Neither Confirm Nor Deny
Summary
This Radiolab episode explores the origin and impact of the "Glomar response," a legal tactic where the government neither confirms nor denies information. The story traces the phrase to a secret 1974 CIA mission to recover a sunken Soviet submarine using a massive claw built by Howard Hughes. Hosts discuss how this evasion strategy, born from Cold War secrecy, has expanded to stifle transparency in modern FOIA requests, often delaying justice and obscuring truth from the public.
Topics discussed
Sponsor messages for Alienware, Children's Aid, and Progressive
Introduction: Peanut allergies and the meaningless phrase 'may contain peanuts'
Jeff Larson's FOIA request to the NSA and the 'Glomar' response
Project Azorian: The CIA's secret mission to recover a Soviet submarine
The Hughes Glomar Explorer and the failed recovery attempt
Sponsor messages for Capital One, BetterHelp, Children's Aid, and Bombas
Walt Logan's dilemma: Balancing FOIA laws with national security secrets
The origin and cultural spread of the 'neither confirm nor deny' phrase
How the Glomar response is used by various government agencies today
Legal strategies to bypass Glomar responses and the cost of transparency
The human cost: Soviet sailors' families and the 'presumed dead' certificates
Outro, credits, and final sponsor messages
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