Speaking at a meeting of The Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, Director of the CIA General Michael V. Hayden announced that next week the agency would release most of the so-called ”Family Jewels,” a 693-page set of documents compiled in 1973, when Director James R. Schlesinger asked employees to report on notorious operations they thought might be inconsistent with the agency’s charter. “Much of it has been in the press before, and most of it is unflattering, but it is CIA’s history,” said Hayden. “The documents provide a glimpse of a very different time and a very different agency. When we release these declassified documents, we will put them on our public web site, just as we have with many others, ensuring easy access.”
Hayden said the papers included records of U.S. actions in Cuba, of spying on anti-war protestors and journalists in the Vietnam war era, and more. The National Security Archive has posted a six page summary on its web site.
The full text of General Hayden’s remarks are available on the CIA web site here.
Both the New York Times and Washington Post have published extensive articles as well.

Update: CIA Releases “Family Jewels” on Agency Web Site

This post first appeared on AHA Today.