ParaNet BBS/foia
From KB42
ParaNet BBS/foia
| File Name: | foia.txt |
|---|---|
| Author: | Unknown |
| Date: | Unknown |
| Posting BBS: | Unknown |
| BBS Main Page: | ParaNet Main Page |
| Key Words: | ParaNet, UFO, Ufology |
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ParaNet(sm): Freedom of Information for a better world!
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ParaNet File Number: 00134
(1119) Tue 2 Jan 90 3:48p
By: Michael Corbin
To: All
Re: Foia For Yourself!
St: Sent
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I ran across this message on Freedom of Information and how to
obtain documents regarding this.
Freedom of Information. Most citizens know something about it,
but not many know how to go about making a request to the
Federal
Government for information. It should be known to all
citizens
that they have the absolute right to most, if not all, of
the
information that the US Govenment possesses on most
matters,
including files that are kept on themselves. I am
presenting this
information as a public service gesture. Everyone should
feel
free to take advantage of this information and use it to
obtain
data from the US Government.
Its not really well known, but lots of government
conspiracies
have been uncovered by reporters and common citizens who
used to
the FOIA to obtain formerly classified or unknown
information
about people, places, and events. Like the fact that John
Lennon
was shadowed for years by the FBI, who at one time
considered
deporting him for having participated in "The Peace
Movement."
And the fact that many "leftist" political organizations
were
infiltrated by the FBI and the CIA (in violation of their
charter!) during the 60's. Or Project "ULTRA," which was
a CIA
experiment on mind control which involved dumping LSD
into the
city of Los Angeles' water supply over a several-month
period.
These facts are not made up; they happened, and they
would never
have been known unless someone had not made a request to
the
government for the information under the auspices of the
FOIA.
What does the government know about YOU? Do they have a
file on
you somewhere? If you were ever in the military or have
ever
held a security clearance, the answer is YES! You have a
right to
know what that file contains. Does the US government
keeps tabs
on certain radical right and left wing political and
religious
groups? YES! And you have an unmitigated right to know
what they
are up to, within certain narrowly defined limits.
I urge everyone to take advantage of this ability. It
doesn't
cost much (if anything) to find out what the government
is REALLY
up to (for the most part, hehehehe). Its worth it, and
you can
become your own Private Investigator. Everyone owes it to
themselves to find out the truth about what the
government knows
(or does not know) about certain things. A real eye-opener!
I have excerpted and paraphrased portions of the US
Government's
documentation on how to make a request for information
under the
Freedom of Information Act, so that we can all become our
own
investigators, if we so desire.
The Freedom of Information Act applies only to documents
held by
the administrative agencies of the executive branch of the
Federal Government. It does not apply to information
maintained
by the legislative and judicial branches. The executive
branch
includes executive departments and offices, military
departments,
government corporations, government controlled
corporations, and
independent regulatory agencies. All records in
possession of
these entities must be released to you upon request
unless the
information falls within one of the nine specific and
narrowly
drawn categories. These are:
1. Classified documents concerning national defense and
foreign
policy. All documents properly classified
"Confidential",
"Secret", and "Top Secret".
2. Internal personnel rules and practices. This covers
things
like the CIA's lunch menu or parking arrangements.
Seriously.
3. Information exempt under other laws. Patent
applications,
income tax returns, records regarding nuclear testing.
4. Confidential business information. Trade secrets that
the
government is privy to, but which belong to privately
owned
companies.
5. Internal communications. Memorandums and letters which
reflect
pre-decisional attitudes and policy comments are not
released,
but they must be released upon request after a policy
decision
has been reached.
6. Protection of privacy. Personnel and medical files.
7. Investigatory files. Only exempted if revealing them
would
interfere with enforcement proceedings, deprive a
person of a
right to a fair trial, constitute undue invasion of
privacy,
disclose the identity of a confidential source, disclose
investigative techniques, or endanger the life or
safety of
law enforcement personnel.
8. Information concerning financial institutions. No info
released about banks, the SEC, the stock market, etc.
9. Information concerning wells. No geological or
geophysical
information given out. Weird.
--- FD 1.99b
Following is an example of an FOIA request letter.
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Agency Head or FOIA Officer
Title
Name of Agency
Address of Agency
City, State, Zip
Re: Freedom of Information Act Request
Dear _____:
Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information
Act, 5
U.S.C. 552, I am specifically requesting access to
(identify the
records as clearly and specifically as possible).
If there are any fees for searching for, or copying,
the
records I have requested, please inform me before you
fill the
request. (Or:...please supply the records without
informing me if
the fees do not exceed $____.__.)
[Optional] I am requesting this information (state the
reason for your request if you think that it will assist
you in
obtaining the information.)
[Optional] As you know, the act permits you to
reduce or
waive fees when the release of the information is
considered as
"primarily benefitting the public". I believe that this
request
fits that catagory and I therefore ask that you waive any
fees.
If all or any part of this request is denied, please
cite
the specific exemption(s) which you think justifies your
refusal
to release the information, and inform me of the appeal
procedures available to me under the law.
I would appreciate your handling this request as
quickly as
possible, and I look forward to hearing from you withing
10 days,
as the law stipulates.
Sincerely,
Signature
Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Federal Agencies are required to respond to all requests for
information within 10 working days (excluding Saturday,
Sunday,
and the holidays) after receipt of the request.
If your request is denied, they are required to tell you
why it
was denied, and to provide you with the information
neccessary to
appeal that decision. They must also provide you with the
name,
address, and title of the person who was personally
responsible
for the refusal to provide requesting information. Certain
restrictions can be put on the information, such as
requiring you
to physically go to where the data is stored and observe
it in
person without copying or otherwise making any record of
it (not
done very often, but it has been used in the case of
reqests for
information concerning UFO's - hehehe), or providing
proof of US
citizenship, or signing non-release forms (again, not
done too
much). If only SOME of the data you request is refused,
they must
provide you with the rest of it - like with the
classified words
blacked out (has been done with certain material
concerning the
assassination of JFK). Also, if any material you request is
classified, it MUST undergo a security inspection to be
certain
that the data should still be so classified. If not, then
it will
be immediately de-classified and released to you. Many
interesting things that were formerly classified have been
released that way...
Be aware that some agencies charge a fee for searching for,
copying, and mailing the information to you. If you are as
specific as possible in your request, you may save
yourself money
(assuming that you are willing to pay at all). A request
like,
"All information you have on file about JFK" may net you
50,000
pages of complete drivel. A request like, "All
information you
have on file about the meeting that JFK had with LBJ on the
morning of Jan 12th, 1962, in the Oval Office of the
White House,
concerning the taking out of the trash" might net you a
more
informative reply.
Some of the more popular federal agencies' addresses are
listed
below:
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Department of the Air Force (Navy, Army)
The Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20330
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
Defense Intelligence Agency
RDS-3A
Washington, D.C. 20301
Denfense Investigative Service
D0020
Washington, D.C. 20304
Federal Bureau of Investigation
9th and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20535
U.S. Information Agency
1750 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20547
National Archives and Records Service
Washington, D.C. 20408
National Security Agency
Fort George Meade, Maryland 20755
U.S. Secret Service
1800 G Street, N.W. (G for G-Man? hehehe)
Washington, D.C. 20223
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