What did the declassified documents reveal?

Declassified. This episode features a declassified C-I-A record detailing the status of a proposed U-2 reconnaissance mission over Communist China and the Taiwan Strait, dated August twenty-first, nineteen-sixty-two. This document is archived at documents two dot the black vault dot com. This document, originally marked Top Secret, was declassified on June tenth, two-thousand-two, under the Freedom of Information Act and reviewed by the A-A-R-O, or Assassination Records Review Board, as part of its declassification mandate. The document was released with some redactions under exemption B-one. The record begins with a memorandum dated August twenty-first, nineteen-sixty-two, from the Chief, Special Requirements Staff / O-S-A / D-D-R to the Deputy Director (Research), Acting Assistant Director (Special Activities) / D-D-R, and Chief, F-E Division / D-D-P. The subject is: "Status of memo to the Director on Special Group Approval for TACKLE." The memorandum states: "On August twentieth the undersigned was notified that the Director had decided to discuss the reference with the Special Group at its meeting on August twenty-third. Accordingly, the undersigned wrote a memorandum substantially the same as the reference and forwarded it to the Special Group. It will be recalled that attached to the reference was a cable forwarding an interim reply to [four lines redacted under exemption B-one] ordered the release of this cable. This was done on August twentieth." The memorandum is signed by the Chief, Special Requirements Staff / O-S-A / D-D-R. Attached to this memorandum are the minutes of a meeting of the Committee on Overhead Reconnaissance, or C-O-M-O-R, held on August eighteenth, nineteen-sixty-two, at the Central Intelligence Agency. Presiding was James Q. Reber, Chairman. The minutes state: "A special meeting was called to prepare, on the instruction of the Chairman of the United States Intelligence Board, a paper which would review the needs for U-2 reconnaissance on strategic targets in Communist China as well as the need for targets in the Taiwan Strait area, a matter of particular concern to the Secretary of Defense. The C-O-M-O-R prepared an agreed paper on the above subject for consideration of the U-S-I-B on Wednesday, August twenty-second, and for subsequent consideration by the Special Group on August twenty-third. (Chairman's note: Subsequent to the meeting, the Director of Central Intelligence decided to forward the paper directly to the Special Group without going through the Board.)" The Black Vault archive provides additional context for this record, noting that it concerns C-I-A U-2 overflights of Communist China in nineteen-sixty-two, codenamed Idealist / Tackle, and indicates that the Director of Central Intelligence intervened to send the proposal directly to the Special Group. This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. Find this document and more at storyflo dot com, and at archive dot org slash download…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

CIA C I A Record Detailing The Status Of A Proposed U 2 Reconnaissance Mission

◆ BLUF — The short version

Declassified. This episode features a declassified C-I-A record detailing the status of a proposed U-2 reconnaissance mission over Communist China and the Taiwan Strait, dated August twenty-first, nineteen-sixty-two. This document is archived at documents two dot the black vault dot com.

Date: SEP 12 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was CIA C I A Record Detailing The Status Of A Proposed U 2 Reconnaissance Mission about?: Declassified. This episode features a declassified C-I-A record detailing the status of a proposed U-2 reconnaissance mission over Communist China and the Taiwan Strait, dated August twenty-first, nineteen-sixty-two. This document is archived at documents two dot the black vault dot com.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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CIA C I A Record Detailing The Status Of A Proposed U 2 Reconnaissance Mission

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