PROJECT BLUEBIRD

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00144898
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 22, 2024
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: April 5, 1950

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UN !TED STATES GOV ERN NI ENT
TO : Director of Central Tn%ellicenco
FROM :Chief, Inspection and Security Staff
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SUBJECT: Project Bluebird
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fl/1E: APR 5 � 1950
Thera is submitted for your approval and authorization for ailoc,Uon
of funds Froject 31.12b1rd. In view of t'le extre:.:e sensitivity of this project
and its covert nature, it Is ace::ed advisable to submit this project directly
to you, rather than throttL:11 thn chnnuel of the Projf!etz CnauLtlee.
Knodzo of this project silould he restricted th the a;-)coluto minimum nulAber
of pors.Ins.
This project is now extreaely .1ipmetvant bncausc of the expressions of
in this type of a prot;m11 de7c1*piug in v�rIoms areas of the Aceney.
It is most LiporLant that those varicd iainr4sts.Le brout;ht into a sinzlo project
where kflpropriate controls can be e=rcised. This will avoid cm:promise of our.
techniques and interest in this field.
It is requested that this project be a)proved and ...;Ithorization ranted
for the necessary rands as set forth in the,atLac4.1ent.'
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Type - Cperational Support
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1.
� or rupivsktaLives or AFA)PC, ADOSI, aud Chief,
7:arch, :there agrce...ent roached on the following is.-oposal.
2. The pulT-oce or this 1-,..o;�-�:ct is '0 pr .vide rnr establishment '
or interrogation tor...:z for thu ck,er:-tional sup..ort of Cc.i0 and OPC activities.'
Tiitr:a:".7. 76-3.1 ut.i.iiz th.1 �,...ol,,e,rzt?Ii) drags, and hypnotism to attain the greatest
rosulta in interrogation tcchni.cues. It is. 51:124.)rtant that. this. project ba es-
taialched inasmuch as a c.;nsir3erable pt1b3.ic and govern:le:it interest has recently
dcycloped in the of hyr.notism s:.'or interrogation and for ..nrsonality control
purposes. This ini ste:,!s from the r:;cent spy trials in liun_;ary and other
satellite conaLrias. a number of ar:eas of Crit there has develo?ed con-
siderable interest in i,3!3 field of hypnotism and en of the basic purp�eses of
this progran is to brlosr1.sat,th i.nterects within the purview and control of
a singlo pro:ect. It is uxtremely important that any action by CIA in these
fields be restricted to t7ie ',:nc.wledge of a yd.ni;;IlUil nuslher of persons on a Top
Secret bo.sis to pre-: IA cremioe ,.�.r.:a-israble. repercussions. Further,
activitIe�3 in this fic7...1 Clr::so irbly si:eciallwd that untra-ined personnel
should 110e. .c:::.;r3:1.ent or at.;..*:::pt to a.-.L)ly LLO Lleolliques or hypnotism under
any cirrli,Istancer. . 5.s Td1.3. provide (-Illy Liu:Ili:1.0d tethnic.al
1.:erscut.,..11 to perform all as. �-..uts of i.lterrugation for all areas of the Agency.
The pv.r7use of Ele in�ogrrn to provides interrogation tea's
utilizing the cov9r of poly...,:ph interr.::Lioa to CIO ten:3;111C the bona fides of
high potential defecLors- and cyr.-...:ts, a!-.(1 also for the collection of incidental
intelligence fixna such proects. A tcan is to be co.posod of three persons
consisting of a doctor -- psychi.etrist, a polygraph � hypnotist, and a technician.
