Top 15 Declassified CIA Secrets

Proof of life beyond Earth has always been sought after. Even those who don’t necessarily believe in conspiracy theories often acknowledge the possibility that humans may not be the only intelligent species in the universe. Some events have corroborated this belief– and the Pentagon cemented it even further in 2020 when they began releasing videos of unidentified flying objects. Cynics have countered the clips, claiming that it’s footage of droids or even just a technological error. While those are possible explanations, they have widely been pushed to the back burner in favor of the more intriguing alternative. Whether these are aliens or not, the videos serve as a reminder that there’s something in the skies to watch out for.

We may not know exactly what was going on in his mind, but this is as far as we’ve ever gotten. Following the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011, authorities seized and searched his belongings– including his hard drive. It’s easy to assume that his darkest plans would have been saved on it– but the truth was even more surprising. The drive held a collection of Western media, ranging from viral YouTube videos to animated movie trailers, along with unspecified adult content. However, there are rumors that some of the files may have been placed there by other residents of the compound in Pakistan where he was killed. Regardless of their origin, these findings show clear contradictions within their professed beliefs.

Sustaining human life in outer space has long been considered a pipe dream– but for a brief moment, the idea seemed to have been entertained. In 1959, the CIA began looking into the likelihood of establishing a base on the moon. The plan, titled Project Horizon, aimed to secure the moon for national security reasons, particularly as a strategic advantage against the Soviet Union. Several prototypes were drawn up, and an estimated budget of six billion dollars was proposed. However, the project was halted by President Eisenhower before it could progress further than the feasibility stage. A decade later, the United States landed on the moon, and while they didn’t establish a base, it still sent a powerful message to their enemies.

Times of conflict often give rise to bizarre ideas. Throughout the Cold War, with the constant threat of nuclear war looming, the U.S. sought ways to remain one step ahead of its adversaries. In 1959, one such plan involved hiding nuclear weapons beneath the ice of Greenland, so they could still have weapons in the event of a surprise attack. In order to test this, the U.S. sent operatives there to dig massive tunnels– but they were quickly thwarted by Mother Nature herself. The icecaps proved to be unstable, causing the walkways and ceilings to cave in. By 1966, the project had become too dangerous and was ultimately abandoned. Unfortunately, the waste left behind remains an environmental hazard to this day.

The fascination with potential alien technology has even piqued the attention of government officials. In the early 1950s, the U.S. caught wind of innovative weapons being developed in Canada, including a circular disk-shaped device known as the Avrocar. Eager to create their own version, they launched Project 1794, investing a hefty sum into its development. The weapon’s compact size promised several advantages in battle, but technical issues began to emerge during testing. The Avrocar constantly caused fires, forcing the team to only operate it from a bullet-proof booth placed at a safe distance. Faced with all these problems, the U.S. government scrapped the plans, opting for weapons with more conventional designs.

Many agree now that the war in Vietnam was a senseless venture. The war crimes committed by the United States were horrific, with the CIA being more involved than they were once willing to admit. U.S. troops took part in several massacres, leading to the deaths and torture of hundreds of Vietnamese civilians. They even established “free-fire” zones– which essentially put a target on any innocent person who entered those areas. However, the most insidious plot was the Phoenix Program, which was designed to dismantle the Viet Cong using torture and assassination. This campaign ultimately drew heavy criticism for targeting innocent civilians. By the time the smoke cleared, thousands had lost their lives– and the worst part is that it was all for nothing.

They say there’s no such thing as a bad idea– however, there are definitely weird ones. In the early 1980s, the American government decided to bypass traditional physical methods of securing their military bases, and explore mental techniques instead. This led to the development of the Gateway Experience. It posited that learning practices such as hypnosis and meditation could enhance the military’s ability to protect the country. The report goes over the individual facets of the plan, each more bizarre than the last. One method even called for shocking the brain to elevate its performance. While plenty of research was done for the draft, it never got approved for wide implementation– and it’s pretty clear to see why.

