Analysis of MKULTRA, 1977 Joint Hearing (Part 1)

by Dr. Jeffrey Russell, PhD

Introduction
[Senator Inouye’s opening comments—some paraphrasing and reduction by author]
The hearing will focus on abuses of the CIA between 1952 and 1965. It should be understood that the
programs of interest have stopped, and the main objective of the hearing is to determine what statutes or
guidelines might be necessary in order to prevent the reoccurrence of such abuses. Another important
point of focus is to know and understand what programs the CIA is currently involved with in the field of
behavioral research and to make sure no abuses are happening now.
The reappearance of reports of the abuses of the drug testing program and reports of other previously
unknown drug programs and projects for behavioral control underline the necessity for effective oversight
procedures both in the executive branch and in the Congress. [Note: MKULTRA program went public in the
early 1970s when victims in Canada began filing lawsuits against the CIA]
This committee is working closely with President Carter, VP Mondale, and Admiral Stansfield Turner
(Director of CIA from 1977 to 1981, preceded by George H.W. Bush) in developing statutory guidelines
which will govern all activities of the intelligence agencies of the United States. The President is expected
to announce soon how he has decided that the intelligence agencies shall be organized. This committee
will be working closely with the President and Admiral Turner in placing this new structure under the law
and developing effective oversight procedures. [Note: This hearing is about much more than MKULTRA.
President Carter and Admiral Turner are planning on completely reorganizing ALL of the United States
intelligence agencies with oversight procedures to make them accountable under law. THIS IS HUGE!]
One purpose of the hearing is to give the committee and the public new information available since the
previous Church and Kennedy inquiries and to hear the reasons why these documents were not produced
previously. Finally, there is an obligation to help those individuals or institutions that have been harmed by
these improper or illegal activities.
[end of Senator Inouye’s opening statement]