Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room
Welcome to the Central Intelligence Agency's Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room.
Do UFOs fascinate you? Are you a history buff who wants to learn more about the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam or the A-12 Oxcart? Have stories about spies always fascinated you? You can find information about all of these topics and more in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Electronic Reading Room.
What is the Electronic Reading Room?
(Updated April 24, 2018)
The CIA FOIA Annual Report is now available in PDF, and in machine-readable XML formats.
What's New on the Electronic Reading Room?
Do You Know What Came Before the PDB?
You probably know that the CIA provides the President of the United States a summary of critical intelligence issues every day. But did you know that this was happening even before there was a CIA? The Central Intelligence Agency was not formally established until 1947. However, in January 1946 President Harry Truman directed the establishment of a Central Intelligence Group to provide him with a coordinated intelligence report. That report evolved over the years and its name has changed (it’s now called the President’s Daily Brief or PDB), but the tradition begun in 1946 of informing the President with a coordinated daily report continues to this day.
Once “for the President’s eyes only” (and those of his most senior advisors), these Daily Summary reports can now be released to the public. Take a look at the first 20 Daily Summaries from 15 February – 9 March 1946 to get an idea of the kinds of issues that confronted the President.
This release is the first in a six-part monthly series. Check back in the middle of next month to see more.
President George H. W. Bush's Farewell Visit to CIA
With gratitude and respect
From the men and women of the Central Intelligence Agency
