U.S. Foreign Relations and the Department of State: Declassified Documents and FOIA

The following databases will provide you access to declassfied documents relating to U.S. foreign relations.

• Department of State FOIA Reading Room
  Collection consists of releasable documents on subjects which have been frequently requested by the public through Freedom of Information Act requests. Topics range from Amelia Earhart to State Chile and El Salvador
   
• National Security Archive
  From George Washington University.  Provides online access to critical declassified records on issues including U.S. national security, foreign policy, diplomatic and military history, and intelligence policy. While it does not include all the resources in the Digital National Security Archive listed above, the Electronic Briefing Books are comprehensive.  Also produces Unredacted, a blog highlighting news about declassified documents.

Despite all the information produced by the federal government, there are times when you cannot find what you need.  Sometimes you need to ask the government to make information, however classified, available to you as a member of the public.  Luckily there is a formalized process to possibly obtain such information using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  While making a FOIA request is not difficult, understanding what is exempt from FOIA will provide for a successful experience.  FOIA only applies to executive agencies (agencies and departments that report to the President--Congress and the Federal Courts are exempt from FOIA).  The following will help guide you through the process of conducting a FOIA request.

• UCB Library's Guide to FOIA and Open Records
• U.S. Government Manual -- Use to see which agencies fall under FOIA.
• foia.gov -- The government's official information site for FOIA.  Be sure to check out the exemption section and video.
• FOIA Reference Guide -- via the Department of Justice,
• National Security Archive's FOIA site -- Provides a lot of information on FOIA, including a step by step guide to submitting a FOIA request.
• Freedom of Information Act Documents -- via the Federation of American Scientists
• Federal Open Government Guide -- via the Reporter's Committee for Freedom of the Press
• Keep in mind that each agency's website has specific instructions on how and where to submit a FOIA request.  Searching FOIA on the agency's site will retrieve this information.  Some agencies also publish their most requested documents online, such as the CIA's FOIA Reading Room.