104-10332-10022 . | : 322. 700 22 poy 793 ER 96-0455/8 Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW + 2nd Floor « Washington, DC 20530 (202). 724-0088.+ Fax: (202) 724-0457 November 27, 1996 em me gNere AY T The Honorable john M. Deutch | BES FON TY 0 Director of Central Intelligence The Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 20505 a oe Re: _ The Ceritral Intelligence Agency’ S Compliance with the JFK Assassination Dear Mr. Deutch: Since 1994, the Assassination Records Review Board (“Review Board”) has been working with a number of Federal agencies, including the Central intelligence Agency, to locate and publicly release records related to the assassination of President Kennedy. These actions have been taken pursuant to The President John F. Kennedy °- - oe _ Assassination Records Collection‘Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 (Supp. V 1994) (JFK . Act”). We have been working with Mr. John Pereira, Chief, Historical Review Group and Mr. Barry Harrelson, Senior Review Officer, Historical Review Group ¢ of CIA. and have appreciated the cooperation we have received. The purpose of this letter is to request your agency’s cooperation in assisting the Review Board in discharging its responsibility of assuring Congress and the American _ people that the goals of the JFK Act have been accomplished to the greatest reasonable extent. We want to assure the American people that the United States Government has identified, located, and released all records relating to the assassination of President Kennedy. Indeed, one of the paramount purposes of the JFK Act is to certify to the public that the United States Government is not withholding relevant materials related to the assassination. See, e.g., Assassination Materials Disclosure Act, H. R. Rep. No. 102- 625, Part 1, 102d Cong. 2d Sess. (1992) (“The Federal Government's failure to release official materials has contributed to numerous conspiracy theories and fueled charges of government complicity in the assassination . ..a salutary purpose is served in opening these files [relating to the JFK assassination ] to allay the suspicion of government cover-up. “). Boaao Memaers: John R. Tunheim, Chair + Henry F. Graff - Kermit L. Hall - William L. Joyce * Anna K. Nelson . Executive Oteecror: David G, Marwell
The Honorable John M. Deutch November 27, 1996 Page 2 N The Review Board has recently considered how it, along with the relevant federal agencies, can best demonstrate to the American public that a thorough, good faith, and ' diligent effort has been made to locate and release all remaining assassination-related records within the control of the United States Government (and that the Government is not hiding any such materials from public disclosure). Pursuant to the Congressional. mandate under the JFK Act to “create an enforceable, independent, and accountable. process for the public disclosure of such records,” 44 U.S.C. § 2107(2)(a)(3), the Review Board seeks to have the relevant federal agencies provide a complete and specific — accounting of- their efforts to locate and release assassination-related records, including a full explanation for any destruction of such records. oa Accordingly, the Review Board requests that each relevant agency adhere to the formal compliance program (hereinafter “JFK Act Compliance Program”) outlined below. and ‘devised by the Review Board pursuant to its powers under Section 7(j)(1)(A), (B), (C), (D), and (F) of the JFK Act. We hereby request that you undertake the following measures by the dates provided (these dates were set in view of the fact that the Review Board’s operations currently are scheduled to expire on September 30, 1997): v inter to comply with TE Ace We iaaiiest that ibe December 9, 1996, your agency designate an Agency Compliance Official who ultimately will be responsible for ensuring that the agency has complied with its obligations under the JFK Act, including the identification, location, and organization of assassination records and the transmission of those records to the National Archives and Records Administration (“National Archives”). Although the Review Board assumes that Mr. John Pereira or Mr. Barry Harrelson will serve in this position, we nevertheless await your formal confirmation. If necessary, your agency may designate additional persons with knowledge of the measures that have been undertaken to locate assassination records. We also request that by December 9, 1996, the agency convey its agreement to adhere to the compliance procedures outlined in this letter. To the extent that any compliance procedure described below appears to. be unreasonable or to present difficulties that we may not have anticipated, please explain why and make alternate suggestions to us. 2. Initial Statement of Compliance. ‘We request that the Agency Compliance Official prepare, by January 6, 1997, an initial written statement of the
