CIA put transmitter in cat and used tail as antenna to get Kremlin secrets

Ananova ^ | Nov 03 2001

[2Trievers]

The CIA tried to discover Russia's Cold War secrets by installing bugging devices in a cat and using its tail as an antenna.

Recently declassified documents show agents inserted the transmitters into the cat they called Acoustic Kitty.

A former officer says the experiment - carried out in 1966 - ended when the cat was run over.

They hoped the cat would allow them to listen to secret conversations from window sills and park benches.

Victor Marchetti told The Sunday Telegraph: "They slit the cat open, put batteries in him, wired him up. The tail was used as an antenna. They made a monstrosity. They tested him and tested him. They found he would walk off the job when he got hungry, so they put another wire in to override that."

He adds: "They took it out to a park and put him out of the van, and a taxi comes and runs him over. There they were, sitting in the van with all those dials, and the cat was dead."

The document has been declassified from the Science and Technology Directorate.

[Sungirl]

The trial on this begins tomorrow morning in Westchester County Courthouse in White Plains, New York, with the honorable Judge Peter M. Levitt.

[Sungirl]

Xcrew the CIA. I'm putting YOU in the room with Bin Ladin.

Throw in all animal abusers in the world in that room and I will PAY to have that position!

[Redcloak]

They tried a second cat with a more powerful transmitter, but they abandoned the attempt when "Boots" flipped a Moscow taxi.

[M Kehoe]

I can just picture it now. An angel on your right shoulder and a devil on your left...

Ping Sungirl says the devil. NO, says the angel.

Go ahead Laz says the devil....

5.56mm

[Lazamataz]

I jes can't hep m'sef. :o)

[New Horizon]

It wouldn't have worked anyway. See the recently declassified photo...

[2Trievers]

OK OK OK OK

Are you going to be at the trial as a star witness? You could be our very own court reporter ... FR wants to be first with this story.

[2Trievers]

RC, Have I seen this photo before? ... It is your best! I love it!

[cinnamonb]

>``They took it out to a park and put him out of the van, and a taxi comes and runs him over. There they were, sitting in the van with all those dials, and the cat was dead." >HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >Wonder what Peta have to say about that? *L* Peta Wilson, from La Femme Nikita???

[Redcloak]

This thread seemed to require the "Giant cat" pic. (Actually, quite a few do; but in this case, it wouldn't seem to be a random internetic outburst!)

[Robert Lomax]

bureaucrats!

[Sungirl]

I would be of no help being there...I'd be attacking the guy with my sign...I did write a letter to the Judge....mailing tomorrow. Since your so interested, I will post the decision when its over...could be a couple months.

[Sungirl]

This thread requires this pic too....

[2Trievers]

Thanks Sungirl

We'd like that report and I'll be sure to ping Redcloak so he can get his pic ready to reuse.

RC, There may be a prize for the best pic on the thread ... wanna' guess what it might be?

[Redcloak]

And this one?

[Sabertooth]

The tail was used as an antenna.

Ahhh... Now I understand why I couldn't get that second interview with the Agency.

[Redcloak]

[Redcloak]

Oops! wrong species. My bad...

[JeepInMazar]

And don't forget this:

More pics of this giant squid here.

[VRW Conspirator]

Soooo, why did the cat cross the road?