In late December 2025, the U.S. Central Insights Organization (CIA) reacted to a Flexibility of Data Act (FOIA) ask by expressing it may “neither affirm nor deny the presence or nonexistence of records” related to the interstellar protest known as 3I/ATLAS. The explanation too said “the reality of the presence or nonexistence of such records is itself as of now and legitimately classified.”
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This sort of answer, whereas murky to the open, fits inside a well‑established lawful and procedural system utilized by U.S. insights organizations — and is alluded to as a Glomar reaction or NCND (not one or the other affirm nor deny) response.
Below is a nitty gritty account of what this implies, the legitimate foundation, how the CIA employments it, and why this specific case is creating interest.
1. What Is a Glomar or NCND Response?
The term Glomar reaction begun in the 1970s with a CIA operation including the transport Hughes Glomar Pioneer, which was utilized to furtively endeavor to recoup a indented Soviet submarine. When writers recorded a FOIA ask almost this mission, the CIA reacted that it seem “neither affirm nor deny” the presence of the asked records. This was done since indeed recognizing whether such records existed might uncover classified national security data.
National Archives
A Glomar or NCND reaction is not essentially a refusal to give data. It is a formal legitimate position beneath U.S. law. Organizations can utilize it when:
Disclosing whether responsive records exist might itself uncover classified information;
Providing a straightforward “yes these records exist” or “no, they don’t” would compromise insights sources, strategies, or capabilities.
In other words, the organization isn’t saying “we unquestionably have records” or “we unquestionably don’t.” It is keeping the whole address around whether records exist classified.
Wikipedia
2. FOIA and the CIA’s Lawful Authority
The Flexibility of Data Act (FOIA) empowers individuals of the open to ask get to to government organization records. Be that as it may, the CIA — like other insights bodies — is particularly authorized to secure certain data from revelation, particularly if it would uncover insights strategies, sources, or operations.
Under FOIA, organizations may withhold data in portion or full if one of the statutory exceptions applies. The CIA particularly notes that a few operational records or insights sources/methods must stay classified and are excluded. It too cautions requesters that it may deny to affirm whether such records exist — basically the NCND/Glomar reaction — when essential to avoid uncovering touchy data.
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3. The 3I/ATLAS FOIA Request
The November 2025 FOIA ask that activated the CIA’s reaction was recorded by John Greenewald Jr., author of The Dark Vault, a database of government archives gotten through FOIA. Greenewald inquired whether the CIA had appraisals, reports, examinations, or communications with respect to the interstellar protest known as 3I/ATLAS.
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Instead of a conventional reaction — such as “no records found” or a discharge of declassified reports — the CIA conjured the NCND/Glomar reaction, stating:
“…we can not one or the other deny nor affirm the presence or nonexistence of records.”
“…the truth of the presence or nonexistence of such records is itself as of now and legitimately classified.”
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This sort of reply implies that the CIA will not recognize indeed whether records exist — much less their substance — since indeed that affirmation seem compromise classified information.
4. Why Utilize a Glomar Reaction on 3I/ATLAS?
The utilize of a Glomar reaction on 3I/ATLAS has drawn consideration because:
3I/ATLAS is an galactic object.
NASA and other logical offices are freely considering and examining this protest as an interstellar comet, meaning a normal body from exterior our sun powered framework.
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It is bizarre but not unprecedented.
Rare interstellar objects such as ‘Oumuamua have already pulled in logical intrigued, but NASA and space offices for the most part share data openly.
The CIA once in a while issues Glomar responses.
They are ordinarily saved for exceedingly touchy operational themes, not subjects broadly secured by civilian science agencies.
So why conjure NCND here?
There are a few genuine clarifications steady with insights and legitimate practice:
5. Conceivable Genuine Reasons for the CIA’s Response
A. Securing Insights Sources and Methods
A central reason organizations utilize Glomar reactions is to anticipate enemies from inducing what capabilities the U.S. has. For case, recognizing that the CIA has records related to 3I/ATLAS may infer that:
The CIA was identifying and following the question through classified sensors;
Intelligence satellites or deep‑space checking frameworks watched it;
Intelligence examiners produced evaluations isolated from civilian logical data.
