Declassified Intelligence - "False Flag" Operations / Ukraine (U.S. Department of State)

Thank you for filing your FOIA request online on 2/8/2022. Here is a review of your request.

The records I request can be described as follows:

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 MillerUpload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

The time period of my request is from 01/28/2022 to 02/07/2022

I am A representative of the news media seeking information as part of a news gathering effort and not for commercial use.

I am willing to pay $25 for my request.

I request a waiver of all fees for this request.
Reason: 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.

My additional comments are as follows:

N/A

Contact Information
Mrs. Erin Marie Miller
MuckRock News DEPT MR 124602
411A Highland Ave
Somerville, Massachusetts 02144-2516
P: (617)299-1832
F: N/A
requests@muckrock.com

**THIS EMAIL BOX IS NOT MONITORED, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.** Mrs.Miller: This email acknowledgesreceipt of your February 8, 2022, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. §552) request received by the U.S. Department ofState, Office of Information Programs and Services on February 8, 2022, regarding records related to the declassified intelligence 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 clarity about the records being sought, please refer to the press briefing transcript mentioned in this request(Date Range for Record Search: From 1/28/2022 To 2/7/2022).  Unless you advise otherwise, we will treat as non-responsive any compilations of publicly available news reports and any publicly available documents not created by the U.S. government, such as mass-distribution emails from news media.  This Office assigned your request the subject reference number and placed it in the complex processing track where it will beprocessed as quickly as possible. See 22CFR § 171.11(h). This Office grants yourrequest for a fee waiver. This Office willnot be able to respond within the 20 days provided by the statute due to“unusual circumstances.” See 5 U.S.C. §552(a)(6)(B)(i)-(iii). In this instance,the unusual circumstances include the need to search for and collect requestedrecords from other Department offices or Foreign Service posts. If you have any questions regarding yourrequest , would like to narrow the scope or arrange analternative time frame to speed its processing, or would like an estimated dateof completion, please contact our FOIA Requester Service Center or our FOIAPublic Liaison by email at FOIAstatus@state.gov or telephone at202-261-8484. Additionally, youmay contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at theNational Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIAmediation services they offer. Thecontact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government InformationServices, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS,College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, email at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769. **THIS EMAIL BOX IS NOT MONITORED, PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.**

Ms. Miller,

This is in reference to your email below regarding your FOIA request control number F-2022-04647.

The Department has a backlog of FOIA requests, and there will be a delay in processing FOIA requests. As the Department continues to work through its backlog of FOIA requests, it is mindful of its accountability to the public and is processing this request as quickly as possible.

The Office of Information Programs and Services electronic records system indicates that your request is being processed. At this time, the estimated date of completion (EDC) is August 30, 2024. EDCs are estimates and are subject to change.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding a FOIA-related matter, please send an email to the FOIA Requester Service Center at foiastatus@state.gov<mailto:foiastatus@state.gov>.

We appreciate your patience and apologize for the delayed response.

Sincerely,

U.S. Department of State
FOIA Requester Service Center

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED