project bluebirdartichoke[15132379]

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PROJECT BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE

1. The basic memorandum explained the origins of Project BLUEBIRD/ARTICHOKE in OSI. This addendum concerns the indications 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 however 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 techniqués 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 techniques ...... 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 control 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 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 among Agency personnel". A reference of 29 October l953' also by refers to draft memoranda to be returned to the (b)(3) ARTICHOKE Committee, one of which is entitled "Experimental Project Utilizing Trainee Volunteers". No copy of this memorandum could be found. A record of a conversation between and fOts 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 ucofulnecc?"

(b)(3)

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 purpcsé
This trip report contains intimationsof more than casual Aaencv 口
interest in U.s. use of drugs for intelligence purposes. (b)(3)

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ProjectBluebird/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 where bizarre confessions were being obtained probably the most famous was that of Cardinal Mindszenty in February 1949.The press called it brainwashing, 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 unconventional warfare materials and techniques between 1949 and 1956 with the general aim of finding ways of protecting information (b)(3) of vital significance to the security of the U.S. In accumulating background forthe project, a review was made of drug- (b)(3) related work going on in such institutions as

the University of Illinois, the

University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota,

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 control of the future activities (physical or mental) of any individual, willing or unwilling, by application of special interrogation techniques;(c)possible techniques for obtaining accurate information from both willing individuals who may have difficulty recalling what they know as well as unwilling individuals; 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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OSI

21 .JAN 1975

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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 approved but tne deal was not carried through.

In August l951 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 l956and 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 MKULTRA was an umbrella project for funding sensitive projects in TSD/DDP (as then styled) approved by Allen Dulles on 3 April 1953. Cryptonym MKDELTA covered DDP policy and procedure for use of biochemicals in clandestine operations, being established 20 October 1952, part of which (the subject of this memorandum) was funded and handled under MKULTRA.

This activity was inspected by the Inspector Genéral in 1963. It was found that over the preceding ten year period the program had explored avenues of control of human behavior involving such subjects as radiation, electro-shock, psychology, psychiatry, sociology and anthropology, graphology, harassment substances, and paramilitary devices and materials. At the time of the inspection in 1963 TSD doctrine was described as being to the effect that testing of materials under accepted scientific procedures does not disclose the full pattern of reactions that may occur in operational situations, leading to TSD's initiating a program in 1955 of covert testing of materials on unwitting U.S. citizens.

The project was compartmented and funded through sterile channels, employing pharmaceutical houses, specialists, hospitals and federal institutions, through which a search was conducted for new materials, (e. g. psylocbin from Mexican mushrooms; a fungi occurring in certain crope). The second phase involved testing on voluntary participants. The final phase involved application to unwitting subjects in normal situations commencing in 1955 under an informal arrangement with individuals in the Bureau of Narcotics. under which two of its employees on the West Coast conducted tests. A similar arrangement was made for the East Coast in 196l.

In a number of instances the test subject became ill for hours or days, including hospitalization in at least one case. While evaluations indicated some operational value in the tests, it was noted that scientific controls were absent, in addition to the basic ethical problem.

It is understood that the unwitting testing was suspended following the inspection although other aspects of the program continued, with annual decreases in funding until the program was phased out in the late 1960s..

17 January1975

SECRET EYES CaY

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