It is prop(!sed thlt two tens be esta'AisLedLo weet current antic.�-..ated
retzttireLents.. As it ti.11 require appro:,.1�:.".tely five vont'os Lo adequately train
t-co ktpnotists, I7-53 fu-e�diately its .;hytinotist
scouialist for flull essi.g......mts in order that a tarn. Trill be immediately
avail-
abl a for service. To eo.:.plete the tecza a doctor -and a technician crill� also be
rcytired fur i....iediate sor,Ace. ..r.n order to provide for two tea.:s it is proposed
that to docto:s- psychi..7tri.sts, two polygraph -- hypnotists and two technicians
be auth-ri.:-...d mv.ler this project. In this manner one team will be available for
7"0:�-.0dion,o' cerviee and witi,in six months t7i-o full time teal= -;.1.11 be established.
It is propo::rd that tht-.� doutoz -- psychiatrists be set up in an office in
".7ashin!.,14,n Lhich s;:,rvo as a (:uver for tntlning, expuriwcntation, and in -
due;.rin7..tion pnl.por.cs in !Ike tv.x.. of 00::;a hypnot:.sm. The doctors vill-be
avatlable for field aC4::.;;)-..;nts w:Lh the interroc,ation tee::s. All training of
the team per::onncl will. he con.laell by I 3. The te:ua personnel, when not on
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f ;;;n:l. 14;, lid I 1 ti r c�Itt.�t� rt,notirtftl
utaitly, and exporii.vmtation in .the aNytteal-ilin of 1.6)::e 1.oc1 mni�inon.. TIlin pro�
joct is for the at:fen:Ave u..1.1 at Lhiu Limo a dvucu and hjvnu4i=. Ho-cvl.rr,
per.: taw: ai1.ct.ton of hypnotism i1i1. not be uocd until further enocrience in
tali 3 ficle. has been �ht.-Lim:Li and bjct to approval or t.lra TX:C.
3.. Oiturational Control.
The 010, t..r,01--C, and Chief, ..V8S, ni).1 :;erv)-3 as a board for the operational
conLrol :NI the )1::c of 5�)i.e):11)1;ation 0.7) :rnd 07C will ;:nirs-1. I lay L110. 14..ard
propoials roe the ii:;-.3 of int,erro;;atien L.ca:.:3 on pt:.ciric pmjcol.s. Board a:;proval
will be cranted only for specific projects P-nd -)-::111 not be Ly...mtod for cenoral
ass:sr-anent to a voL:rapiiic area without a specific project in laincl and without
adetjuat4
h.sc curt ty.
Tho use of Lltorrocesi:.ion tS.74.:3 J.1i b3 conE:itio-iled as Top Secr-.3t and knowledze
of such activ-Lty within Ct.:). w511 be restricted to only those -r.ho of necessity
must hal; knowlode of 3:1Cil 0ti.0!113. The 1131 of int,2.r-foL;ation �tea-ta for
o..eraticnal sup:)ort projects will in each c4.se be ,;;;rila,ed on7.y upon conoideration
of all sec-al-kV facto: n involved wiapro.nise of their use and teciraI�1:tes.
and to avoid rci;:ercnsJions to CIA.
S. Team Con'4;r01.
Tiie .....ersonnel of t.1 to Chief, IT�1S, And. rernain
11.1der c:ccnot -.71.cn on specific assizypinits to the Cield. 'hen not.
on field assizrzlents 4:.1-)e tea: s ntAlised for training, Indoctrination,
and clzperizaelit.r.t,ion -purposes on -autually .7�;ree.d projects in su?port of the covert
officer,.
6. Train5-ng.
An trlInind of -1-C:-."11 2orsontvel in polyzraph, dvuzs, 11 ions and
hypnoticia be con).hte4,,04 by
.7. Yield Support
cu:loort. for InLerrezation teal-.s will be 2rovided on si:ecific proects
by rdther r)3�3 or 00C, Lu1 accor;latioe with .t.;.le doo:,sion and oont.fol foat.nros of
4:entrol hoard.
The ont,i...a4.�:d 1-m).10;t :or Lilts �roJ ct for ono -y..;ar is as follows. Dctills
are co:11.-0.1-.ed in :�-ttac,:unt tL.
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