Doc 0000146213

The provided page is not a declassified CIA document but rather an informational graphic. It features a stylized image of a bank vault on the left side, rendered in shades of gray and blue, with glowing blue accents. To the right of the vault, white text is presented against a black background. The text announces that the document was obtained from "The Black Vault," an online database of declassified government documents, specifically highlighting the MKULTRA/Mind Control Collection. This collection, which comprises over 20,000 declassified pages from the CIA, is noted as being free to download and online at a specific URL, which is displayed in yellow. There are no photographs, handwritten annotations, official stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, redactions, or visual evidence of experimental procedures. • I A/~/ 1/ ~;s- Office- Memorandum TATEs GOVERNN!ENT TO Chief, Security Research Staff, P·S DATE: 11 February 1953 FAOM Chief, Technical·Branch, SRS, I~S SUBJECT:..,Division Hemor:mdum dated 21 November 1952 . {f. (Sodiu."'l PentotJ1al). · ''Dcr 1. This Office has studied the ::mbject tnel'lorand1..un and comments are set out immediately following. As you are ..rell at-Jare, the AliTI CHm::E techniq'Je consists not only in stud;yi.ng me thod5 of obtainint; information from individuals or from Gaining control of their wills but studying at the same time every conceivable technique that ca~ be brought to bear to prevent others from extractinG information from o~r p•::!ople or gaining control of the l-Jlll of our people. In studyin~ these problems, this Office is quite 1-rell acquainted wi t:h the effects of Picrotoxin, Caffeine, etc., etc. In the subject memo- Ben~edrine ~""'!!P"randu.m, the tiJ';ivision Logistics in Paragraph 2, sub-Para~raphs a,b, and c have in a general sen3e correctl:r listed some of the main limi tations on counteractill(; drugs 1-1hich could be used ar;ainst the effects of Sodi<un .~ytal or Pentothal. Some comments can be made in this con t· nection. A. In reference to ParaGraph 2, sub-Farahraph a., the probleM has been very -:1ccurately stated in that there is no 1-vay of kno>dn;:; hm.r much of the counter acti~ agent viould have to be taken t.o succ'3ssfully counter the e.ffect of arnytal or pentothal--the su.p ject '.s physical condition, iihether he r-1as hungr--.r or not, suffering from fatigue or nervous exhaustion, etc. would all affect thi:;. In ~ddition, different tolr::Jrances to these counteractinrr drugs are noted .~- in each individual. It may be .:;aid tho.t in certain person3 a gi'ven specific do:;e of Str;rci1nin~ might not produce more than a mild stir.nlatin::; nction •t!".ile in others a r,iven dose ::rl.sht produce a ccn vulsion, coma or possible death • . . B. In conn~ction <Ti th :'araGraph 2, sub-Paragraph b, it should be stated that the thorou~h seo.:::-chin."; of n. person is a st;mdr.trd proced·trc in most intcrro- c;a t !.on centcr3 ;:l!ld al i:.hou~h dru[_';s could be conceo.lcd in many place:; on tll() pcr:;on (such <1.3 the :::-cct·..i.!!d, nc7crthcle:;s, cor:-tpetent sea:-ching wouJ.d reve11l even t!li$. - C. In connection with 2, c, it r~.::.~rnph su.b-Faracr<~.ph :>hould al:-:o be stated that a physician cr quite pro bably a trained :-#Ollld su:;pect interro~ator iruned.iat~ly the ~ffect of counteracting d:rues (or that something t ··. . rlas The document is a typed office memorandum, dated February 11, 1953, with a header and section titles. There are handwritten annotations in the top right corner, including numbers and letters ("A/B, 1, 815", "6a", "1600", and "Bits"). Several sections of the text appear to be redacted or obscured by black ink, particularly in the subject line. The document's layout suggests a formal internal communication within a government agency, with clear sender, recipient, and subject fields. No photographs, diagrams, or visual evidence of experimental procedures are present on this specific page. --- OCR Start --- : STANDARD FORA: 3. 64 Office Memorandum UN TO : FROM : SUBJECT: G A/B, 1,815 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT : Chief, Security Research Staff, I&S Chief, Technical Branch, SRS, I&S Division Memorandum dated 21 November 1952 (Sodium Pentothal). DATE: 11 February 1953 ba 1600: 1. This Office has studied the subject memorandum and comments are set out immediately following. As you are well aware, the ARTI- CHOKE technique consists not only in studying methods of obtaining information from individuals or from gaining control of their wills but studying at the same time every conceivable technique that can be brought to bear to prevent others from extracting information from our people or gaining control of the will of our people. In studying these problems, this Office is quite well acquainted with the effects of Benzedrine, Picrotoxin, Caffeine, etc., etc. In the subject memo- Grandum, the Division Logistics in Paragraph 2, sub-Paragraphs a,b, and c have in a general sense correctly listed (such <1.3 the :::-cct·..i.!!d, nc7crthcle:;s, cor:-tpetent sea:-ching wouJ.d reve11l even t!li$. - C. In connection with 2, c, it r~.::.