On Feb. 4, the Trump administration abruptly shuttered the CIA World Factbook, ending a reference source that served researchers and students for more than six decades.
The Cold War created an urgent need for centralized intelligence, prompting the CIA to develop the Factbook in 1971 and release it publicly four years later to rehabilitate its brand. In 1975, the Factbook’s public release coincided with Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, holding more than 100 hearings investigating widespread abuse by the CIA, IRS, FBI and National Security Agency.
The final edition remains outdated, still listing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as head of government under Iran despite his reported death in March. Analysts argue the publication was never truly neutral.
