HW 53217 bee! CSI 0018/93 1 February 1993 MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Director VIA: Director, Center for the Study of Intelligence DA: FROM: John F. Pereira Chief, Historical Review Group SUBJECT: Review of JFK Assassination Documents 1. This memorandum is to advise you of a potential problem regarding our capability for reviewing the Agency's JFK Assassination records. 2. All government agencies are required by law to complete the review of documents related to the JFK Assassination by 22 August 1993. The Agency has identified an estimated 250,000 pages of such documents. As of 1 February, we have processed some 100,000 pages, which has taken about eight months to accomplish. 3. At present we are processing the documents at the rate of some 10,000 pages per month, with 14 HRG employees dedicated to this task. Half of these are part-time annuitants. In addition to the above 14 people, other HRG employees are declassifying Soviet NIEs or documents requested by State for (The latter is also a legal obligation.) We are faced with the need to double the rate of review to 20,000 pages per month. 4. In addition to reviewing the remaining 150,000 pages, we are required to fill out a form, called an identification aid, for each document, which adds considerable time to the process. We must also prepare such forms for most of the documents that were reviewed earlier before the aids were available. 5. Until the review of the assassination records is completed, we will be unable to devote resources to declassifying other records, such as those on the Bay of Pigs and the Guatemalan Coup of 1954. As you recall, former DCI Gates committed the Agency to releasing records on those subjects and others. DoclId:324041535 Page 2:
SUBJECT: Review of JFK Assassination Documents 6. We expect to speed up the processing of thé JFK documents. However, we may need assistance to ensure that CIA meets its obligation to complete the review by the 22 August deadline. John F. Pereira HW 53217 DBoctld:32404153 Page 3
SUBJECT: Review of JFK Assassination Documents DCI/CSI/HRG/JFPereira:hs/31759 (1 Feb 93) DISTRIBUTION: Original - PREP HW 53217 DBocld:32404156 Page 4 Addressee Executive Registry Comptroller D/CSI C/HRG HRG/File
HW 53217 . MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Operations FROM: R. M. Huffstutler Executive Director SUBJECT: Declassification of JFK Assassination Documents 1. The purpose of this memorandum is to ask that the Directorate of Operations take steps to speed up the process of reviewing the JFK assassination records. 2. As you know, all agencies are required by law to review for declassification, and transfer to the National Archives by 22 August 1993, all records relevant to the assassination of President Kennedy. As of 1 April, the DO faced a backlog of some 57,000 pages just to catch up with what has been reviewed initially by the Historical Review Group. There will be an additional 135,000 pages to process by 22 August. Although I realize that resources are scarce, I believe that there is no option but to increase the level of effort on this task if we are to meet the deadline. 3. The declassification of the documents will be speeded up if the pace of the coordination process is improved. In addition to the resource aspects, I am concerned that coordination is being prolonged unnecessarily because of what may be at times an overly rigid approach to protecting sources and methods. The JFK legislation permits withholding of information on sources and methods only when there is "clear and convincing evidence" that release would "demonstrably impair" national security. 4. OGC advises that the JFK legislation supercedes all other statutory authority for withholding information (except portions of the Internal Revenue Code). At the same time, the information released under the Act does not establish a precedent for purposes of FOIA and other matters. The assassination records constitute an exception. The Act allows us to protect genuinely sensitive information such as names of agents, sources or methods currently in use or expected to be used, and current foreign liaison relationships. js} S rr} - ADMENTS ERATIVE} WI NT ERNAT -USE—ONDY DoclId: 32404153 Page 5
»? % DRAFT SUBJECT: Declassification of JFK Assassination Documents 5. Please remind the DO coordination officers of the importance of being responsive to the provisions of the JFK legislation that govern declassification of those particular records. R. M. Huffstutler HW 53217 DBoctld:32404153 Page 6