The Honorable John M. Deutch Novembei®27, 1996 Page 3 agency’s compliance with the JFK Act (“Statement of Compliance”), setting forth the steps that the agency has taken to locate and process assassination records. The Review Board recognizes that many of the relevant federal agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, I have previously written letters to the Review Board apprising it of their’. progress at various stages of identifying and processing assassination... records under the JFK Act. The Statement of Compliance, while it may include information previously reported to the Board, is to be the agency’s comprehensive and final report to the American public of what it has done to locate records relating to the assassination. This Statement of Compliance shall include, to the fullest reasonable extent, the following information: . J a. A complete description of all steps that your agency took to identify and locate assassination records including, but not limited to, an identification of the major record collections and files that _ were consulted in the agency's search, any departmental file indices consulted, the names and titles of the persons who were responsible for conducting the searches, the physical locations of » the records that were searched, the off-site storage facilities (e.g., Federal Records Centers) searched, the specific steps that were taken to locate and retrieve materials in archives, and any other criteria used by the agency to locate assassination records, b. | A description of the steps that the agency took in direct response to specific requests of the Review Board to locate certain additional records or information relating to the assassination. In particular, we ask that the CIA describe what specific steps it has taken to address the following requests: CIA-9, Publications and Analytical Materials (See David G. Marwell letter ‘dated March 6, 1996 to Mr. John Pereira); CIA-11, Silvia Duran’s Original Statement (See David G. Marwell letter dated May 3, 1996 to Mr. John Pereira); CIA-12, JMWAVE Materials (See David G. Marwell letter dated May 22, 1996 to Mr. John Pereira); for HTLINGUAL records (See T. Jeremy Gunn Memorandum dated October 1, 1996 to Mr. Barry Harrelson); and for Monthly Operational Reports on Cuban Exile Groups (See Manuel E. Legaspi Memorandum dated October 17, 1996 to Mr. Barry Harrelson).
13-89000- The Honorable John M. Deutch November 27, 1996 Page 4 c. To the extent that any assassination-related records have been destroyed by the agency or any agency official, a full and specific explanation of the circumstances surrounding the destruction of such records. d. The status of remaining work that you can now identify that needs to be completed by your agency in order to comply fully with the JFK Act, including an identification of the categories of records that must be processed and transmitted to the National Archives, a description of any additional searches for files that mist be done, and the projected date(s) for completion ¢ of these tasks. 3 | Shortly after the submission of the: agency’ s written n Statement of Compliance, we ask that the Agency Compliance Official (as well. as any persons who helped prepare the agency’s initial Statement of Compliance) be made available to the Review Board for an interview regarding the location of agency assassination records. The interview will agency. The Review: Board anticipates that these interviews will be conducted i in January 1997. : By July 1, 1997, . Federal agencies are expected t to complete the process of identification, location, and declassification of its assassination records at which time they should submit to the Review Board a final declaration certifying, under oath, their compliance with the provisions of the JFK Act (the “Final Declaration of Compliance”). Because of the volume of CIA records, such a “final” statement may not be practicable at that time. However, we do expect that CIA will provide a complete status appraisal by July 1, 1997. This final declaration shall set forth all of the information initially set forth . in the initial Statement of Compliance and shall also supplement the initial Statement of Compliance by. detailing any further steps-that were | conducted by the agency in identifying and locating assassination records. The agencies’ Final Declarations of Compliance will be included in our final report to Congress.
