The journalist who has decided to look for and to work with secret documents must combine at lest 2 talents – of a researcher and of a writer.  But need one more before starting – to be a fighter - with the bureaucrats who keep the secrets and would be responsible the documents you asked for to be declassified.
By Alexenia Dimitrova24 Hours DailySofia, BulgariaDimitrovabg@yahoo.com

The journalist who has decided to look for and to work with secret documents must combine at lest 2 talents – of a researcher and of a writer.  But need one more before starting – to be a fighter - with the bureaucrats who keep the secrets and would be responsible the documents you asked for to be declassified.
These 3 rules are twice more valid for work with and in foreign secret archives. In my case – I requested for declassification documents from several American Secret Archives.What steps I followed and every journalist must follow:1. Chose a hot topic. - You must be sure that the general public is interested in the documents, which you will eventually ask to be declassified.  - Also the issue must be of public importance. (In 1998 I took the first decision to ask secret documents from the American secret archives. I decided that hot topics must be the communist secret services during the Cold War Era and the documents in the American Secret archives related to former communist leaders or other high level political and other figures. Also helpful was my long years work in the Bulgarian Secret Archives. After the fall of communism in 1989 I demanded from there the declassification of many Bulgarian State Security secret files. So if you have never worked in domestic secret archives I would advise you to do this first.)2. Know the access to information laws in the chosen country. - This will give you an idea what you could ask and what is forbidden. Always key words like freedom of Information, or access to information and the name of the country in the Google search box are very helpful.(In my case I read the American Freedom of Information Act - FOIA, and understood that according to it any person, including a foreign journalist, had right to ask for documents from every American institution, provided that this didn’t violate the National Security and Privacy Act.)3. Choose the right archive.- You must know or orient where eventually to look for the documents you interested in. (In my case in the USA I choused among the secret archives of FBI, CIA, Department of Defence, State Department, Army Intelligence Command, NARA, NSA.)- For another country you must research very well the country’s archives and offices structure. These sites are very helpful:  http://www.milnet.com/iagency.htm,                http://www.uzsi.cz/index.php@lang=2&show=001002003.html,        ... http://www.battle-fleet.com/pw/his/intelligence_agencies_list.htm, http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=List_of_intelligence_agencies
4. Find the right address to send your request.- In Internet Era is a not problem to find any postal address. It is enough to write in the Google search box the name of the institution you have chosen.  Helpful is also http://www.milnet.com/iagency.htmHelpful also is if you write in Google words intelligence agencies list 5. Write the right letter.- Its purpose is to formulate clearly what exactly you want to be declassified. For example – documents about particular event or operation in your country. Do not forget to specify the period you request documents for. Do not forget to specify that you are journalist and your letter is request under Freedom of information Act. This will help to pay no or small taxes.(In my case I sent my first letter to USA Intelligence Security Command. This was one of the many American secret archives I have chosen after a thorough research where what could be found. I wrote a very simple letter in which explained that I asked for file “Bulgaria - Intelligence Services, ZF 400015W”. I had found this title on http://cryptome.quintessenz.org/mirror/inscom-foia.htm This is a list of about 250 file names created by USA Intelligence Security Command for security services and operations in tens of countries all aver the World. Bulgaria and its secret services were among these countries. In the letter I underlined that my request was under FOIA and that I was journalist.)6. Look for an answer. - This will confirm that your letter has been received in the office. If you do not receive any answer (still not the requested documents themselves) repeat the letter again after double check of the address including in the Internet.(A month after I have sent my first letter I received a reply telling me my request had been noted, but had been put on a waiting list as they already had a great number of inquiries to deal with.)- The bad news is that you must spend a lot of your time doing such a bureaucratic thing like writing letters. (In my case I have written hundreds of letters to the American special archives. I hate this. But know that without it I would not receive any bread for my future publications. My Editors always have supported me. They have always gave me unrestricted time to write hundreds of letters and to wait for replays.)7. Arm yourself with patience for the time needed for declassification procedure.  