F-2005-01185 INITIAL REQUEST

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01196292
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: August 23, 2024
• Document Release Date: July 5, 2024
• Case Number: F-2022-00198
• Publication Date: April 18, 2005

Approved for Release: 2024/07/01 C01196-2920
Timothy Snyder
History, Yale University
Box 208324
New Haven, CT 06520-8324
18 April 2005
Central Intelligence Agency
Information and Privacy Coordinator
Washington, DC 20505
Dear Sir or Madam:
This is a noncommercial request under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts. I write to request a
complete and thorough search of all filing systems for all records maintained by the Central Intelligence
Agency related to Mr. Jozef Swiatlo. This would mean all files captioned, or whose captions include, Jozef
Swiatlo, or his pseudonyms or code names. This is meant to include all documents identifiable with my
request. The following details are meant to aid in this search.
Jozef Swiatlo (until 1943 Izak Fleischfarb) was born 1 January 1915 in Medyna, a village which was then
in Austria, and is now in Ukraine. His father was Gabryel Fleischfarb and his mother was Rachela
Fleischfarb, n6e Wieseltur. Between 1945 and 1953 Jozef Swiatlo was one of the most important
functionaries of the Polish Ministry of Public Security (Ministerstwo Bezpieczenstwa Publicznego.) On 5
December 1953 in West Berlin Jozef Swiatlo delivered himself to American authorities, and was
transported to the United States. In September 1954 it was announced that he had received political exile in
the United States. He was questioned by a congressional committee. He made several important addresses
on Radio Free Europe. A summary of them was used in 1955 in Operation "Spotlight." in which American
propaganda was dropped in Poland by balloon.
The following documents are very likely to exist and would be of interest:
(1) Protocols of Swiatlo's interrogation by US authorities in 1953 and 1954.
(2) Information given by Swiatlo to US authorities regarding Polish security organs.
(3) Discussions regarding the decision to exploit Swiatlo in US propaganda.
(4) Swiatlo's memoirs. It is known that he began to write them.
(5) Files concerning Swiatlo's life after 1955. What did he do, where did he live, did he marry, what name
did he use, when did he die, where is he buried?
If documents are denied in whole or in part, please specify which exemptions are claimed. Please provide
the number of pages in each document and the total number of pages pertaining to this request that are
withheld. Please "black out" rather than "white out" or cut out any excised material. Please also advise of
the destruction of any pertinent records and the da e of and authority for such destruction.
I look forward to your response. Thank you in advance for your help.
Yours sincerely,
Timothy Snyder
Approved for Release: 2024/07/01 CO1196292
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Approved for Release: 2024/07/01 CO1196292