13- Op0 The Honorable John M. Deutch . November 27, 1996 Page5 5. Compliance Depositions. Starting onor - about August 1, 1997, the Review Board, pursuant to its statutory authority, may conduct depositions, under oath, of the Agency Compliance Official along with any other agency officials with responsibility for complying with the JFK Act. The decision to take a compliance deposition of an agency will be made ona case by case basis, taking into account the importance of the agency to the work of the JFK Act and the sufficiency of the agency’s efforts to account _ fully for its compliance with the JFK Act. In the event that the Review Board decides to commence a compliance deposition of an agency, the responsible agency designee(s) will be expected to testify under oath with respect to any and all issues relating to the agency’s record séai arch, including the scope of the search, the identity of filés searched, the destruction of any relevant records, and any other matters set forth in the . Final Declaration of Compliance. Any person obligated to appear for a deposition under oath shall be fully entitled to obtain legal representation. We look forward to receiving your initial response, by December 9, that designates your Agency Compliance Official and includes your statement regarding your position with respect to the provisions outlined in this letter. To the extent that you have any questions or suggestions regarding the Compliance Program, please do not hesitate to contact our General Counsel, T. Jeremy Gunn, at (202) 724-0088. Thank you for your cooperation with our work. Sincerely, Se GR David G. Marwell n Executive Director ce: The Honorable Nora Slatkin, Executive Director, Central Intelligence Agency Michael O’Neil, General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency John Pereira, Chief, Historical Review Group, Central Intelligence Agency Barry Harrelson, Senior Review Officer, Historical Review Group, Central Intelligence Agency
a, DEC @3 °96 @3?17FM ; P.274 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505 General Counsel 9 December 1996 David G. Marwell Executive Director Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street N.W., 2nd Floor Washington D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Marwell: The Director of Central Intelligence has forwarded to me your 27 November 1996 letter for response. I commend the efforts of the Review Board and its staff in reviewing and releasing hundreds of thousands of United States Government documents for greater public understanding about the assassination of President Kennedy. I also confirm the Central Intelligence Agency's commitment to continue working closely with the Review Board in carrying out its statutory authorities. With regard to the requests made in your letter, I understand the Review Board's desire to demonstrate to the public that it has carried out ite duties thoroughly and diligently. You have requested that CIA appoint an Agency Compliance Official to be responsible for ensuring CIA's compliance with its obligations under the JFK Act. The DCI has full confidence in Mr. John Pereira as Chief of the Historical Review Group (HERG) and has determined that Mr. . Pereira will continue to act as the CIA official responsible for ensuring full compliance with the JFK Act and will remain the Agency's focal point with the Review Board. You have also requested that CIA provide an Initial Statement of Compliance. Mr. Pereixa and Mr. Barry Harrelson, the senior review officer for HRG, as well as the rest of the HRG staff, have always been available to you without restriction. The Review Board and your staff have been provided access to any. relevant documents or information you have requested. As you know, the Review Board was fully informed as to the steps CIA took to designate Agency records as part of the President Kennedy collection. HRG has also arranged for multiple briefings by senior CIA officials from a wide variety of CIA components _ 80 that the Review Board can better understand the information it is reviewing. Given the current effective relationship between HRG and your staff, should you require additional assurances of this Agency's compliance with the JFK Act, I suggest that you contact Messrs. Pereira and
DEC @9 °96 @3:17PM oe P.3/4 David G. Marwell Harrelson directly. As usual, they will provide you with the specific information you need as quickly as possible to continue to record CIA's compliance with the JFK Act. As to your request for a complete description of the steps CIA has taken to respond to specific requests, I understand that there are several outstanding requests. HRG . has assured me that these requests have been discussed with your staff and responses will be provided to you as quickly ag possible. Given the number and breadth of the requests that are being made by the Review Board and the limited staff resources available to CIA to process such requests, I ask that the Review Board ‘continue to prioritize all its requests for information or‘ documents. With the Review Board's priorities established in this way, the Agency can immediately work on those requests that are most important to the Review Board. Of course, as CIA responds to these requests, HRG will provide any information the Review Board needs as to how the searches were conducted. I believe that this method will best meet the needs of the Review Board and will allocate CIA's limited resources in the most efficient manner possible. Finally, as to your requests to interview CIA officials responsible for this Agency's compliance with the JFK Act, Mr. Pereira has always been available to the Review Board for informal discussions as well as for giving sworn. testimony including depositions. CIA has never objected to the Review Board depoging or interviewing informally any of its current or former employees and has, in fact, facilitated such interviews. You will also recall that, on 6 August 1996, Messrs. Pereira and Harrelson gave sworn testimony at an open hearing of the Review Board. I trust that this responds to the concerns raised in your letter. Of course,, if you should have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact an attorney in the Office of General Counsel, at (703) 874-3124. With every good wish, I am Sincerely yours,
