Declassified Intelligence - "False Flag" Operations / Ukraine (Central Intelligence Agency)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. All records related to the declassified intelligence (including but not limited to emails, memos, and/or reports) referenced by U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price during a press briefing on Feb. 3, 2022, evaluating the "false flag" (fabricated) attacks allegedly being planned by the Russian government "as a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine." (For further clarity about the records I am seeking, please refer to the press briefing transcript: https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-february-3-2022/ )

Please make sure to include attachments to any emails. Please also make sure to specifically certify that no other responsive records exist beyond those provided under this request.

The requested information is in the immediate interest of the general public for the following reasons:

On Feb. 3, 2022, a reporter from the Associated Press attending the aforementioned press conference requested that Mr. Price make public the declassified intelligence Mr. Price had referenced as evidence of possible military action. Mr. Price became noticeably irritated with the reporter and asserted that his verbal claims should be sufficient evidence for the reporter. Mr. Price reiterated that his claims were based on declassified intelligence, but declined to provide any further evidence or documentation, despite his assertions that the information he was sharing was declassified. (For further clarify, you can refer to the press conference transcript link above, as well as this news article: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-russia-ukraine-health-europe-national-security-5c4182d83dd8b7585ac49fdbb5f91c45 )

It is unusual for the government to refuse to make declassified records available to the press or public upon request, hence the purpose of this FOIA request.

Although Mr. Price implied during the Feb. 3 press conference that reporters' questioning of the government's claims about the situation in Ukraine served to call the government's credibility into doubt, it is critical to note that even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has recently requested that U.S. officials and media stop fueling "panic" about the situation in Ukraine, emphasizing the destabilizing impact those reports were having on Ukraine's economy. According to a report from Reuters dated Jan. 28, 2022, "(Zelenskiy) said the White House was making a 'mistake' in highlighting excessively the risk of a large-scale war, and that this was the message he gave U.S. President Joe Biden in their phone call on Thursday." For further clarity, refer to the following news article: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-zelenskiy-seeks-calm-down-panic-over-russia-tensions-2022-01-28/

In light of the U.S. government's recent errors in sharing accurate information about its military activity (notably in Afghanistan), in addition to prior government assessment errors in the past that have contributed to conflict and war (Iraq, Vietnam, etc.), government transparency is critical in situations where human lives -- including those of American troops -- are potentially at stake, and especially when the possibility of war is on the table. (For further clarity about why transparency is so important in the United States when it comes to military activity, refer to this news article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/us/politics/government-national-security-announcements.html )

According to Gallup, in Sept. 2021, Americans' "trust in the federal government's handling of international problems has fallen nine percentage points since last year to a record-low 39%, and now matches the level of trust for its handling of domestic problems -- one of only a few times that has occurred." (Source: https://news.gallup.com/poll/355124/americans-trust-government-remains-low.aspx )

Because the situation in Ukraine remains both confusing and dire, and because public trust in the government remains low, and because U.S. troops entering a conflict in Ukraine would likely result in a devastating loss of human life -- including the lives of those U.S. troops -- it is of the highest importance that the American public remains fully informed by its government about every aspect of every decision related to the current situation in Ukraine. This especially includes information that has already been declassified, such as the requested records.

The requested information will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. In addition to the above-mentioned reasons, disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations and/or activities of the government, and is not primarily in my commercial interest.

In order to help determine my status to assess fees, you should know that I am a freelance journalist whose work is published regularly by print and digital news outlets and magazines. You can view my portfolio at www.erinmariemiller.com/clips. I have previously been determined a media requester by other federal agencies in earlier FOIA requests.

As a member of the media, I request a waiver of all fees. Because the requested records have already been declassified by the government (based on Mr. Price's claims during the aforementioned press briefing), it is reasonable to assume that there will not be any fees related to this request. In the unlikely event that there are fees, however, I am willing to pay up to $25 for the requested information. If the fee for this request exceeds this amount, please notify me in writing for permission prior to beginning work on the request.

I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Erin Marie Miller

Hello,

I'm confused about why your agency set a completion date that is more than a year after your original estimated completion date to release basic, unclassified information under my request.

Please explain the reasons for this date change immediately.

- Erin