DESTRUCTION OF RECORDS ON DRUGS AND TOXINS

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00146120
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 17, 2024
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: October 20, 1975

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2 0 OCT 1975
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
-FROM : Inspector General
SUBJECT : Destruction of Records on Drugs and Toxins
Action Requested:
1. None. This memorandum is for your information.'
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Background:
2. At your request, we looked into the destruction of Agency reCords
related to drugs and toxins. We limited our investigation to avoid inter-
- 'fering with ether ongoing investigations of this matter, including that of
.the FBI. We held discussions with several people in the DD/S&T, Records
Center, and Archives and reviewed a number of OTS files. Our findings and
conclusions fellow. �
Summary Conclusions:
3. MKULTRA Records: This was an umbrella project for funding sensitive
TSD activities including research into methods for controlling human behavior:
� -- No drug-related,MKULTRA files were turned up during our
investigation.
-- A number of documents concerning the destruction of
MKULTRA drug records are attached at Tab A. In general, they
show that the records were destroyed on the instruction of Dr.
*Sidney Gottlieb, then Chief, TSD, on 31 January 1973. Both Branch.
files and records retrieved from Archives were destroyed.
-- Tab A also contains statements by Messrs. �
--Iof OTS. *These statements indicate that the
destruction of MKULTRA drug files was ordered by Mr. Helms.
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-- Tab B contains a 2 February 1973 MOR by 1
former Chief of *Archives and Records Center. The
destruction notices attached to /MOR show that
the records bearing Job No. 68-746 (MKULTRA) and Job No. 68-256
(other files possibly dealing with drugs as well, as with BN/CW
detection) were destroyed on 30 January 1973 rather than the
more commonly accepted 31 January 1973 date mentioned in most
of the Tab A documents.
-- We identified three MKULTRA files which, it turhed .
out, deal with - :aspects of the project.
According to Dr. Sayre Stevens, no files related to those
aspects of MKULTRA have been destroyed.
-- However, some MKULTRA material is mentioned on a list
of items retired to Archives by OTS on 11 March 1974. There
is no record of destruction of this material, but a careful
search has failed to turn it up. The box containing this
material was recalled from Archives by OTS on 8 January 1975
and returned to Archives Sometime thereafter, probably within
thirty days. OTS advises that the MKULTRA crypt in this
instance was not related to drug activity but to _
------1The faCt remains,
however; that the material is missing with no satisfactory
explanation.
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-- We reviewed an Archives file containing the minutes of
the CIA Research Board from 1953-1962. The minutes mention
several briefings of the Board by Dr. Gottlieb and others on
at least some aspects. of the drug and toxin programs. Copies
of these documents are attached at Tab C.
4. MKNAOMI Records: This was a TSD project at Camp Detrick which
maintained an R&D competence to provide a minimal support capability in
defensive and offerisive BW/CW:
-- There are two existing MKNAOMI files. These files contain
CIA documents covering the period 5 May 1952 to 18 February 1970
and reports originated at Camp Detrick�during the period 1960.
to 1969.
-- These files do not present a detailed account of MKNAOMI
activity over the years. From his investigation of the project,
Dr. Stevens has concluded that gaps in the files are the result
of a conscious policy on the part of those involved to keep very
little paper on the project from its inception in 1952 to its
demise in 1970. People formerly connected with the project
interviewed by Dr. Stevens asserted that the practice of keeping
little or no record of the activity was standard MKNAOMI procedure.
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-- Dr. Steven also learned that the Army has no records �
on MKNAOMI or on the Special Operations Division, Fort Detrick.
He surmises these records were destroyed when the BW/CW materials
were destroyed at the President's order. . .
-- There is one final consideration connected with the
possible destruction of records related to MKNAOMI. Approxi-
mately one safe drawer full of Dr. Gottlieb's personal files
were destroyed by his setretary at his order in June 1973,
shortly before Dr. Gottlieb's retirement. . The secretary was
new to OTS at the time and had been working for Dr. Gottlieb
for only six weeks. She knew little about OTS activities,
crypts, or projects. She remembers destroying some technical
journals, papers written by Dr. Gottlieb, some files dealing
with sensitive personnel matters, and some SECRET SENSITIVE
papers about which she recalls nothing. Given the sensitivity
of MKNAOMI, some MKNAOMI papers could have been included among
those destroyed in June 1973. However, we have no evidence
this was the case. � �
-- In general, we concur in Dr. Stevens-'. belief that no
papers. were removed from the two extant MKNAOMI files. MKNAOMI
records-keeping procedures appear to account.at least partially
for the lack of acontinuous detailed record of MKNAOMI activity
over the years. Some papers relating to MKNAOMI may have been
destroyed in June 1973 or at some other.time, but this cannot
be demonstrated with the information now-available to us.
5. 1 and Other Drug Related Material: involved contractors on human volunteers:
-- On 24 June 1975, on Mr. Duckett's orders,
iof his office examined OTS holdings at Records Center -
in search of material which might have some bearing on the
drug related investigation.. Six boxes-of material of possible
interest were returned to the Office of the Db/S&T for review.
Subsequently, they were returned to Records Center. Later these
were recalled by OTS with an additional four boxes of files from ..
Records Center.
We reviewed three files from these boxes in July 1975..
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..These were files on Project, lutich involved the testing
.bf drugs on human volunteers various institutional contractors
/of CIA. A copy of the 31 July 1975 MOR covering our review is
attached at Tab D.
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OTS/R0, reviewed the ten boxes c. OTS_
files recalled from Records Center. In addition to the
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material described above, these boxes contain a considerable
amount of material dealing.with.animal screening tests of various
compounds, but they contain no material dealing with tests
Anyolying.humans or identified as connected with Project MKULTRA.
'Memorandum covering his review is attached at Tab E.
� -- Three boxes .of OTS material formerly stored in Records
Center were destroyed by OTS in January 1973 at the time of �
the destruction of MKULTRA records. . /MOR at
Tab B comments on the destruction of firk:materiafj Some of
the records in these three boxes dealt-with environmental
sampling for pw..ap0 pv manufacturing activity
At least one file listed as
"Project ARTICHOKE -.1951:1954" must have dealt with drug-
connected activities. OTS has attempted to identify the
activities covered by the balance of the missing material �
with little success to date. A 10 October 1975 memorandum
. describing the OTS efforts in this connection is attached
.at Tab F. .
--- On 3 Obtober 1975, the Director of Medical Services
forwarded to us copies of unaddressed, undated, and unsigned
documents dealing with LSD-25 (See Tab G). These documents'
were unearthed by CMS from the Archives files of its Operations
Division. They were found in a folder labeled "TSD File, 1956-
1960."
6. We believe it likely that a tho'rough search of Agency records --
particularly DOO operational records -- would continue to produce additional
pieces of the drug activity puzzle. We believe it unlikely that such a search
would produce any major intact repository of information on this subject.
Recognizing that such a search would heavily burden people already overtaxed
with investigative activities, we are inclined to doubt that the return
would justify the investment.
���Au1/2'^0.1.�.4
. � Donald F. Chamberlain
Inspector General
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