#800000 DEC @9 *96 @3!18PM Oe 8 Bara David G. Marwell DCI/OGC/LD/ | /76124 (2 Dec 96) OGC-96-53203 Distribution: . Original - Addressee — it DC/LD/OGC GC C/HRG LCC Signer sO Lit File - LDG00021 OGC Registry PA pot pt ph pot ft
13-00000 : 04/16/97 WED 16:11 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB igiuuZ ‘ Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW - 2nd Floor - Washington, DC 20530 (202) 724-0088 » Fax: (202) 724-0457 April 16, 1997 Mz. J. Barry Harrelson Historical Review Group Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C, 02505 Re: ‘Status of CIA Responses to Assassination Records Review Board’s Compliance Program and Requests for Additional Information and Records Dear Barry: Iam writing to memorialize the Review Board’s understanding of the status of CIA’s responses to our formal and informal requests for additional information and records that have been requested pursuant to the Review Board's authority under Section 7(j)(1)(C)(ii)of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 Supp. V 1994) JFK Act). It is important that everyone at the Agency who is responsible for providing answers to our requests for additional information and records understand that the answers will need to be incorporated by reference into the Agency’s Final Compliance Statement. Essentially, CIA will need to attest, under oath, that it has made all reasonable and diligent searches and that its answers are true and correct to the extent of the best, reasonably available information. In this regard, is important to note that when the Review Board requests, for example, a 201 file, it is not asking that you identify relevant records within the Sequestered Collection. Rather, it is asking to review the original 201 file in its current and most complete version.’ ‘The Review Board has no basis for assuming that.a 201 file as it appears in the Sequestered Collection today is necessarily complete. It is fully possible that a relevant document was not identified by CIA or the HSCA in 1978-79 and therefore is not. included in the Sequestered Collection, or that a relevant document that was initially placed in the Sequestered Collection in 1978-79 may have been misplaced at some point during the subsequent twenty years. Therefore, in response to requests for files, it is not sufficient merely to point to places where responsive records appear in the Collection. On a case-by-case basis, we are very willing to hear your explanations for the possible burdensomeness of any particular search or your analysis of why a search Boaap Memsens; John A. Tunheim, Chair « Hanry F. Graff > Kermit L. Hall - William L. Joyce « Anna K. Nelson Executive Dinecroa: David G. Marwell
13-00000. | 04/16/97 WED 16:11 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB 003 Mr. J. Barry Harrelson April 16, 1997 Page 2 As we have written in our formal requests and as we have said to you orally, you should interpret our requests in the broadest reasonable sense. However, to the extent . that you believe that a request poses an unreasonable burden that we may not have — anticipated, or to the extent that you have suggestions to modify or to amend our requests in such a way as to better reach our goals, you should not hesitate to make suggestions or seek clarification. However, unless we specifically hear from you to the contrary, it is our presumption that CIA will respond fully to the requests as posed. In response to your request, the ARRB staff has now identified six of our outstanding Tequests as high priority issues. We would appreciate your forwarding to us as much responsive material as you are reasonably able to assemble during the upcoming two ‘weeks with regard to these six issues. We wish to obtain a reasonably complete response to these requests within one month. These six issues are identified in the text by double asterisks (**).? The remainder of this letter is divided into two parts involving first, the formal requests for information and records, and second, the informal requests for information and _tecords. Please let me know if your understanding of any of the following points differs from ours so that we can resolve any potential discrepancies.* I. Formal Requests. CIA-1 Organizational Material. CIA has collected information responsive to this request for Review Board action. The ARRB staff has identified records that it believes will enhance the will not be fruitful. *As identified more fully below, the six issues are: CIA-7 (Histories); CLA-16 (Oswald Pre-assassination files); personnel assigned to a designated post; OKENCHANT; the electronic take from the Mexico City Station; and files on George Stanley Brown. *This memorialization follows-up, i in large part, on your conversations of March 19 and 20, 1997 with Michelle Combs and on the DO and DS&T briefings to the ARRB staff on April 1, 1997.
