Press Release
March 17, 2008
National Archives Opens Historic CIA Cold War Era Records
More Information
College Park, MD…The National Archives and Records Administration has opened 534 cubic feet or approximately 1.3 million pages of historic Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) records covering the Cold War period from 1946-1977.
This "Sunshine Week" event marks a joint effort of the National Archives and the CIA highlighting the importance of open government and freedom of information. It is also a part of the National Declassification Initiative program announced by the Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein in April 2006. "This release of more than one million pages signifies the commitment of the National Archives and the CIA to make as much material available to the public as soon as possible," said the Archivist. "It demonstrates the success of the National Declassification Initiative."
These newly-released records are from the CIA’s Foreign Documents Division, which provided translation, abstracting and research services on newspapers, periodicals and other foreign-language publications. The series consist of translations of newspapers, periodicals, and other foreign-language publications in verbatim, excerpt, and summary form. These documents cover all major types of open-source intelligence subject matter, including economic, scientific, political, military, and sociological topics, with particular emphasis on developments in the Soviet Union, Eastern European countries, and the People's Republic of China. Also included are summaries and abstracts of foreign-language broadcasts.
These records are available to the public in the research room at the National Archives at College Park, MD, located at 8601 Adelphi Road. A research card is required for viewing the materials. Cards may be obtained from the Consultant’s Office in Room 1000 at the College Park facility. Clean research room procedures apply. Any closed information will be re-reviewed by the NARA, in response to researcher requests under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Some of the newly released material is available on the NARA web site through the Archival Research Catalog (ARC). See directions and hours for the National Archives at College Park, MD.
Newly opened records series include Information Reports filed under the following codes:- OO-UC, 1947-1954 (4.536 cf)
- OO-UT, 1949-1957 (10.08 cf)
- OO-X, 1949-1977 (70.056 cf)
- OO-XX, ca. 1949-1969 (14.616 cf)
- U, 1947-1953 (94.752 cf)
- OO-M, 1954-1956 (5.544 cf).
- OO-W, 1947-1956 (58.464 cf)
- OO-J, 1957-1968 (24.696 cf)
- Weekly Information Reports on Communist China, 1954-1959 (8.616 cf)
- Foreign Translations, 1946-1966 (22.68 cf)
- Surveys and Abstracts, 1948-1975 (41.808 cf)
- Press Information Reports and Press Digests, 1966-1978 (46.504 cf)
- Summaries, 1947-1967 (131.688 cf)
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For Press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.
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