Declassified.
Today we examine a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from November sixth, nineteen fifty-three, detailing the establishment and support needs of a United States communications intelligence facility in Taiwan. This document sheds light on early Cold War intelligence infrastructure and inter-agency cooperation. Source: documents2.theblackvault.com.
This document was released to the public under the Freedom of Information Act, though a specific case number is not listed. Its declassification authority is implicit, as it is now publicly accessible. It provides a glimpse into the operational realities of establishing a signals intelligence presence abroad.
The document, marked "Top Secret," is a cable designated "GOR ACTION." It discusses the "NATIONAL CONTROL EXERCISED BY DIRECTOR" in negotiating base rights agreements. Part Two, addressed "FOR CHIEF MAAG FORMOSA," requests information on whether the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Taiwan can augment normal Far East Air Force support for United States Air Force Security Service units. This support is sought in specific categories, including "COMMISSARY," "EXCHANGES," "LEGAL ASSISTANCE," "MEDICAL," "FINANCE," "COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION," "PROCUREMENT OF INDIGENOUS MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL," "POSTAL SERVICE," and "HOUSING FOR U.S. DEPENDENTS AND CHINESE CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSONNEL." The document states that "FUNDING AS NECESSARY FOR THIS AUGMENTATION WILL BE FROM DAF," referring to the Department of the Air Force. It specifies that "FIVE OFFICERS AND FIVE AIRMEN FROM ABOVE SUPPORT PERSONNEL WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MAAG." The document also contains several redactions, including "[four lines redacted under exemption B1]" and further redactions for "[four lines redacted]" and "[four lines redacted]." It concludes with a restriction: "REPRODUCTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IN WHOLE OR IN PART IS PROHIBITED."
The Black Vault archive notes that this document provides an interesting early insight into U.S. intelligence presence in Taiwan, highlighting the logistical and diplomatic complexities involved in establishing such operations during the Cold War. It underscores the extensive support network required for even specialized intelligence units.
This is what the public record looks like at its most ordinary. Find this document and more at storyflo.com, and specifically at archive.org/download/us-china-intel-CI01037/CI01037_djvu.txt.
