Declassifying the CIA's shady past -

x

© Getty Images

The Manhattan Project -

The Manhattan Project, a secret US government operation, gained immense recognition for its devasting outcome. Initiated in 1939 and headed by Robert Oppenheimer, this project aimed to explore the potential of utilizing atomic energy for weaponry, a premise that was swiftly validated.

© Getty Images

The Manhattan Project -

In August 1945, the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were targeted with two atomic bombs, demonstrating that atomic energy could indeed be transformed into weapons capable of inflicting unimaginable suffering.

© Getty Images

Project 1794 -

In 2012, the US government declassified several papers revealing their plans to construct a flying saucer. Although this saucer was not intended for alien-related purposes, it was meant to be a covert weapon utilized in the conflict against the Soviets. This revelation was warmly embraced by UFO enthusiasts, marking an exciting day for them.

© Getty Images

Project 1794 -

Project 1794 was launched during the 1950s but its existence was brief. The aircraft's ambitions were grand, aiming for a top speed of quadruple the speed of light, a maximum altitude of 100,000 feet (30,480 m), and a projected cost of US$26 million. In 1961, after some preliminary tests, it was decided that the technology simply wasn't there yet.

© Getty Images

Project MK-Ultra -

The government conducted an investigation called MK-Ultra, which aimed to explore the uses of mind-altering substances and their potential to induce hypnosis in soldiers and citizens. This project, led by Sydney Gottlieb, began in 1953 and utilized at least US$10 million ($87.5 when considering inflation) of taxpayer funds to examine the impacts of different chemicals, particularly LSD, on unknowing participants.

© Public Domain

Project MK-Ultra -

Several CIA agents and members of the public were given the drug without their knowledge or consent, which goes against the Nuremberg Code. One person, a patient in a mental institution in Kentucky, had LSD forcefully administered to them for a period of 174 consecutive days.

© Public Domain

Operation Paperclip -

Following World War II, the alliances that contributed to victory over the Nazis abruptly disintegrated as the Cold War began. This transformation witnessed a rapid shift in the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, turning them from allies to adversaries.

© Public Domain

Operation Paperclip -

Operation Paperclip was a strategy implemented by the American government that involved recruiting top Nazi scientists who had not been tried at Nuremberg. These scientists were offered employment in the US government. Among those recruited was Wernher von Braun, a prominent member of the Nazi party. Von Braun would later collaborate with NASA on their space program, thanks to this controversial initiative.

© Getty Images

Project Mockingbird -

Project Mockingbird, ordered by President John F. Kennedy between March and June of 1963, was a warrantless wiretapping operation. Its existence remained concealed until 2001.

© Getty Images

Project Mockingbird -

Wiretaps were initially focused on the New York Times journalist, Hanson Baldwin, after he published an article containing classified information about the United States and USSR atomic arsenals. The president took offense to this. As the operation continued, two additional journalists became targets of the wiretaps.

© Getty Images

Operation Washtub -

In the early 1950s, following the onset of the Cold War, the United States implemented measures to protect against a potential Soviet invasion. Among these measures was Operation Washtub, established as a safeguard shortly after the Cold War began. 

© Public Domain

Operation Washtub -

Operation Washtub involved the covert recruitment of regular citizens in Alaska to serve as spies, codebreakers, and potential members of a resistance movement. Similar groups, known as "stay-behind" groups, were established by the CIA and NATO throughout Europe. However, Washtub is unique as it is the only known group of its kind to have operated within the United States.

© Getty Images

Acoustic Kitty -

During the Cold War, the CIA introduced a project known as Acoustic Kitty. This innovative surveillance plan, developed in the 1960s, aimed to use cats as undercover agents by implanting tiny microphones in their ears. These feline spies were then deployed near Soviet embassies to gather intelligence. This peculiar operation, often referred to as Acoustic Kitty, was a playful attempt to revolutionize espionage methods.

© Getty Images

Acoustic Kitty -

As expected, the cats did not excel in obeying orders. Shortly after the first feline agent was promptly struck by a taxi and a couple others strayed from the objective, the project was abandoned.

© Getty Images

The kidnapping of Luna 3 -

During the 1960s, the Space Race was progressing, with the Soviet Union leading the way. In 1959, they accomplished a significant milestone by launching Luna 3, a rocket, from a secluded base in Kazakhstan. Luna 3 successfully reached the Moon and captured photographs of the previously unexplored dark side, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.