13-00000 04/16/97 WED 16:11 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB | igjo04 Mr. J. Barry Harrelson April 16, 1997 Page 3 historical understanding of the assassination by providing some backgrourid on CIA records. CIA should now review the DO and DS&T organizational material and re-examine some of the proposed redactions. Several documents have been cleared by the directorate IRO’s for either release in full or release with minor redactions.’ The ARRB staff will consult with CIA to determine whether these records should be designated “assassination records” or whether they could be made available publicly in a manner similar to the material from the 1996 Boston - trip. HRG would like to discuss this issue before the materials are formally put before the Review Board. CIA-2 through CIA-5. These requests have been satisfied and no further action is needed by CIA. “These are: pc! ~Organization of the Office of the Director 1963 ~Mission Statements for 1959, 1962, 1965 and 1966 _~some Office of the Director notices ~OGC and IG Mission Statements for 1964, 1966, 1969, 1975, and 1976 —OLC Mission Statement for 1975 and 1976 —Organization and Functions of the DI pre-1961 --Organizational Charts for 1961, 1964, and 1969 ~-Mission Statements for 1961, 1963, 1964, 1966, and 1970 DA ~Mission Statements 1957, 1958, 1960, 1963, and 1974 ~Organizational Chart 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, and 1966 -~Office of Security Organizational Charts for 1956, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1975 —Office of Security Mission Statements for 1958, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1969, and 1975.
13-00000 04/16/97 WED 16:12 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB igjoos Mr. J. Barry Harrelson April 16, 1997 Page 4 | CIA-6 Cables and Dispatches. The Review Board first made this request on September 11, 1995. On September 11, 1995, CIA agreed to make these materials available by December, 1995. On October 1, 1996, CIA agreed to make these materials available by November, 1996. We are aware that many of the cables requested are already in the JFK files, but not all are included. Those that we have not been able to locate in the collection include: Mexico City Station to Headquarters (September 26-30, 1963); Headquarters to Mexico City Station (September 26-30, 1963); JMWAVE to Headquarters (September 26-November 21, 1963); Headquarters to JMWAVE (September 26-November 21, 1963); and all traffic between the Mexico City | Station and JMWAVE for the periods September 26-October 20, 1963 and November 22-December 30, 1963. -/ Elistories. The Review Board first requested access to several internal CIA histories and to indices of histories on November 8, 1995. On August 8, 1996, after reviewing a list of histories that you provided, the ARRB staff designated approximately sixty histories for which further review was sought. To date, the ARRB staff has reviewed the seven histories that CLA has made available and has made suggestions with respect to further processing of those seven histories. CIA should make the remaining sixty-plus histories available. CIA-8 Intelligence Community Staff records. The Review Board first requested information on the Intelligence Community Staff on March 1, 1996. On October 1, 1996, CIA agreed to report on the status of this request within two weeks. The Review Board has not yet received any ' substantive response to this request. CIA-9 Intelligence Community publications on Cuba or USSR (November 20-30, 1963). The LBJ Library has already identified several publications for mandatory —
13-00000 04/16/97 WED 16:12 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB | ioos w i Mr. J. Barry Harrelson April 16, 1997 Page 5 a review.5 Michelle Combs reviewed the materials and identified some that should probably become available to the public. The DI has been tasked to locate’ the additional publications that have been requested. — AS . CIA-10 Interagency Source Register. CIA has provided a full description of the ISR, which should now be submitted - as a formal response to the Review Board’s request. Once the formal statement i is provided, this request will be complete. (Under separate cover, the Review Board ig sending to you an additional request for information and records, CIA- 17, which provides a list of names that we request you check against the Interagency Source Register.) CIA-11 Sylvia Duran materials. CIA reports that it has exhausted its reasonable leads for pursuing additional information. CIA has agreed to provide a formal letter for the record detailing what searches were done and confirming that the responsive document currently | in the