...THE 'HUGHES GLOMAR EXPLORER'...
The image here is of the actual ship that in 1974 successfully raised the wreck of the
Soviet submarine, K-129.
You might note that the ship bears the name of Howard Hughes and it was he that organised with the CIA to attempt to raise the sunken Soviet sub. The name of the operation was Project Azorian and its aim was to raise the 2000-ton wreck of the K 129 some 16,000 feet from the seabed. That is a fascinating story all by itself.
The Americans first used the term, 'We can neither confirm nor deny..' with Project Azorian as a diplomatic way of refusing to release sensitive information.
The Americans first used the term, 'We can neither confirm nor deny..' with Project Azorian as a diplomatic way of refusing to release sensitive information.
And that has been the case ever since but what does the phrase actually mean? Here is the answer:
'Glomar responses are meant to be reserved for those requests where either confirming or denying the existence of responsive records would cause cognizable harm to the agency'
'Glomar responses are meant to be reserved for those requests where either confirming or denying the existence of responsive records would cause cognizable harm to the agency'
And where does this explanation come from?
Follow the link to read the full details...
Last question how does this GLOMAR response apply in the case of the SOmerton Man?
Many moons ago we applied to the CIA under Freedom of Information about a certain candidate for being the Somerton Man, Pavel Fedosimov. We received the Glomar Response in reply.
'We can neither confirm nor deny..' with Project Azorian as a diplomatic way of refusing to release sensitive information.
Many moons ago we applied to the CIA under Freedom of Information about a certain candidate for being the Somerton Man, Pavel Fedosimov. We received the Glomar Response in reply.
The response means:
'We can neither confirm nor deny..' with Project Azorian as a diplomatic way of refusing to release sensitive information.
Just what were they concealing about this man and why was it so important that even to this day the information is secret?
Tags
Freedom of Information
Glomar Response
Hughes Glomar Explorer
Pavel Fedosimov
Project Azorian.
Somerton Man
Tamam Shud
I have memories of one particular commenter from another blog stating that the Glomar response was just effectively churned out when they had other things to work on. This post sets the record straight.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Fedosimov, we have never been able to find the man who was pictured along with Nosov at La Guardia in 1947, that is where we were first able to put a face to the name that had turned up elsewhere. His trail was followed on to the Soviet ship the POBEDA headed for Odesa on August 1st 1948. On the trail we discovered that he had been suspected by the Soviets of being about to betray the motherland. This was in times when mere suspicion was enough to get a person shot under Stalin's reign. It was noteworthy that Fedosimov's wife, Vera Fedosimova, was not listed as a passenger when the ship left NY on August 1st after lengthy delays. We also tracked the journey of the POBEDA and were able to show that it would have been possible for Fedosimov to have reached Australia aboard the DERNA, a refugee ship ex Marseilles, which was to later cross the path of the POBEDA at Port Said.
The Poneda was all but destroyed in a devastating fire on board which cot the lives of 40 passengers and two crew. One of those passengers who died in the fire was a senior Chinese Nationalist who was defecting to the Soviets from where he would have been made a gift to Mao.
Whilst the name Pavel Fedosimov appears a number of times after 1948. no photographs of the man have ever appeared after 1948.
The recent Histories Greatest Mysteries Movie, now available on SBS for free, makes specific mention of Fedosimov and summarised the events listed here. Here's the link:
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/historys-greatest-mysteries/season-3/the-body-on-somerton-beach-s3-ep4/2258778179706
I recall that other comment, always the same grandiose sounding style, how are they doing lately?
ReplyDeleteA VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! MAY THIS DAY AND OTHERS THAT FOLLOW BE MERRY, BRIGHT & FILLED WITH HOPE FOR A PEACEFUL FUTURE..
ReplyDeleteFound a reference to a Scherbakov in the FBI files, he was the man who supposedly disappeared at the Lapstone conference. This was years later, he was a defector. He could have been a double agent in 48 though.
ReplyDeleteFact, there was a link between a Scherbakov and a Soviet ring that was involved with high value artworks but just when they started up I do not know. FBI vault perhaps?
ReplyDelete