

3. As the Soviet drug use scare (and the amount of significant progress in the MXUL TRA program) decreased, the program activities were curtailed significantly as budgetaiy pressure and altemate priorities dictated.

4. Over my stated objections the MKUL TRA files were destroyed by order of the DCI (Mr. Helms) shortly before his departure from office.

Taken from Operation Mind Control by Walter Bowart

Occasional project proposals or memoranda commenting on some aspect of a subproject are scattered throughout this material. In general, however, the recovered material does not include status reports or other documents relating to operational considerations or progress in the various subprojects, though some elaboration of the activities contemplated does appear. The recovered documents fall roughly into three categories:

First, there are 149 MKULTRA subprojects, many of which appear to have some connection with research into behavioral modification, drug acquisition and testing or administering drugs surreptitiously.

Second, there are two boxes of miscellaneous MKULTRA papers, including audit reports and financial statements from "cut-out" (i.e., intermediary) funding mechanisms used to conceal CIA's sponsorship of various research projects.

Finally, there are 33 additional subprojects concerning certain intelligence activities previously funded under MKULTRA which have nothing to do either with behavioral modification, drugs, and toxins or with any other related matters.

We have attempted to group the activities covered by the 149 subprojects into categories under descriptive headings. In broad outline, at least, this presents the contents of these files. The activities are placed in the following 15 categories:

• 1. Research into the effects of behavioral drugs and/or alcohol:

1. 17 subprojects probably not involving human testing;
2. 14 subprojects definitely involving tests on human volunteers;
3. 19 subprojects probably including tests on human volunteers. While not known, some of these subprojects may have included tests on unwitting subjects as well;

• 6 subprojects involving tests on unwitting subjects.
• 2. Research on hypnosis: 8 subprojects, including 2 involving hypnosis and drugs in combination.
• 3. Acquisition of chemicals or drugs: 7 subprojects.
• 4. Aspects of magicians' art useful in covert operations: e.g., surreptitious delivery of drug-related materials: 4 subprojects.
• 5. Studies of human behavior, sleep research, and behavioral changes during psychotherapy: 9 subprojects.
• 6. Library searches and attendance at seminars and international conferences on behavioral modification: 6 subprojects.
• 7. Motivational studies, studies of defectors, assessment, and training techniques: 23 subprojects.
• 8. Polygraph research: 3 subprojects.
• 9. Funding mechanisms for MKULTRA external research activities: 3 subprojects.
• 10. Research on drugs, toxins, and biologicals in human tissue; provision of exotic pathogens and the capability to incorporate them in effective delivery systems: 6 subprojects.
• 11. Activities whose objectives cannot be determined from available documentation: 3 subprojects.
• 12. Subprojects involving funding support for unspecified activities connected with the Army's Special Operations Division at Fr. Detrick, Md. This activity is outline in Book I of the Church Committee Report, pp. 388-389. Under CIA's Project MKNAOMI, the Army Assisted CIA in developing, testing, and maintaining biological agents and delivery systems for use against humans as well as against animals and crops. The objectives of these subprojects cannot be identified from the recovered material beyond the fact that the money was to be used where normal funding channels would require more written or oral justification than appeared desirable for security reasons or where operational considerations dictated short lead times for purchases. About $11,000 was involved during this period 1953-1960: 3 subprojects.
• 13. Single subprojects in such areas as effects of electro-shock, harassment techniques for offensive use, analysis of extrasensory perception, gas propelled sprays and aerosols, and four subprojects involving crop and material sabotage.
• 14. One or two subprojects on each of the following: "Blood Grouping" research, controlling the activity of animals, energy storage and transfer in organic systems; and stimulus and response in biological systems.
• 15. Three subprojects canceled before any work was done on them having to do with laboratory drug screening, research on brain concussion, and research on biologically active materials to be tested through the skin on human volunteers.