~rnph su.b-Faracr<~.ph :>hould al:-:o be stated that a physician cr quite pro bably a trained :-#Ollld su:;pect interro~ator iruned.iat~ly the ~ffect of counteracting d:rues (or that something t ··. . rlas unusual) since in the firnt place the Soclium Pen tothal or lu~rt.ol would not be producinG the proper re actions and in the second place, fenzedrine and other usually produce specific effects such as nt~llants nervousness, trembling, rapid heartbeat, quick breathing, etc., in the person takin~ the~. ~~ competent inter roe;ator or interrogation team ~101.tld recoc;nize 11urn.1sual11 activity on the part of the one bein,; and int~rroGated uould seek the meanin~ of this :.md, if nothing else, would delay the interrogation for a day, or ueek if t. nece3Sa.T"J, t.o make certain the individual to be handled was reacting properly to Pentoth::Ll or Amytal or any other of the hypnotic-type drur;s. 2. In adtlition to co:mrnents set out in sub-Parar,raphs A,"?,, and C there arc other items that Hould add to the difficulty in this pro obo~, bler,. For instance, t.he subject v1011ld have no knmrlodge ef the type of d.ruc: he -:.-Jas to be i!iV'=ln. Tl:e subject r:ir;ht, therefore, take a counter acting drur, 1-:hich t·rould possibl:.r have no eff·:-?ct on the drnt; r;iven or per haps nultiply the effect and create severe poisoninr, or bodily disturbances. - In this connection, there are rmmerou:::; reports that indic.:tte that the :ioviet Union and their so.tellit es haYe used Benzedrine as an ar,ent in producinr; certain der;irecl effects prior to and durinG intcrror;::Jtiun. If the sub- ject did not l:noH' he to be r:;i ven anci tool: one of the stimu u~s T~enzcd.rine lants or tool: l'enzcd:-ine itself, th~ effect of t.he tt·;o t.ioscs concei v a1~1)· t·:ould c nusc hi:_:i1l:; results n.nd pro11arly nausea. If he Has not.ice::~.ble ;;i ven I'icroto:r.in and he had previously tcl::en Picrotoxin, t.hc re:mlt s itou.J.d be danr,erous as Picrotoxin is quite toY..ic. A double ·of dosn~e Strychnine r.tight vrell prove fatal and at the least ccnvulsi \re. J. Uith reference to Paragraph 3 of the subject memorandum, this branch feels that the. pa.ra.::rnph is erroneous in 1-hat there is so~r:::~·rhat ccn:::;id£rn.ble :l!'tonnt of professional opinion that reflects that in certain co.ses, if the are adm:LnistercQ. properly if the interrogator is drug~ ~nd per:istcnt :mel The page is a typed document with visible smudges and stains, indicating age and handling. There are no photographs, stamps, or forms present. However, there are several instances of redacted content, appearing as dark, solid black bars, obscuring portions of the text in the upper portion of the page and a larger, more solid redaction in the lower half, overlaying what appears to be a hand-drawn sketch or diagram. The document features line-following marks and a pagination indicator "-2-" at the bottom. least ccnvulsi \re. J. Uith reference to Paragraph 3 of the subject memorandum, this branch feels that the. pa.ra.::rnph is erroneous in 1-hat there is so~r:::~·rhat ccn:::;id£rn.ble :l!'tonnt of professional opinion that reflects that in certain co.ses, if the are adm:LnistercQ. properly if the interrogator is drug~ ~nd per:istcnt :mel cle·.rcr 'mough, information, rer;ardlens of how sensitivD it . is, nay be extracted from inclivid.ualz under the influence of various drur;s . or combinations • )~. It :::;hould l:c noted that, the ARTICFOI~E ::>tnff l'ecor,nizns that r;or•;e indi·liuu:Us nre extrenely difficult to obtain information from, -2- .· ... .. . . ' ' -.·--~.,-,-.--J: ;,.... ...·. . ,...·• - -. • ·,:_·--~ ... ·-•• .... _._ .~. -,-,·· . ·- . - · - · ~ ;;.,.-·-.. . ~ , ~ .. - - •. .... j,. ..l . ""-· ·: ·.~. . :-_,. c hut ncu chemic:ils, mm and more advanced techniq'..le3 ~,;ill po33ibly in the future produce far rnore valuable and positi"'fe results than are ob '· tained toda:T under the old "truth serum" approach. It should alwe3;ys · ·-. be remembered that often it is only necessary to obtain one small bit of information that is verifiable to brealc a case wide open. 5. This office 't-lould, of course, be deli~hted if nny chemical_ or combination of chemicals or techniques could be discovered to pre vent the e:<:traction of information from our people, but at the present time -we are not m-1are of any technique, dev"ice or chmuc::.l (other than a let.h al dose) thnt will totally prc\·ent. an indi\ ridual from r;iv in~ pertinent inl' ormation i·rhile under th:! infl1.1cnce of cher..icals or if sub :. ... jected to sustC~.ined and clever interrogation accor.:panied by pres::ru.res ~ ;. ... physical or othenrise • G- 6. It is sugr,csted that the Jllamemorandum of 21 l!~vcmber 1952 be tur::-:ed o\·er to the iieclical Division uith the inforn;nl cora;tcnt3 of this Office. It is believed that they would give further advanced tech nical rea::;ons Hhy neutralizinG a~cnk; such ~s those ncntioned in the basic memormtdUl'l v7ould be ineffective. L - A . . - .I . . 1.; - . .. ' .~ ~ ...- ~ ·~ ·.- ;.,.- . ~ ..- -......... . ~··- . .JII.- ...,., ... ---· -·· . ' - .,. . . -• ...... . .to • -~ . · : ....... . . This page contains typed text and several black ink smudges. The smudges appear in various locations, obscuring portions of the text and creating abstract shapes. One smudge, in particular, is very large and covers a significant portion of the lower half of the page, with a handwritten "-3-" appearing below it. There are also markings that appear to be lines or dashes in the margins and near the bottom of the page. No photographs, stamps, forms, or diagrams are visible. - A . . - .I . . 1.; - . .. ' .~ ~ ...- ~ ·~ ·.- ;.,.- . ~ ..- -......... . ~··- . .JII.- ...,., ... ---· -·· . ' - .,. . . -• ...... . .to • -~ . · : ....... . .