Jeff Hirsh Read: June 2024
Inspiration: Had heard Netflix’s Stranger Things was based on Project MK-Ultra and wanted to learn more
Summary
Written with the help of ChatGPT, below is a brief summary to understand what is covered in the book.
“Poisoner in Chief”, published in 2019 by journalist and author Stephen Kinzer, delves into the life of Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA chemist who led the infamous MK-Ultra mind control program during the Cold War. Gottlieb’s experiments involved administering LSD and other drugs to unwitting subjects, often resulting in severe psychological damage. The book reveals how Gottlieb’s work extended to creating poisons and gadgets for covert operations, including assassination attempts on foreign leaders. Despite his dark legacy, Gottlieb saw himself as a spiritual person, living a secluded life in a remote cabin. Kinzer’s narrative uncovers the chilling extent of the CIA’s secretive and unethical practices under Gottlieb’s direction.
Unedited Notes
Direct from my original book log, below are my unedited notes (abbreviations and misspellings included) to show how I take notes as I read.
Motivation to explore biological warfare began in WW2 as fear enemies using vs allies (namely nazis on britain) but post war continue as fear soviets use of biologics in cold war, US see need to turbocharge efforts so fund blank check to best scientists/chemist, Operation Paperclip was post ww2–US gave citizens and false bios to 500+ nazi scientists as were very bright with chemicals/biologics and also not want them to defect to soviets, very controversial operation that was covered up as possible to show not giving nazi’s safeguard from prosecution, Ira Baldwin was UWisco professor initially tasked with building on CIA biologicalw warefare research post ww2 (built out a lab with 1000+ researchers called Camp Detrick, Kurt Blome was head Nazi chemist and US want to bring him as part of Paperclip, same with Shiro Ishii who led Japan’s Unit 731 extreme germ warfare research facility (killed thousands) and US similarly want him post war, succeeded with Ishii—got him immunity but kept in East Asia for experiments could not do in US (immunity deal approved by general douglas macarthur), Blome acquitted in 1947 Nuremberg Trials (influenced by US military heads) and then Camp Detrick scientists approach him for info, Detrick was second to Manhattan Project only, however by 1949 Detrick out of favor a bit as had nuclear weapons so less need for germ warfare, trial in Budapest see cardinal Mindszenty confess to crimes clearly didn’t commit—newly created CIA saw this as soviet plot via psychoactive tools and this became new purpose—develop psychoactive/mind control techniques to match soviets alleged new prowess, Allen Dulles joined CIA 1951 and was particularly enthusiatic on mind control initiatives—project Bluebird was the name of experiments, in West Berlin CIA set up Camp King and Villa Schuster as safe houses to conduct bluebird experiments on captured nazis and soviets—guided by General Walter Schreiber who was former Nazi army surgeon general, set up similar safehouses for experiments in Japan, Schrieber face controversy as try to visit US and soon retire which opened door for Kurt Blome role at Camp King in west berlin (not have to deal with controversy of coming to US on Paperclip contract), Sidney Gottlieb hired 1951 by Dulles to provide needed oversight and focus for Bluebird—Gottlied was a mentee of Ira Baldwin who was now back at UWisco but advising Bluebird a bit, Dulles rise to #2 at CIA so bluebird had full backing, Dulles truly believe Soviets had mind control techniques, American public also in similar mindset as anti-communist propaganda gain traction—late 1950 was when concept of “brainwashing” first created as newspaper headline about communism—capture public and CIA attention, Bluebird new scope under Gottlieb known as “Artichoke” (essentially medical torture projects), Gottlieb fixated on LSD—think it was the truth serum and test rigorously on people in prisons but also civilians unknowingly, never really prove his thesis but still fixated, Eisenhower President in 1952 and Dulles tapped to lead CIA which further cement Gottlieb’s control, April 1953 Gottlieb get approval for Project MK-ULTRA which was further expansion/systemization of mind control/Artichoke experiments globally with blank check to do as Gottlieb saw fit, safehouse at bedford street in Greenwich Village NYC where invited unsuspecting people from bars and give LSD, Gottlied focused on LSD as tool for mind control and convinced chinese/soviets ahead, 1953 George Keenan US diplomat return from Soviet Union and called out Soviets and immediately sent away–Gottlieb, Dulles and CIA convinced was brainwashed vs simply wanted to leave, this fueled further efforts in MK ULTRA, Gottlieb have extensive ring globally of torture/experimentation with LSD and unsuspecting victims, classified certain prisoners abroad as “expendables” to conduct tests and fine if end up dead, notorious safe house in SF for experiments with LSD involving prostitutes, unsuspecting victims, and CIA officers leading, early 1956 had some Congress push for oversight on Dulles and CIA but squashed by Eisenhower and Dulles in fear of reprecussions, CIA even funded 375k for part of Georgetown University hospital wing build out to have dedicated space for MK ULTRA tests on terminally ill and others, LSD introduction to culture and music began with Gottlieb and CIA, notoriously inspired Grateful Dead’s beginnings—under the influence of LSD for their first songs as poet Robert Hunter was their writer and Hunter first tried LSD in project covertly financed by CIA, Ken Kesey was one of the stanford students in LSD experiments 1959 and loved it, began sharing with friends at parties, Ken Kesey went on to write One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by 1960 Gottlieb began to first admit failure of MK ULTRA goals and by 1963 faced increasing scrutiny from superiors—in the face of this, Gottlieb allowed MK projects to expire/wind down, saw was getting nowhere despite 149 subprojects globally, Gottlieb was also intimately involved with assassination attempts on world leaders via posion such as Fidel Castro, Gottlieb in 70s and onward faced much scrutiny and trials as CIA transparency became focus on Americans post Watergate drama, CIA threw Gottlieb under the bus more or less, Gottlieb testify but claim to recall very little after getting immunity deal, victims continued to come forward all the while, the balance of Gottlieb narrative is b/w whether he was truly a monster or a victim of the era and soviet paranoia that drove all gvt actions