JFK collection is.a true copy of the original letter. Once this formal statement is provided, this request will be complete. CIA-12 JMWAVE and David Sanchez Morales. On May 22, 1996, the Review Board requested a access to “all 201 files, personnel files, Office of Security files, P-files, or any other files” relating to five persons allegedly connected to JMWAVE. It is our understanding that, in response to ' this request, several months ago CIA located and made available for our review many records responsive to this request. However, it is also our understanding ‘They include: Intelligence Report (11/22/63; 11/ 23/63; 11/24/63; 11/26/63; ‘11/27/63; 12/11 / 63; 12/13/63; 12/18/63; and 12/20/63). Intelligence Memorandum (11/23/63; 11/24/63; 11/25/63; 11/25/63; 4/20/64; and 10/16/64). President's Intelligence Checklist (11/23/63; 11/24/63; 11/25/63; 11/26/63; 11/27/63; 11/28/63; and 11/30/63).
13-00000 04/16/97 WED 16:13 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB _ (4007 | Mr. J. Barry Harrelson April 16, 1997 Page 6 that all of the records provided were located in the Sequestered Collection. As stated in the second paragraph at the beginning of this letter, we seek to review the original files that we have requested. The DO provided no response and no time frame for a response. CIA-13 Mexico City Backchannel Communications. ‘This request, dated November 1, 1996, was raised at the DO follow-up briefing ' on April 1, 1997. The DO provided no response and no time frame for a response. CIA-14 Mexico City Station Annual Reports. This request, dated December 23, 1996, was raised at the DO follow-up briefing on April 1, 1997. The DO provided no response and no time frame fora — response. CIA-15 Win Scott files identified in Russ Holmes Files. CIA has completed its response and no further action is needed. **CIA-16 Oswald Pre-Assassination Files. The HRG reportedly received a lengthy answer from the Office of Security on the _ LHO files and a formal response to the Review Board’s request is in process. Oswald’s Office of Security file has been located and will be delivered to HRG © for review in April. Access to other files will require a special request from HRG to the Office of Security and should be requested by HRG for ARRB staff review. II. Informal Requests. All of the following informal requests have previously been made to CIA. For future . reference, they will be referred to by the “Informal Request” (IR) number provided below.
13-00000 _. , 04/16/97 WED 16:13 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB . (008 Mr. J. Barry Harrelson April 16, 1997 Page 7 -IR-01. Personnel assigned to post from 1959-64 (see RIF 104-10065-10199). This request, originally made in November 1996, was raised at the DO follow-up briefing on April 1, 1997. It is our understanding that the DO believes that it is not able to answer this request. The ARRB staff does not find DO’s response to be credible. We believe that with all of the resources at the Agency’s disposal -- including ready contact with individuals who should be able to answer this question from memory -— this question can be answered.® The ARRB staff has provided suggestions as to how this information could be obtained, including suggesting the types of files and cables that could be searched. CIA-IR-02 Location of cable identified in JFK 1993.07.20.10.18:29:650630. The cable was delivered to the Review Board on March 20, 1997. No further action by CIA is needed. CIA-IR-03 Full computer search for list of documents in HTLINGUAL file. CIA should undertake a computer run for all HTLINGUAL documents. All computer searches for these documents should be documented in a formal letter for the record. CIA-IR-04 Disposition of Angleton’s files. The Review Board seeks to ensure that it has taken all reasonable steps to - account for any files that James Jesus Angleton possessed or controlled that related to the assassination and to Lee Harvey Oswald. Because of the perceived controversy surrounding the disposition of Angleton’s files, the Review Board - believes it prudent to obtain a clear understanding of the types of files that he maintained and their ultimate disposition. (The Review Board does not seek to explore any subjects in Angleton’s files beyond those that may have pertained to the assassination.) To date, CIA has made available certain docurnents provided by the CIC and the case files for Mangold v. CIA. The Review Board requests any additional information in the possession of CIA that would explain the disposition of Angleton’ s files. °The ARRB staff has spoken with a retired CIA official who claims to be able to answer this question from memory, but who refused to do so.
