The POW/MIA FOIA Litigation suit against the CIA produced 29 documents in an attempt by the CIA to deceive the court that all other information had been declassified. The CIA located a cabinet of documents concerning the POW/MIA issues that had not previously been identified in either communication to Roger Hall, plaintiff in the suit against the CIA or to the court. These released documents are only the first of the CIA load of documents, this is the first layer that was protecting the withheld documents we seek. The CIA has a wealth of information on POWs and this is the first in their front-end -loading attempts to release the least significant information to try to discourage the POW/MIA pursuits in the interests of the POW/MIA families, veterans, researchers and the American public
Documents relating to Vietnam POWs to Russia
A 5 November 1992 document relating to a declassified/redacted version of a 1982 report of another Soviet plan to transfer U.S. POWs to Perm, Russia during the Vietnam conflict; it cited KGB Lt. Gen. Grigoryev and was shown to the POW/MIA Select Committee in February 1992 on the eve of the committee's trip to Moscow.
Most of the other 28 documents do not reveal anything new or exceptional, this is because that was the purpose of them being hidden in the first place. To have something to let loose, and to disappoint anyone getting to it. Most of this info was released by the POW/MIA Senate Select Committee. We have identified numerous records and groups of records that the CIA denies knowledge of. For example they state I allege that Air America was a CIA {contract} organization, or rely on here say information that the CIA ran the war in Laos. When I in fact use Select committee depositions as the source for some of the evidence, and have witnesses to testify that will confirm this. Still this is some of the trickery they try to deceive the court with.
The above document is important because each time information is found reporting on plans, programs, and witnesses [Gen. Jan Sejna] revealing POWs taken to Russia it is said to be the only report or information on such activity. Following is the Russian reply to inquiries on another plan of the 60's to "deliver knowledgeable Americans to the USSR for intelligence purposes" received from AIIPOWMIAI.
Interview with former KGB Chief Vladimir Semichastnyy, November 10, 1998 Representatives of the Joint Commission interviewed the former Chief of the Soviet KGB, Vladimir Semichastnyy, regarding his involvement in an alleged KGB plan from the late 1960s to "deliver knowledgeable Americans to the USSR for intelligence purposes."
Semichastnyy denied any knowledge of the KGB plan that was revealed by General Volkogonov in his recently published memoir. Semichastnyy said that the KGB would not have had a specific plan to transfer American citizens to the USSR. He acknowledged, however, that an objective to access American military personnel in Southeast Asia might have been included as a part of a six-month or one-year plan of overall KGB foreign intelligence objectives. Semichastnyy admitted that he might have signed such a document containing a brief reference to American servicemen, but he could not specifically recall having done so.
Deputy Minister Kalinin: Esteemed Mr. Ambassador! Esteemed Gentlemen! During the 15th Plenum, our group has primarily focused on the information that was published in Volkogonov's book regarding the alleged KGB plan to transfer American citizens from Vietnam to the Soviet Union. During this time, in my view, we have determined that a separate plan to transfer American citizens from Vietnam to the USSR did not exist. However, a presumption exists that some fragmented part of an overall KGB plan could have existed; at the same time, not a single American was ever transferred from Vietnam to the USSR. This question is fairly complicated because all of it is based on assumptions and rumors. Even in Volkogonov's publication it is not clear who ordered the alleged transfer of Americans to the USSR. In order to shed light on this issue, we met with the former Chairman of the KGB, V. E. Semichastnyy, who stated during our discussions that a separate plan did not exist, and that he was not aware of the plan that was referenced in Volkogonov's book. I think that we have gained a lot of perspective on the future direction of the Group and how we should proceed, especially with regard to the activities of Foreign Intelligence, the GRU, the General Staff, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the industrial ministries (relating to the workings of spetsgruppas), and so on. Of course, Senator Smith's suggestion to prepare a letter to the heads of our government requesting assistance with respect to the documents we are discussing needs to be carried out. We will continue working with Semichastnyy. We now have a specific, definite direction, and if we keep working in this direction, we will obtain a positive result. The most important thing is that there is nothing sensational here, based on the information that we presently have. We can say once again that Americans were not transferred from Vietnam to the Soviet Union. I suggest that there needs to be more active work done with China because, based on the relationship between China and Vietnam at that time, one can conclude that China might have information on American prisoners.
Following is list of documents received from the CIA.
