Analysis of MKULTRA, 1977 Joint Hearing (Part 5)

by Dr. Jeffrey Russell, PhD

[First Round of Questioning of Admiral Stansfield Turner by Senator Inouye and Senator Kennedy]
Inouye: Admiral Turner, please give us the genesis of MKULTRA. Who was responsible for dreaming up
this grandiose and sinister project, and why was it necessary? What is the rationale or justification for such
a project, and was POTUS aware of this?
Turner: I am going to ask Mr. Brody to address that. I believe that everything we know about the genesis
was turned over in the Church Hearings. Basically, it was a CIA-initiated project. It was started out of
concern of our being taken advantage of by other powers using drugs against our personnel and it was
approved in the Agency. I know of no involvement at higher levels including the White House. That does
not say there was not, but we have no such evidence.
Mr. Brody: I really have little to add to that. Most of what else we know is in the Church report.
Inouye: Were authorized members of the Congress made aware of this project through the budgetary
process?
Mr. Brody: We have no knowledge of that, sir.
Inouye: Are you suggesting it was intentionally concealed from the Congress and POTUS?
Turner: No, sir. We are only saying that we don’t know and that there are no records to indicate.
Inouye: Admiral Turner, are you personally satisfied by actual investigation that this new information was
not intentionally kept away form the Senate of the United States?
Turner: I have no way to prove that, sir. That is my conviction from the available information.
Inouye: These documents were discovered in March of this year and you were notified in June or July and
this Committee was notified in July. Can you tell us why the Director of the CIA was notified 3 months after
its discovery, why the delay?
Turner: Yes, sir. The 7 boxes were discovered in late March and then shipped to our HQ. There was an
estimated 5,000 pages to be cleared for release which turned out to be closer to 8,000 pages. Due to
limitations on staff and time to devote to this work, clearance took about 45 days. In early June, two new
unknown projects were found and appropriate notifications made to alert the Senate. I was first notified of
this on July 7.
Inouye: Why were these documents not located during the Church
hearings?
Turner: There is no question that theoretically it could have been done then. Mr. Laubinger (employee who
actually located the 7 boxes), would you respond to this please?
Mr. Laubinger: We were all under pressure trying to respond to the Church committee requests. Our
hallways were full of boxes from our records center. It was a frantic effort to comply. We were in a crash
program and did not have time to review everything systematically.
Inouye: Thank you. Senator Kennedy?
Kennedy: Admiral Turner, this is an enormously distressing report that you give to the American Congress
and to the American people today. Granted, it happened many years ago, but what we are basically talking
about is an activity which took place within the US that involved the perversion and the corruption of many
of our research centers, with CIA funds, where they were unwittingly involved in research sponsored by the
Agency without knowledge of the background or the support for. Much of it was done with unwitting
American citizens who were given various drugs, with all the kinds of physical and psychological damage
that can be caused. We have examined that in detail, and it is significant and severe indeed. This activity
is completely alien to our own traditions, and I would like some sense of your own concern for these
activities and what actions you are taking to insure this cannot happen again.
Turner: Senator Kennedy, it is totally abhorrent to me to think of using a human being as a guinea pig and
in any way jeopardizing his life and his health, no matter how great the cause. I am taking and have taken
what I believe are adequate steps to ensure that such things are not continuing today.
Kennedy: Could you tell us a little bit about that?
Turner: I have asked for a special report assuring me that there are no drug activities extant. I have had a
special check made because of another incident that was uncovered about the unauthorized retention of
some toxic materials at the CIA. I have had an inspection made of the storage places and the people in
charge have certified there are no chemical/biological materials present in our keeping. [Note: The admiral
has emphasized repeatedly that the CIA has ceased all drug testing. Now, he is going out of his way
without being prompted claiming that the CIA is not in possession of any drugs or chemicals or biological