It might take even 2-3 years. (In my case I received the first documents from USA Intelligence and Security Command declassified by my request 1 year later. “Dear Mrs. Dimitrova: Reference your Freedom of Information Act request for the file “Bulgaria; Intelligence Services, ZF 400015W”, registered no. 349F-99 we have conducted checks of the Automated Defense Clearance and Investigations Index and a search of the Investigative Records Repository to determine the existence of the Army Intelligence file you requested. “The enclosed records were located. We have completed a mandatory declassification review in accordance with Executive Order 12958. As a result of this review, the information has been sanitized, and 150 pages of records have been held back in their entirety, as the information contained in them is currently classified SECRET and CONFIDENTIAL... Signed, R. A. Nichols, Chief, Freedom of Information/Privacy Office, Defense Department.”The result was encouraging – 3 kilos of documents with former stamps “secret” or “confidential”! Also drawings, diagrams and reports proved the fierce competition between East and West - more than 1000 pages.)- Be prepared that some documents may be refused for declassification. You depend on people related to the security services who many times afraid to declassify certain portions of information. (In my case I have received many times reply that the documents should still remain secret. I have no other choice except to trust them and to wait for the time when the documents could be declassified. I created in my computer a file for topics and issues I wanted to research but was not given the documents. After some years I will send my requests again. )- Be aware that you are like blind – you ask something by presumption without knowing is this information there or not. You can overcome these 2 obstacles only one way - asking, asking, and asking – more, more and more.8. If you ask documents for particular persons they might be declassified only in case the person was dead. -  So you must submit a proof of death for the person you interested in.  You can obtain it from any News agency, or encyclopedia like Britannica, AP, Reuters, BBC news archives etc. (In my case I requested documents to be declassified for ex communist leaders George Dimitrov, Todor Zhivkov, Andrey Loukanov, Peter Mladenov. Since all of them were dead I submit a proof of death from Reuters and Britannica.)9. If you are enough lucky to get permission to read the documents you asked for to be declassified, arm yourself with patience to read the documents in details. - This includes bad copies, long explanations and crossed out names. - You must know the language the documents were written on.10.  Analyze the facts you find in the documents. - Some of the findings in the documents must let you ask documents for other names or events. - You must read the documents on the appropriate way. You should dig in every detail even blackened out on a language that is not your mother one.- You should analyze everything, to catch the most interesting things and to structure them on the best for the reader’s way. 11.  Always keep notes but on a separate sheet. - The notes on the documents must be only with pencil.  You never know whether you will need the documents to be published in the paper. 12. Start writing in due time. - You can not wait to read all 1000 pages documents to start writing. Always read documents when you have computer or sheet of paper next to you.  - When you read the documents, always think what new or unknown facts you can bring as headline to provoke your readers’ interest.13. Write interesting, with accents you found in the documents and avoiding boring terminology. - The typical, ordinary reader is lazy person. He expects the documents to be already “read” for him. - This means that journalist must find the accents in the documents and to present them on an intriguing journalistic way. (In my case I found many sensational and unknown facts. I published tens of stories in 24 Hours Daily. Many readers – mainly ex special services officers called me and add new facts and names. This follow up gave me clues for new requests.Also wrote a book “The Iron fist - Inside the Bulgarian and American secret archives” which has been published in 2005 in London and in English by Artnik Publishing. The book is under publication in Bulgaria and due to come out in November 2005 under title “The War of the Spies”.)- Work closely with the designers of the media who can help you to express the boring documents in a vivid and picturesque manner.(In my case I always have worked closely with the people in the paper responsible for the lay out and design. They always give me good advises how to accent something and to make it readable easier.  You believe that in the Secret documents you always can find something interesting? You are right. But if you still do not have even a vague idea what to expect there I would recommend seeing more details in my book “The Iron Fist”. It is on English and you can ask my publisher on publisher@dsl.pipex.com to send you a copy.  There you can see what kind of documents you might request.