The pursuit of knowledge often serves the greater good, but it can still have profound consequences for some. Despite the devastation caused by the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the United States was still enamored with the technology. The following year, they decided to continue their research into the weapons– particularly how it fared against warships. To test their results, they headed to the Marshall Islands, much to the chagrin of scientists, who were concerned about the environmental damage. Beyond the ecological risks, the local residents were forced to relocate and left to fend for themselves. The tests may have been beneficial to the U.S. government– but the consequences of their selfish actions are still being felt today.

Hitler thought that the advancement of scientific and military technologies was one of the most important things that Nazi Germany should undertake. When World War II ended, many of his former top minds fled while others faced the Nuremberg Trials. However, this period also gave birth to Operation Paperclip, which was run by the Joint Intelligence Agency and CIA precursor Office of the Strategic Services until the CIA itself was formed in 1947. The secret program was America’s mission to source the best Nazi geniuses and offer them asylum, ignoring their crimes, in exchange for working for the U.S. These included Wernher von Braun, who developed the infamous V-2 rockets for Germany. He later created technology that helped America win the space race and put men on the moon.

The fact that the Soviet Union took the initial lead in the space race galled the U.S. When Russia sent their spacecraft Lunik on a tour of several countries, the CIA took advantage of this. Finding a weak link in the security chain, they managed to “borrow” the spacecraft as it was being transported. Working diligently and precisely, they managed to take it apart in order to photograph the ship in precise detail. They completed their mission, put the ship back together and snuck it back in without being discovered. And the whole, complex process was done overnight. You gotta admire the efficiency.

The effort to stop the spread of Communism during the Cold War has resulted in some truly brutal practices. In 1950, upon learning that Filipino citizens were starting to lose faith in their President, the CIA decided to install their own pro-America candidate. To exacerbate the process, they preyed upon the people’s deepest fears. They spread rumors that a vampiric creature known locally as Aswang [b]was roaming around– and to prove it, they drained a corpse of its blood and left it to be found. They also turned insurgents against one another by fabricating claims that some had become informants. Their actions in the Philippines set a precedent for similar tactics in other countries, the consequences of which persist to this day.

It’s hard to fathom a country intentionally starting a war just to depose a single leader– but the United States came close to doing just that. Following his ascension to power, Fidel Castro became one of America’s biggest adversaries after allowing communists into his government. Rather than let the chips fall where they may, the CIA decided that the only course of action would be to carry out acts of terror against American military members and civilians. They would then pin the blame on Castro, using their own violent actions as justification for starting a full-blown war. Had it gone through, Operation Northwoods could have been catastrophic. Luckily, President Kennedy rejected it, saving countless innocent lives in the process.

When the Soviet Union sent a dog into space aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957, some people were outraged by the animal cruelty. However, unbeknownst to the public, the CIA was doing their own animal experiments at the same time. This involved fitting a microphone inside the ear of a cat in order to record sensitive Russian conversations. It took several years to develop the technology and train a cat – which is no mean feat – as well as surgically implant it with batteries and wires at a cost of $10 - 20 million. Unfortunately, the first test cat was reportedly hit by a car and killed crossing the street on its very first mission.

It’s probably the most famous secret military base in the entire world, and yet the U.S. government didn’t officially acknowledge its existence until 2013. Many claim that alien spaceships are stored here. But the truth behind Area 51 isn’t as spooky as The X-Files would have you believe. It is apparently where America builds its high-tech, top-secret aircraft. For example, the famous U-2 spy planes were first developed secretly there in the 50s and 60s. It seems that all the UFO sightings are actually sightings of experimental aircraft. Unless, of course, that’s exactly what they want us to think, and they really are hiding evidence of alien life in the middle of the desert…

By the 1950s, a fear of the Soviets using drugs to affect American soldiers and citizens led to the CIA conducting their own experiments into mind control. Unwitting North Americans were given LSD and other drugs in an effort to brainwash them, and that’s just one of the things MKUltra was studying. Hypnosis, electroshock treatment and potential new truth drugs were also used – all without informed consent from their victims. But in 1973, in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, the director of the CIA ordered all files on MKUltra to be destroyed. To this day, nobody knows the true extent of what the CIA may have done.

What secrets do you hope the CIA will reveal next? Let us know in the comments below.

[b]https://forvo.com/search/aswang/