Acknowledging that such records existed — or that they did not — seem uncover how the U.S. identifies and screens objects in space, which is a national security matter in its claim right.
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B. Progressing Investigations or Inner Assessments
Just since NASA researchers freely portray 3I/ATLAS as a common comet does not cruel insights organizations did not run inside examinations of the same protest or information. Insights offices regularly conduct chance evaluations for characteristic marvels if they accept those marvels may, in any case remotely, speak to a danger (e.g., potential meteor impacts, obscure components, bizarre behavior).
Even an inner talk record or briefing may be considered delicate when it includes classified sensors or investigation processes.
So the CIA’s reaction may reflect a want to keep inside hazard examination strategies secret, not fundamentally to stow away any “alien technology.”
C. Legitimate Caution and Precedent
Under FOIA, if an office isn’t beyond any doubt whether recognizing records would hurt national security, it frequently chooses the lawfully more secure position — the NCND reaction — or maybe than chance uncovering classified information and being challenged in court.
The courts have maintained Glomar reactions when organizations convincingly illustrate that recognizing the presence of records might hurt national security.
National Archives
6. What the Reaction Does Not Mean
It Does Not Affirm Aliens
The CIA’s explanation does not confirm that any outsider innovation, shuttle, or extraterrestrial beginning exists. A Glomar reaction is a procedural answer and does not declare the nature of the subject matter — it basically withholds all comment on whether records exist. Any such claims would require coordinate prove or declassified data. The agency’s reaction is noiseless on substance, not affirmative.
It Does Not Demonstrate Cover‑Up
The reaction too does not demonstrate a government trick to cover up prove of exceptional marvels. In insights and security law, securing the strategies of collection (e.g., satellites, sensors, signals) is frequently prioritized over the particular point being investigated.
It Does Not Cruel Records Certainly Exist
Importantly, a Glomar reaction is not conclusive confirmation that the organization has records. It is a articulation that the organization cannot reply the address freely either way since doing so would itself uncover classified data. That is distinctive from conceding records exist.
7. Open and Logical Reaction
NASA’s Position
NASA freely portrayed 3I/ATLAS as a common interstellar comet with behavior steady with other comets, and there is no official NASA prove of manufactured root.
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Autonomous Scientists’ Views
Some researchers, counting Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, have addressed whether 3I/ATLAS shows highlights that resist standard models of cometary material science and have pointed to the CIA’s NCND reaction as astounding given NASA’s open position. Loeb contends that if the question is in fact ordinary, the require for insights classification is confusing.
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Open Speculation
On stages such as Reddit and social media, individuals have guessed fiercely — from claims that the CIA’s reaction demonstrates covered up shuttle to proposals that the office only needs to ensure observation innovations. These dialogs frequently blend truth with conclusion and ought to be drawn closer basically.
8. Broader Setting: Insights, Straightforwardness, and Open Interest
The CIA and insights organizations work at the crossing point of secrecy and open responsibility. FOIA exists accurately to permit open oversight, but it moreover recognizes that certain data — particularly related to national security — must stay protected.
Examples of themes where the CIA might issue NCND include:
Covert operational activities
Sources and strategies of insights collection
Confidential human sources
Sensitive innovative capabilities
Certain national security appraisals
CIA
The conjuring of a Glomar reaction reflects this pressure: organizations must adjust the public’s right to know against the hazard that open revelations seem jeopardize national security or weaken basic insights capabilities.
9. What Happens Next?
Conceivable Appeal
The requester (in this case, The Dark Vault) can record an regulatory request of the CIA’s reaction, challenging the NCND choice. Offers may lead to inner audit, halfway discharges, or a court challenge if necessary.
Proceeding Logical Study
Meanwhile, organizations like NASA and autonomous stargazers will proceed observing 3I/ATLAS as it moves through the sun powered framework. Logical perception, information distribution, and peer‑reviewed considers stay isolated from insights office secrecy.
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