2000nn
104-10326-10010
2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
MHFNO:98-1333007
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FRP:
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CONF: CE/EXO
INFO: CE/LGL, CE/R/IO, CE/ST, CE/STR, CE/STSWE,
CE/WUMB, CEDORECORD, DC/CE, LIMITED, MDSX, ODPD, RYBAT, FILE, CE/R, CE/W,
(3/P)
98 1333007
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TOT: 012139Z MAY 98
DIRECTOR 795035
STAFF
TO:
012139Z DIRECTOR 795035
PRIORITY MOSCOW INFO MINSK.
FROM:
CE/WUMB
LIMITED DISSEM CE/EXO INFO CE/R, CE/R/IO, DC/CE, CE/LGL,
SLUGS: WNINTEL RYBAT
*SUBJECT: <ASSASSINATIONS>RECORDS REVIEW BOARD AND DEPT OF STATE
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE 
IN APPROACHING (FSB/SVR FOR OSWALD FILE
REF: NONE
TEXT:
1.
ACTION REQUIRED: WOULD APPRECIATE STATION THOUGHTS ON
*BELOW PROPOSAL 
TO APPROACH 
FSB/SVR SEEKING ACCESS TO FILE ON<LEE>
*<HARVEY ((OSWALD) ) . >
*
2. THE ASSASSINATIONS>RECORDS REVIEW BOARD (ARRB),
ESTABLISHED BY PUBLIC LAW 102-526 IN OCTOBER 1992, HAS THE
PRESIDENTIAL 
MANDATE TO IDENTIFY, SECURE, AND MAKE AVAILABLE ALL
*
RECORDS RELATED TO 
THE <ASSASSINATION>OF<PRESIDENT KENNEDY. > THE
IDENTIFIED (
DECLASSIFIED) RECORDS WILL BE HOUSED IN THE NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION. (C) HAS HAD SOME DEALINGS
WITH THE ARRB, BEGINNING WITH THEIR REQUEST FOR ACCESS TO THE
RESTRICTED (
MOSCOW STATIONS HISTORY FROM THE 1960'S.
PREMISE IS TO DECLASSIFY AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, EVEN
THE ARRB'S
*
DOCUMENTS 
ONLY MOST TANGENTIALLY RELATED TO THE KENNEDY>
*<
ASSASSINATION. >
3.
PL 102-526 SPECIFICALLY STATES:
"THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHOULD CONTACT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
REPUBLIC OF RUSSIA AND SEEK THE DISCLOSURE OF ALL RECORDS OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, INCLUDING THE RECORDS OF
THE 
KOMITET GOSUDARSTVANNOY BEZOPASNOSTI (KGB) AND THE GLAYNOYE
*RAZVEDYVATELNOYE UPRAVIENIYE (GRU), RELEVANT TO THE <ASSASSINATION>
*OF<
PRESIDENT KENNEDY, >AND CONTACT ANY OTHER FOREIGN GOVERNMENT
*THAT MAY 
HOLD INFORMATION RELEVANT TO THE<ASSASSINATION>OF
*<PRESIDENT KENNEDY>AND SEEK DISCLOSURE OF SUCH INFORMATION."
4. THE ARRB HAS REQUESTED STATE AND AGENCY HELP IN GETTING
ACCESS TO THE KGB RECORDS ON OSWALD. THE RECORDS, ORIGINALLY HELD
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*IN MINSK, WERE FLOWN TO MOSCOW IN '63 FOLLOWING THE<ASSASSINATION, >
THEN RETURNED TO MINSK WHERE THEY ARE STORED TODAY. WHEN
APPROACHED BY STATE AND THE ARRB, THE BELARUSIANS HAVE SHOWN
SAMPLES FROM THE FILE BUT HAVE NOT AGREED TO ARRANGEMENTS TO COPY.
THE ARRB CHARTER EXPIRES ON 30 SEPT 98 AND THE OLD KGB FILE(S) IS
A MAJOR OUTSTANDING REQUIREMENT. STATE HAS MANAGED TO GET THE
SUBJECT AS THE NUMBER ONE TALKING POINT ON VICE PRES GORE'S RECENT
CONFERENCE DISCUSSIONS. THE BELARUSIAN RESPONSE WAS TO TRY IT
AGAIN LOCALLY IN MINSK, OFFERING INCREASED "COPY FEES".
5. THE ARRB CHAIRMAN HAS COME BACK TO STATE TO ASK THEY
CONTACT THE AGENCY WITH THE FOLLOWING_REQUEST: CAN THE STATION
CHECK WITH THE ESB/SVR TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE RUSSIANS RETAINED
*A COPY OF THE<LEE HARVEY OSWALD'S>KGB FILE IN MOSCOW? CAN WE GET
ACCESS TO THE FILE AND, PRESUMABLY, OBTAIN A COPY FOR THE ARRB?
WE NOTE THAT THE ARRB WILL PROBABLY PUSH HARD TO DECLASSIFY THE
RUSSIAN DOCUMENTS AS WELL. OBVIOUSLY SUCH-A_REQUEST-COULD HAVE
SEVERAL IMPLICATIONS WHICH WE MUST CAREFULLY CONSIDER, I.E., THE
RUSSIANS MIGHT ASK FOR FILES OF THE ROSENBERGS OR OTHER NOTORIOUS,
PERSONALITIES. THE HQS CONTEXT IS THAT WE ARE GRAPPLING WITH THE
ARRB ON A VARIETY OF OTHER SERIOUS DECLASSIFICATION/DISCLOSURE
ISSUES AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE IN A BETTER NEGOTIATING POSITION IF WE
COULD BE SEEN AS ASSISTING THEIR EFFORTS TO GET THE OSWALD FILE.
6. OBVIOUSLY SUCH AN ACTION HAS TREMENDOUS IMPLICATIONS AND
WE WELCOME A FULL_DIALOGUE FROM STATION ON THIS MATTER.
REGARDS.
1
6. FILE: NONE. CL BY: 714549, CL REASON: 1.5 (D) DECL
ON: X5, DRV FROM: LIA 3-82.
CABLETYPE: GECO STAFF 4.0.1.>
RELNO: DORELS0100952954
ORIG: CE/EXO (CHENGMD, 39263); AUTH: AC/CE/R (BANNERMAN); COORD:
C/CE/R/IO (ZERRUSEN), C/CE/WUMB (WARD); INFO: CE/LGL (WATSON);
REL: DC/CE (LEVEN)
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