© Public Domain

The kidnapping of Luna 3 -

After Luna 3 returned to Earth, the Soviets organized a publicity tour for the satellite. Recognizing the importance of gathering knowledge about this groundbreaking spacecraft, the CIA clandestinely broke into the truck transporting the rocket at night. They carefully disassembled the entire satellite, capturing photographs of each component, and then skillfully reassembled it before daybreak. Apparently, the Soviet Union never found out. At the time...

© Public Domain

The redistribution of 'Doctor Zhivago' -

Books have always been powerful tools in cultural conflicts, making it common for them to be banned. This was the case in the Soviet Union, where many books were prohibited and authors faced censorship for being "anti-revolutionary" or too individualistic. Among the books banned during the Cold War was the renowned Russian novel 'Doctor Zhivago' by Boris Pasternak (pictured).

© Getty Images

The redistribution of 'Doctor Zhivago' -

In agreement with the USSR, the CIA acknowledged the individualistic nature of 'Doctor Zhivago' and recognized its potential as anti-revolutionary propaganda. In collaboration with Dutch publishers and Vatican diplomats, the CIA printed and circulated approximately 1,000 copies of the novel during the 1958 World's Fair, aiming to embarrass the USSR. The agency had previously read the book and found it to be dangerously individualistic.

© Public Domain

Operation Mongoose -

The CIA gained a reputation for overthrowing foreign leaders, and their focus during the 1960s was on Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader. They named this operation Operation Mongoose and attempted to assassinate or remove Castro from power with a series of actions from 1961 to 1963, all of which ultimately failed.

© Getty Images

Operation Mongoose -

"Operation Mongoose was responsible for numerous attempts on Castro's life, totaling over 600. Among the diverse tactics employed were gaseous LSD, a plan to hire American mobster Sam Giancana (pictured) for an assassination, and even the use of poisoned ice cream."

© Getty Images

Project Iceworm -

Early nuclear missiles had a limited range, causing inconvenience when targeting faraway locations. To overcome this problem, the US government, in collaboration with the CIA, decided to construct secret missile silos beneath the Greenland ice sheet in the Arctic Circle.

© Getty Images

Project Iceworm -

Denmark remained unaware of the extensive construction happening beneath their territory for seven years. However, due to changes in the ice sheet, the project was ultimately abandoned in 1966 as it became impracticable.

© Getty Images

Project Horizon -

In 1959, a decade prior to NASA's successful mission of landing a man on the Moon, the US government developed ambitious plans for several lasting lunar military bases known as Project Horizon.

© Public Domain

Project Horizon -

The outposts, scheduled to be active by 1966, would have needed 147 shuttles to move all necessary materials, and would be staffed by 16 American soldiers. The project was halted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower when the responsibility for space exploration shifted from internal agencies to NASA.

© Getty Images

The FBI's warrantless surveillance -

The FBI, a less secretive agency of the US government, faced scrutiny in 2015 when an investigative report by the Associated Press exposed their aerial surveillance of the general public.

© Getty Images

The FBI's warrantless surveillance -

According to the report, the FBI utilized small aircraft under the names of fictional private companies nationwide to monitor cell phone conversations and capture aerial video footage. In the span of 30 days, these surveillance planes were sighted in 30 different American cities.

© Getty Images

The Bikini Atoll nuclear tests -

One might typically think of the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico when envisioning nuclear test sites, but it is worth noting that a Pacific Island paradise was also extensively bombarded, making it one of the most heavily bombed sites in US history.

© Getty Images

The Bikini Atoll nuclear tests -

Following the conclusion of World War II and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear testing persisted unabated in the Marshall Islands, particularly in the Bikini Atoll. Between 1946 and 1958, a total of 23 nuclear bombs were detonated in this area. It's important to note that these islands were not unoccupied; in fact, the government forcefully displaced around 200 inhabitants who had been living there.

© Getty Images

The 1968 B-52 crash -

In 1968, a B-52 bomber plane carrying four nuclear bombs crashed into the snowy wilderness around Greenland's Thule airport base during a routine mission. Immediately, authorities searched for the plane's nuclear payloads and soon declared their success. However, it wasn't until 2008 that the BBC uncovered classified documents revealing that one of the bombs had never been found.

Sources: (NPR) (Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum) (MIT Technology Review) (Associated Press)

For more: Military secrets the government doesn't want you to know

© Getty Images