1. Interrogation of U.S. POWs by Soviet Officers
2. KGB Allegations Denied - Kalugin
3. Update On PW-MIA Activities
4. DIA (PW-MIA) Review Panel on 7 January 1993
5. Information On Alleged MIA Remains in China
6. 5 November [1992]meeting with Senator Smith (KGB Lt. Gen. Grigoryev)
7. Russian Ministry for Federal Security (MFB, formerly KGB)
Response Concerning U.S. POW/MIAs in the Former Soviet Union
8. Sen. Smith - letter - U.S. POWs to Russia
9. Sen. Kerry - letter - Soviet Involvement with American POWs
10. SSCI Staff Briefing on Reporting of U.S. POWs in the USSR after WWII
(They located 4 doc but missed the 1205 doc)
11. Reported Sighting of a Captured American Pilot in Southern Laos in May 1971
12. Reported May 1971 Sighting of a Captured Northwest Muong Phine
13. Sighting of three Unidentified U.S. POWs in an NVA/PL Prison in the
Lao/South Vietnam Border Area in Early 1968.
14. FBIS Reports Searching for Evidence of American Pws Held in Laos
15. Reported Sightings in South Laos of Four Captured American Pilots
in Mid-1970 and Two Captured American Pilots in Early 1969
16. a. Mid-1970 Sighting of Four Captured American Pilots in a
North Vietnamese Commo-Liaison About 25 kilometers Northwest of Tchepone
b. Early 1969 Sighting of Two Captured American Pilots
Approximately 15 Kilometers of Moung Phine
17. Enemy Prisons in Laos - Laos
18. Enemy Prisons in Laos
19. A Vietnamese Diplomats Denial that Vietnam sent U.S. Prisoners
of War to the Former Soviet Union (Yeltsin, July, 1992)
20. Enemy Prisons in Laos, 8 October 1971
21. Alleged Soviet Incarceration of U.S. Vietnam Prisoners of War,
(DOI: 1970)12 March 1982 (Lt. Gen. Petr Ivanovich
((Grigoriyev)) "specially selected U.S. prisoners received from
North Vietnam for long term or life time custody and "ideological
re-training" in the soviet Union "on the order of several thousand")
22. HPSCI Staff Briefing on Reporting of U.S. POWs in the USSR Post WWII
23. Union Leader Brings to Light Pact Violation (Lindstrom)
24. Laos POW List Shows 9 From U.S.
25. U.S. Asks Former Soviet Republics about American MIAs
26. Sighting of Downing of U.S. F-4 Jet in Savannakhet Province, Laos
27. Alleged Sighting of a Live Caucasian American Prisoner at Khak Keut Town,
Khoueng Khammouak, Laos in June 1975
28. Sighting of Eight U.S. POWs in Sam Nuea Province, Laos, and the Subsequent
Death of One of the POWs
If you would like to contribute to the legal expenses for the court case --
send donations to:
POW/MIA FOIA Litigation Acct.
P.O. # 8044
Silver Spring, MD 20907-8044
The POW/MIA FOIA Litigation Fund is still in need of your help!
The CIA must be forced by the court to release all POW/MIA documentation they hold and hide from release. The CIA has over 567 documents withheld for national security reasons, they still wrongly withhold the original copies of the 40,000 pages of documentation ordered released by the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. They have other POW/MIA documentation including joint CIA/military operations regarding POWs in Captivity. We have already found out through this court case that the CIA has a POW/MIA office; this is something they lied to the POW/MIA Senate Select Committee about. When the Congress passes laws and the agency does not comply, it is our responsibility to use the laws in court. It takes the combined backing of the POW/MIA community to get it done.
The court case has forced over 50 documents to be released so far, and the CIA acknowledged 500 documents that are still withheld for national security reasons. The court, in August, ordered the CIA to declassify the original copies of the 40,000 pages of documentation ordered released by the Senate Select Committee, expand its search for additional documents including satellite imagery and overhead photographs.
The court also reported the CIA had last known locations of live POWs not released. This information has been denied because we did not have the expressed permission to obtain this information under the McCain Act from the Primary Next of Kin (PNOK). This information has never been given to the PNOK.
Fighting the CIA for the documents they have begrudged the POW/MIA families and the American public since the end of the war in Vietnam in not an overnight job, but it is an expensive one. The court case needs your help in paying the legal expenses. We cannot do it alone -- your help is urgently needed. Please donate, get your local veteran's organizations to donate, and encourage others to donate also. The POW/MIA FOIA Litigation Acct. is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible.
Make checks payable to: POW/MIA FOIA Litigation Acct.
Send donations to: POW/MIA FOIA Litigation Acct.
Attn: Roger Hall
P.O. Box 8044
Silver Spring, MD 20907
Any questions: Call 301/585-3361 or send email to rhall8715@aol.com
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