CIA Refuse To Release Nazi Papers
Comment: The CIA won't release the papers because the Nazi war criminals were recruited by their predecessor organization, the OSS, via Operation Paperclip. This is part of the historical record.
The CIA refuses to provide documents sought by the U.S. government under a law requiring disclosure of classified records related to Nazi war criminals.
Under the 1998 law, the spy agency has already provided more than 1.2 million pages of documents. Some of the papers made public last year showed a closer relationship between the U.S. government and Nazi war criminals than had previously been understood.
But for nearly three years, the CIA has nixed requests for more records, Congressional officials and some members of a government working group told The New York Times.
The officials believe the stance seems to violate the law and say the agency has sometimes agreed to provide information about ex-Nazis, but not about the extent of the agency's dealings with them after World War II.
"I think that the CIA has defied the law, and in so doing has also trivialized the Holocaust, thumbed its nose at the survivors of the Holocaust and also at Americans who gave their lives in the effort to defeat the Nazis in World War II," said Elizabeth Holtzman, a former congresswoman from New York and a member of the group.
United Press International
CIA telling ex-agents they must get approval to blog
The CIA's Publications Review Board is sending out terse reminders to agency veterans reminding them of the rules requiring that any writings--even blogs--must first get agency approval, US News and World Report reports Wednesday. Excerpts:
Among those getting the warning is outspoken blogger and ex-agency man Larry Johnson, who smells censorship.
"It's very selective," says Johnson, who has been critical of the CIA's failure to defend outed ex-spook Valerie Plame. His note from CIA brass referenced his blogging.
A CIA spokesman described the reminder as standard operating procedure.
"Should anyone be surprised if CIA reminds people of the obligations they voluntarily assumed?" asks the agency in a statement. Exempted from the review list: radio and TV appearances--unless written notes are used.