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2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
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8. January 1997
DRAFT
Memo for the Record
Subject:
Date:
Location:
Attendees:
Purpose:
"Compliance" Meeting with ARRB Staff
7 January 1997
ARRB offices
CIA: Barry Harrelson, CSI/HRG
Eileen Wukitch, DO/IMS/JFK team
ARRB: Jeremy Gunn, General Counsel
Other members of ARRB's CIA team
To discuss CIA's response to ARRB's
Compliance letter dated 27 November, 1996
1. Gunn stressed that the objective of the ARRB is
to assure the American public that every attempt has been
made to locate JFK assassination related files/materials and
that no “secret” files remained. He realizes that it is not
possible for the Agency to say with certainty that all
documents had been located. In the ARRB's final report, he
wants to be able to say that all reasonable searches were
made, and where documents were not found, ARRB staff was
given appropriate access to ensure the validity of the
respond.
2. Gunn divided records into three categories:
a) Sequestered records and Oswald 201 -- not an issue
in terms of identifying records.
--
official
b) Additional information/special requests
and informal. The responses should include tasking and
response memos plus search strategy and files searched if
appropriate. In cases of “no records" additional
documentation may be required.
[Note: I have already requested the DO, etc., to provide
specifics on search strategy/files searched in future
responses; in most cases there should not be a problem
including this information into responses to ARRB staff.]
--
in addition to
c)
Records not previously identified
releasing HSCA records (sequestered/201 file/etc.), the ARRB
seeks to ensure that all relevant files have been searched
and that all assassination records (as defined today) have
been identified. The ARRB staff has identified Agency
components/files that they feel may contain relevant records
and should be (or have been) searched. Gunn said he planned
to send a formal letter listing these offices/files but
wanted to discuss with HRG first.
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[Note: Category 3 led to a long discussion on agency
records. The focus was on how the ARRB staff could be
confident that files were searched.]
3.
I explained that the Agency would not be able to say
that all records had been located (lack of a central file
system). Also it may not be possible to provide
documentation that explained the disposition of 1963 records
in all cases. I agreed that it would be useful to have
additional briefings on the records to address their
specific requests and concerns. I asked him not to send a
formal request until I had the opportunity to discuss his
request with C/HRG and the Directorate focal points. He
agreed.
--
--
[Note: There were numerous questions on how and where do
we have a record center in Indiana? the Agency stores
records. Do inventories of all record at the centers exist?
Are there individuals who could address specific office
records and what type of records existed in 1963? ]
4. Specific Offices/Files mentioned by Gunn as part of
Category 3:
DCI files for the 1958-63 timeframe; specifically
chrono or subject files of John McCone
Richard Helms (chrono/subject files as DCI, DDCI and
IG
OGC
DDP.
DO offices (CI, SAS, Cuba, WH/LA)
DI (OCI, other analysis and finished Intel)
TSD files on Mexico City; where was TSD in the
organization
DA (what type of pay records would exist 1958-63;
Angleton's accounting records; agents' records)
OS (types of records that existed)
DS&T (U2 files)
Specific Stations
explanation of types of records
maintained and disposition of those records
Mexico City, Moscow, Helsinki, JMWave, Tokyo
Commo types of records maintained in 1963; where are
they now
DCD/00
5.
--
Gunn also included CSI on his list of offices to be
searched what other relevant records did we have
(histories, working files, etc.) I explained that when
agency components/review projects located JFK related
records they were forwarded directly to HRG JFK team.
had four boxes of LA records (located in Ex Order survey),
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individual documents located in other project (example Bay
of Pigs) or activities. The current automated
declassification effort under the Ex. Order is setup to
refer any assassination records to HRG/JFK team. We have
not done any work on these materials since the sequestered
collection and specific ARRB requests are our first
priority. A discussion of the History staff's
identification of the Agency's JFK collection followed. He
would like more information.
6. Additional questions/issues raised:
Is there a “records" person at the Agency who can
address their concerns?
Gunn ask if he can go to WTC and/or other Records
Centers and look at shelf lists and the files around a topic
of special interest?
What is on the shelf lists? Would they say, for
instance, these are the files regarding JFK from Sheffield
Edwards?
What are the steps taken in a name trace?
Are records around the specific hit searched?
Is it possible to provide an explanation of the routing
indicators in the collection?
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