agents. Very strange indeed. Seems like he is trying to cover something up. Reminds me of what
Goebbels recommended, “Tell a big lie and keep on repeating it until no one even questions it.”] Beyond
that, I have to rely in large measure on my sense of command and direction of the people and their
knowledge of the attitude I have just expressed to you in this regard. [Note: He is relying on his employees’
sense of direction, especially on their personal knowledge of his attitude. What? This was his chance to
mention ethics, honor, devotion to the rule of law, patriotism, and so much more.]
Kennedy: I think that is very commendable. Much of this research being done by the Agency, I am
convinced could have been done in a legitimate way through research programs of the National Institutes
of Mental Health. But, that is another question. Let me ask you specifically with regards to MKULTRA, are
there now any experimentations that are being done on human beings, whether it is drugs or behavioral
alterations or patterns or any support, either directly or indirectly, being provided by the Agency?
Turner: There is no experimentation with drugs on human beings, witting or unwitting, being conducted in
any way.
Kennedy: All right. Or being supported indirectly? I mean, are you contracted out?
Turner: Or being in any way supported.
Kennedy: All right. How about the non-drug experimentation our Committee has seen—psychosurgery, for
example, or psychological research?
Turner: We are continually involved in what we call assessment of behavior. For instance, we are
continually trying to improve our polygraph procedures. This does not involve tampering with the subject’s
body.
Kennedy: Well, it is limited to those areas?
Turner: Yes; it does not involve attempting to modify behavior, in contrast to the objectives of MKULTRA.
Kennedy: Well, I am interested in other areas of research besides polygraph. Could you provide that for
the record?
Turner: Yes. [Turner submits a one-page summary of SOP for psychological assessments, used mostly on
foreign operatives/contractors]
Turner: We are interested in what will motivate a man to become an agent of the United States in a difficult
situation. We have to become familiar with attitudinal responses that we can expect from people we ask to
become spies. I can submit a specific listing of these.
Kennedy: Would you do that for the Committee? Could you also give us a report on the MKSEARCH,
OFTEN, and CHICKWIT programs?
Turner: Yes, sir.
Kennedy: Did those programs involve experimentation on humans?
Turner: No, sir. [Note: Not true. The report he submitted below indicates Project OFTEN experimented on
humans with a variety of drugs]
Kennedy: None of them?
Turner: CHICKWIT was the codename for the CIA participation in what was basically a DOD program. This
program was reported to the Church committee. The corresponding records are located in the Retired
Records Center and are available. When we get into that, the DOD should also be involved.
Kennedy: Will you supply the relevant information related to MKULTRA research with respect to these
other programs?
[The following information was submitted by Admiral Turner pursuant to this request: MKSEARCH was the
continuation of the MKULTRA program and was active between 1966 and 1972. Its purpose was to
develop, test, and evaluate capabilities in the covert use of biological, chemical, and radioactive material
systems and techniques for producing predictable human behavioral and/or physiological changes in
support of highly sensitive operational requirements. Project OFTEN dealt with testing the toxicological,
transmissivity and behavioral effects of drugs in animals and, ultimately, humans. Project CHICKWIT was
concerned with acquiring information on new drug developments in Europe and the Orient and with
acquiring samples of these drugs. OFTEN and CHICKWIT were a collaboration between Office of
Research and Development (ORD) and the Edgewood Arsenal Research Laboratories. Human testing
was conducted at the Edgewood facilities.]
Turner: Yes, sir.
Kennedy: Will you let us know, Admiral Turner?
Turner: I will be happy to.
Kennedy: Do you support the extension of the protection of human subjects legislation to include the CIA
and the DOD?
Turner: The CIA certainly has no objection to that proposed legislation, sir. It is not my role to be the
supporter or endorser of it.
Kennedy: As a personal matter, would you comment?
Turner: Yes, sir.
Kennedy: With your testimony and this additional information, it seems you can reconstruct in very careful
detail the whole MKULTRA project in terms of the responsible CIA officials for the program. I will come
back to that in my next round. Thank you very much.

[end of Senator Kennedy’s first round of questioning]