Neither Confirm nor Deny: How the Glomar Mission Shielded the CIA from Transparency

by M. Todd Bennett

In 1974, the Hughes Glomar Explorer, ostensibly an advanced deep-sea mining vessel owned by reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, lowered a claw-like contraption to the floor of the Pacific Ocean. This high-tech venture was only a cover story for an even more improbable scheme: a CIA mission to retrieve a sunken Soviet submarine. Like a Jules Verne novel with an Ian Fleming twist, the saga of the Glomar Explorer features underwater espionage, impossible gadgetry, and high-stakes international drama. It also marks a key moment in the history of transparency―and not just for what became known as the Glomar response: “We can neither confirm nor deny. . . . ”

M. Todd Bennett plumbs the depths of government secrecy in this new account of the Glomar mission and its consequences. Trawling through recently declassified documents, he explores the logistics, media fallout, and geopolitical significance of one of the most ambitious operations in intelligence history. Glomar, Bennett argues, played a pivotal but underappreciated role in helping the CIA ward off oversight amid a push for transparency and accountability. He reframes the operation’s history to offer an alternative perspective on the 1970s, a decade known for expansive openness, as well as the persistent tension between the demands of democracy and the need for secrecy in foreign policy. Combining keen historical analysis and gripping storytelling, Neither Confirm nor Deny brings to the surface fresh insights into the history of the security state, the politics of intelligence, and the CIA’s relationship with the media and the public.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2023

About the author

M. Todd Bennett is a professor of history at East Carolina University. He was formerly a historian at the US Department of State. The author of three books, he lives in Washington, DC.

Reviews

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neither Confirm Nor Deny by M Todd Bennett offers a detailed yet broad look at the Glomar mission and its role in the supposed increased transparency of the federal government.

The story is remarkable, a very large-scale mission utilizing multiple companies, a rich recluse, many civilian workers, and all requiring the utmost secrecy. Yet the biggest takeaway from both the mission and the book is the impact it ended up having on attempts to hold government agencies accountable. Not just intelligence agencies but ultimately law enforcement, and every level from local to international. To the point that the phrase, neither confirm nor deny, has become a cliche if not the punchline in the joke that the government plays, repeatedly, on its citizens.

While I vaguely remember when the story broke, I do remember some of the effects it had on journalism, research, and general (dis)trust of our government and intelligence agencies.

I would highly recommend this to readers with an interest in either intelligence organizations or government accountability. For those with an interest in 20th century US history this will prove to be the kind of read you will think about when you read other books, namely because the effects of this mission have infiltrated every level of public life.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read past books and accounts of the Hughes Glomar Explorer. The last book I read went into detail about the execution of the mission itself. It was full of detail of what was found and the efforts taken to be respectful of the dead sailors found. By contrast, this book takes a different perspective, one more political. It explores the ripple effects of using Hughes as the front, the origin of the famous phrase, and just how much arm twisting the CIA did to keep it under wraps.

I didn’t realize just how much influence Hughes had on Nixon. I read a lengthy biography of Nixon several years ago, but links to Hughes did not stick with me. Here, the author examines how Hughes and his companies were used, for a decade or more, as fronts for CIA operations. The CIA thought him and his companies as perfect for their uses, due to the nature of Hughes himself. The book points to cash given by Hughes to Nixon to use as a slush fund, in turn requesting assistance in deflecting the IRS. Think big corruption, known at the time, but not nailed down before Nixon was pushed out of the White House.

The CIA was able to stop newspapers from across the USA from publishing their stories of the Hughes Glomar Explorer. It was the CIA director himself who made the calls. I’m not sure if that could happen today. The CIA knew the story would leak at some point & were even surprised their techniques worked for so long. It says something of the times where “national security” could be used as a hammer & without threat of jail time.

The discussions Kissinger took part in regarding the Russian response was also enlightening. For the Russians, it would be an embarrassment to acknowledge the Americans had the technical capability to find & raise their lost submarine. (Amazing stuff for the 1970’s) Even with only a partial lift, just the demonstration would give them a pause. Kissinger thought the Russians wouldn’t do anything. They’d let the American newspapers tell their story & wait for the next crisis to take the attention off of their lost sub. The release of the story didn’t detract from the detant that was beginning to take root.

I believe this book is a good companion to _Project Azorian: The CIA and the Raising of K-129_. Both tell the story of the crazy idea of raising a submarine 16,000 feet off of the bottom of the ocean. The complimentary perspectives enrich the audacity of the story.

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. From the very start, I was intrigued and engrossed. I had never heard about this before, so I just had to read it as I just knew I would learn a lot. I just couldn't believe how much America was willing to spend on this mission. Also, not knowing how much intelligence they would gain from a cold war Russian submarine. You could tell that this book was well researched. It made for some shocking revelations. This book flowed so well, so it was easy to read and take in. It took me around a day and a half to finish, but there was never a dull moment. I learnt so much from reading it and was shocked that the Russians never fought back. It was brilliant learning about how they managed to build this ship and keep it secret. It was fascinating how they used a billionaire to hide it all. Then, when he relationship broke down with a manager, how much chaos decended. Leading to interesting court cases. Robberies of important paperwork eek so much conspiracy and controversy. I loved it all. I really do recommend reading this if you are interested in learning about what was once very secret files.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this fascinating intricate case. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this fantastic author.

[Charis Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially I picked this up because of my interest and background in the Freedom of Information Act. However, after reading it, I realized the subtitle should have been "an in-depth history of the Glomar Explorer and The Year of Intelligence including a short analysis of Glomar's impacts on Freedom of Information Act implementation."

Don't get me wrong, it is a well-written history of the Glomar Explorer and Operation AZORIAN placed within the context of its time. And I would still recommend it to anyone interested in the Cold War, intelligence history, Watergate, or US political history.

However, for someone interested in freedom of information I can neither confirm or deny that this book will provide you with much enlightenment about FOIA. And for that reason I can only give it 4 stars.

[Thomas Lambe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many, many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this new work. This is the story of the 1974 Hughes Glomar Explorer that was secretly looking for a sunken Russian Submarine that had sunken about 6 years prior. The stated mission of the Explorer was something else. The goal was to gain intelligence that could help win the Cold War. This is an incredible story that would make a great fiction thriller but this is a true story. The title of the book is the expression (concerning government secrets) that become a cliche now. But this is where the expression originated from. What a treat this was -- and I ate it up! Well done, highly-recommended.

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, very interesting and complete account of the Glomar Mission and more. This is a must read even if you’re only mildly interested in the subject. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one, Goodreads giveaway winner.