6 Secret US Government Operations That You Need to Know About

The unbelievable truth & a journey into the unknown.

Secret U.S. government operations refer to covert activities carried out by various government agencies without public knowledge or disclosure.

These operations may involve gathering intelligence, espionage, military action, or other initiatives which are considered essential for achieving goals of national security or foreign policy.

The secrecy surrounding these operations has sparked debate and controversy over their legality, efficiency, and probability for misuse.

1. Stargate Project — Inside the CIA’s Secret Psychic Experiment

One of the most bizarre government secrets is likely the CIA’s venture in the 1970s to unravel the enigma of remote viewing — by conducting a series of different experiments.

The concept involves the ability to perceive or encounter distant objects or events using the power of the mind. Despite having a small team of just 20 participants at max, the program persisted for nearly two decades.

It wasn’t until 1995 that the CIA decided to terminate the project, citing a lack of fruitful outcomes.

2. Operation Merlin — CIA’s Attempt to Impede Iran’s Nuclear Program Goes Wrong

In the late 1990s, the CIA initiated “Operation Merlin” with the aim of impeding Iran’s nuclear program, which they perceived as a progressively perilous threat.

The strategy involved providing Tehran’s scientists with deliberately incorrect nuclear blueprints, which would not result in a functional bomb.

The agency entrusted the task to a Russian scientist who was unaware that the blueprints were counterfeit, as planned.

Unfortunately, the scientist noticed the flaws in the plans and alerted the Iranians, resulting in the operation having the opposite effect than intended.

3. Project Azorian — Recovering The Sunken Soviet Submarine

Project Azorian, which the CIA started in the late 1960s and lasted for more than six years, was one of the most complicated endeavors it had ever struggled for.

Project Azorian started when the CIA and Department of Defense learned about a Soviet submarine K-129, which sank along with its three ballistic missiles not too far North of Hawaii.

The incident was seen as an opportunity to obtain Soviet intelligence, and a covert operation was launched to construct a colossal vessel equipped with mechanical claws capable of lifting the sunken submarine from the depths of more than three miles.

Despite all their efforts, the vessel was only able to retrieve a single portion of the sunken submarine.

Moreover, to add to the CIA’s difficulties, thieves broke into the shipbuilding company and stole confidential documents related to the top secret project.

After the story was made public, the CIA and other government institutions involved decided to scrap the project and stop the retrieving process immediately.

4. Operation Northwoods — A Mission That Was Never Attempted

The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, proposed a plan known as Operation Northwoods in response to Fidel Castro’s growing dictatorship and the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff circulated a memo which was titled Justification for US Military Intervention in Cuba, on 13th of March, 1962. The memo included suggestions to incite Cuba by spreading rumors and staging fake events like sinking a ship near a harbor entrance and conducting funerals for mock-victims.

One of the proposed actions was to blow up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba for it.

However, President John F. Kennedy rejected Operation Northwoods a few days later — and the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Lyman Lemnitzer was denied a second term of office.

5. Project Greek Island — A Five Star Hotel Or Was It?

At first glance, the Greenbriar Hotel, West Virginia, might seem like any other posh hotel.

However, underneath the hotel’s west wing, a top-secret government project known as “Project Greek Island’’ was concealed from public knowledge for thirty years.

This project involved the construction of a massive bunker in 1961, spanning 112,544 square feet and containing enough dormitories to accommodate up to 1,100 individuals.

The main purpose of this top secret facility was to provide members of Congress with a shelter in the event of a nuclear attack.

In 1992, a Washington Post reporter exposed the existence of the bunker, leading to its swift decommissioning.

Despite this, the Greenbriar Hotel still offers tours for visitors to explore the historical site.

Interestingly, while George Washington is known for his honesty, he was infamous for his poor habit of not returning library books.

6. Operation Gold — Intercepting Soviet Communication Lines

Operation Gold, which aimed to intercept Soviet lines of communication at their Berlin military headquarters, is considered the first covert CIA operation of the Cold War.

To achieve this objective, the CIA partnered with the British Secret Intelligence Service to gain access to the underground cables beneath the city.

However, executing this plan was an enormous undertaking, and in 1954, work began on a tunnel spanning almost 1500 feet, situated just below a major roadway.

After nine months of digging, the first taps were installed.

Regrettably, a Soviet mole had gained access to the operation’s details, and in April 1956, a Soviet maintenance crew discovered the tunnel, forcing the American agents to abandon it.

Despite this setback, during the tunnel’s 11 months of operation, hundreds of thousands of conversations were successfully monitored.

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