FAS

CIA Will Process Request on Open Source Works

12.14.11 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

In an abrupt reversal, the Central Intelligence Agency said that it will process a Freedom of Information Act request for documents pertaining to the establishment of Open Source Works, the CIA’s in-house open source intelligence organization.

Intelligence historian Jeffrey Richelson had requested the charter of Open Source Works under the Freedom of Information Act, only to be told that the CIA could not confirm or deny the existence (or non-existence) of responsive records.  See “Charter of Open Source Org is Classified, CIA Says,” Secrecy News, December 12.

But Dr. Richelson said that CIA Information and Privacy Coordinator Susan Viscuso called him yesterday to inform him that the request would be processed after all.  The earlier response, she said, was “an administrative error.”