PROJECT BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01434879
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: January 29, 1975

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29 January 1975
PROJECT BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE
1. The basic memorandum explained the origins of Project
BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE in OSI. This adddhdum concerns the indi-
cations of activity by other offices in this program.
2. The bulk of the material in OSI files concerns the
work of OSI in analyzing foreign activities related to the use
of drugs and psychochemicals in interrogations. There are how-
ever memoranda for the record concerning Agency meetings at
least through 1955. These MRs contained brief references to
work being done under the auspices of other offices in the U.S.
In at least one instance OSI provided support for the domestic
R&D effort when an OSI chemist, an expert in toxic plants, went
to Mexico in December 1952 to pick up some plants with "anesthetic
qualities" for subsequent evaluation.
3. At just what time Project ARTICHOKE changed from an
inter-agency program concerned with production of intelligence
on foreign activities to an agency-operated R&D program (the
forerunner of MKULTRA?) is not clear from the files. By late
1952, however, a change had taken place and the players now
were the Security Officer, CIA, the Chief, Medical Services,
Chief, TSS as well as the AD/OSI. A paper of 16 July 1953 from
the Security Officer, CIA to ARTICHOKE representatives, entitled
"Restatement of Program", notes the following basic aims:
"a. to perfect techniques utilizing
existing drugs, hypnosis, and
other elements for the extraction
of information from individuals
whether willing or not.
b. to provide field teams for testing,
�experimenting and refining tech-
niques for the extraction
of information from indigenous
personnel under field conditions.
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�
c. arrange for research and
experimentation for the
development of means for the con-
trol of the activities and mental
capacities of individuals whether
willing or not."
Other items through (i) concerned other details of the progra(b)(3)
4. A note in the record dated 23 October 1953 by ODA
notes that
"I&SO has prepared a new set of "by laws" for the Committee,
which will include approval of testing of drugs on volunteers
amon A ency personnel". A reference �of 29 October 1953' also
by refers to draft memoranda to be returned to the (13)(3)
ARTICHOKE Committee, one of which is entitled "Experimental
Project Utilizing Trainee Volunteers". No copy of this memo-
randum could be found. A record of a conversation between
and )f OTS date(b)(3)
14 December 1953 refers to the activity at Detrick and
contains the following cryptic notation:
knew of Frank R. Olson. No
inhibitions. Baring of inner man.
Suicidal tendencies. Offensive
� (b)(3)
lu)(o)
6. One of the last references in OSI files to ARTICHOKE(b)(3)
is in the form of a copy of a trip report filed by
of the Office of Security following a visit he made to the
for discussions with (b)(3)
and others regarding research on drugs for intelligence purpo
This trip report contains intimations of more than casual Affpnry
interest in U.S. use of drugs for intelligence purposes.
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(b)(3)
(b)(3)
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OSI
Project Bluebird/Artichoke
Following WW II, it appeared to many that the Soviets had
succeeded in controlling human reactions and perfecting the
art of breaking down the human mind. Of the many instances of
trials behind the Iron Curtain *here bizarre confessions were
being obtained probably the most famous was that of Cardinal
Mindszenty in February 1949. The press called it brainwash-
ing, brainchanging, or brain warfare (the latter name was the
title of a speech on the subject presented by Allen Dulles in
April 1953). In the opinion of OSI, the incongruities in the
confessions and the anomolous behavior of the defendants could
best be explained as the results of the application of procedures
which led to basic changes in the functional organization of
the defendant's mind with associated changes in character structure.
� Stimulated by the implications of these developments, the
Agency undertook the analysis of foreign work on certain uncon-
ventional warfare materials and techniques between 1949 and 1956
with the general aim of finding ways of protecting informationtb)p]
of vital significance to the security of the U.S. In accumu-
lating background for the project, a review was made of drug- (b)(3)I
related work going on in such institutions as
the University of Illinois
University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, 0
0:30P
the
and the National Institutes Of Health. An extensive review, of
foreign literature was conducted on the subject, particularly
work in the Soviet Bloc. (b)(3)
The designation Project BLUEBIRD was given to the Agency
effort which had the following objectives: (a) possible means
of conditioning Agency personnel (or persons of interest to the
Agency) to prevent unauthorized obtaining of information from
them by any known means; (b) the possibility of obtaining con-
trol of the future activities (physical or mental) of any in-
dividual, willing or unwilling, by application of special inter-
rogation techniques; (c). possible techniques for obtaining
accurate information from both willing individUals who may have
difficulty recalling what they know as well as unwilling in-
dividuals; and (d) possible ways of preventing any unauthorized
source from gaining control of the future activities (physical
or mental) of Agency personnel.
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In the course of the project, many techniques were
suggested for investigation, including the use of sound,
blinking lights, hypnotism, and psychochemicals. Of more
than routine interest was lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD),
which had just become available, and whose effects were
largely unknown. A proposal was made late in 1953 to carry
out experiments with LSD using Agency personnel as volunteers
but such experiments were not undertaken. Also expenditure
of funds to buy up the existing stocks of LSD held by the
manufacturers to get it off the
market was app ovea nut tne aeal was not carried through.
In August 1951 the project name was changed to ARTICHOKE.
In November 1952, Project responsibility was transferred from
OSI to the Inspection and Security Office (I&SO -- now the
Office of Security -- ) and OSI retained responsibility for
the evaluation of foreign intelligence aspects of the problem.
Thereafter, OSI performed a monitoring function only and one
study in support of the project entitled "Strategic Medical
Significance of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD-25) and Related
Compounds" was drafted in mid-1955. OSI interest in the project
terminated in 1956 and its files were closed. There is nothing
in the OSI holdings to indicate that testing of any drugs on
humans was performed by CIA personnel or in' behalf of CIA by
contractors.
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Project 1.11CULTRA was an umbrella project for funding
sensitive projects in TSD/Dre (as then styled) approved by Allen
Dulles on 3 April 1953. Cryptonymbil