What did the declassified documents reveal?

Today, Declassified presents a Central Intelligence Agency memorandum from January seventh, nineteen-sixty-three, regarding proposed U-2 reconnaissance over North Vietnam and South China. This document offers insight into early Cold War intelligence-gathering priorities. You can find this record at documents2.theblackvault.com. This document was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under FOIA case number C-2009-0063, declassified on December fifth, two-thousand-one, under the authority of the Automatic Declassification Program. It remains a raw historical record. The document, titled "Memorandum For: Director of Central Intelligence, Subject: Request for Additional Coverage of North Vietnam and South China," states: "One. This paper contains a recommendation in paragraph six. Two. At its meeting on January fourth, the Committee on Overhead Reconnaissance reviewed the need for Far Eastern U-2 reconnaissance, account being taken of the report that a repeat of the Szechwan Basin has been approved and that approvals still exist for the Sino-Indian border. Three. COMOR agreed to consider at its meeting on January tenth the need for coverage of the south portion of North Vietnam (which has not been covered [four lines redacted under exemption B1]) and coverage of any [redacted] not covered in North Vietnam by Mission 3206 of [redacted]. COMOR will at that time also consider the need for further or repeat coverage of South China in the light of both the North Vietnam Mission 3206 (which included a part of South China) and the South China [redacted] mission. COMOR was not prepared on Friday, January fourth, to discuss this inasmuch as the preliminary reports on these missions are by no means complete and further time is required to assess what is the full extent of the coverage. However, the members agreed that none of the information from the preliminary reports was of such an ominous character as to warrant immediate return to these areas in advance of a more careful examination of the results. [One line redacted]. Four. COMOR also on January tenth will consider a justification for recoverage of the missile-test range and [redacted]. Barring new developments or ominous collateral, COMOR does not consider it necessary at this time to recover North China. It is COMOR's preliminary view that the North Korean mission was so complete that at the moment a return mission could not be justified. However, this will be carefully reviewed upon completion of the mission coverage index. Five. The C-I-A representative on COMOR joined in the foregoing conclusions. Six. In the light of the foregoing action of COMOR, it is recommended that permission for additional coverage of North Vietnam and South China not be requested of the Special Group at the meeting of January tenth. A report on the conclusions of COMOR at its meeting of January tenth will be submitted promptly thereafter." The memorandum is signed by C. A. Reber, Chairman, Overhead Reconnaissance…

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.

Case File · ARCHIVE-366Declassified

Filed SEP 10 · 2026Runtime 1 min

Today, Declassified Presents A Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated September 10, 2026

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◆ BLUF — The short version

Today, Declassified presents a Central Intelligence Agency memorandum from January seventh, nineteen-sixty-three, regarding proposed U-2 reconnaissance over North Vietnam and South China. This document offers insight into early Cold War intelligence-gathering priorities. com. This document was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under FOIA case number C-2009-0063, declassified on December fifth, two-thousand-one, under the authority of the Automatic Declassification Program.

Date: SEP 10 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Today, Declassified Presents A Central Intelligence Agency Memorandum about?: Today, Declassified presents a Central Intelligence Agency memorandum from January seventh, nineteen-sixty-three, regarding proposed U-2 reconnaissance over North Vietnam and South China. This document offers insight into early Cold War intelligence-gathering priorities. com. This document was released by the Central Intelligence Agency under FOIA case number C-2009-0063, declassified on December fifth, two-thousand-one, under the authority of the Automatic Declassification Program.
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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