13-00000 04/16/97 WED 16:13 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB . igjoog Mr. J. Barry Harrelson April 16, 1997 Page 8 CIA-IR-05 Possible foreign source for records on Oswald. CIA was informally requested, more than two years ago, to use its contacts to pursue certain records related to Oswald that were orally described to CIA. The Review Board believed that, for reasons of security classification of information, it would be appropriate for CIA to make the initial inquiries rather than the Review Board. Under separate cover, we.are providing documentation of the action the Review Board has taken to further this request. *CIA-IR-06. QKENCHANT. The Review Board seeks information regarding the purpose of OQKENCHANT and its connection with Clay Shaw, Howard Hunt, and Monroe Sullivan. The Review Board was initially provided some information in regard to this request that now appears to be incorrect. CIA is now seeking additional information to correct or to clarify its previous answers. The Review Board seeks - an immediate, full, and accurate response to this request. . CIA-IR-07 Claude Barnes Capehart. The ARRB staff has reviewed all records that CIA has been able to locate to date. During the course of this review, additional questions were raised that you . agreed to pursue. You also agreed to conduct additional searches to determine whether there may be additional retrievable records on Mr. Capehart: CIA-IR-08 Unredacted copy of the “Family Jewels” memoranda. HRG will locate this item. CIA-IR-09 George Bush computer search. - The Review Board provided CIA with a copy of an 1 FBI document, dated November 29, 1963, prepared under the name of John Edgar Hoover, which states: “The substance of the foregoing information [on the assassination of President Kennedy] was orally furnished to Mr. George Bush of the Central Intelligence Agency ....” We have been informed that the DO has no record of a. “George Bush” being.in the employ of CIA in 1963 with the exception of Mr. George William Bush who has already given a sworn affidavit that he is not the
13-00000° 04/16/97 WED 16:14 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB igo10 © _Mr. J. Barry Harrelson ; April 16, 1997 Page 9 “George Bush” in question. CIA is now checking whether the search query included George Herbert Walker Bush prior to 1970. CIA should determine whether George Herbert Walker Bush is the person to whom the memorandum refers and should provide a definitive statement regarding the scope of its search and the basis of its conclusion. CIA-IR-10 IG Reports. CIA will determine whether the IG’s office maintains an index or inventory of its reports and determine whether the IG’s office prepared a report on the handling - of Oswald. . . CIA-IR-11 Warren Commission critics. We are asking that CIA determine whether it possesses any files or records on Warren Commission, critics Edward J. Epstein, Josiah Thompson, Mark Lane, Harold Weisberg, or Sylvia Meagher. The Review. Board is not requesting. information per se regarding any FOIA requests by these individuals or any Public Affairs news clippings.’ CIA-IR-12 Contacts with journalists or publishing houses. The Review Board seeks to determine to what extent, if any, CLA might have attempted to influence any journalists or publishers regarding public discussion of the assassination. This request, originally discussed in March 1997, was raised at the DO follow-up briefing on April 1 1, 1997. The DO had no response and no’ time frame for a response. CIA-IR-13 Office or person dealing with organized crime and Cuba. The Review Board requested that CIA make a particular personnel file available. The file was made available by CIA for review. The Review Board will discuss with you whether any further steps need to be taken. "To the extent that CIA possesses FOIA files or records on any of these individuals, and to the extent that those records contain information that was not filed ‘with the courts, such records are being requested for review by the Review Board.
13-00000 04/16/97 WED 16:14 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB igj011 Mr. J. Barry Harrelson April 16, 1997 Page 10 CIA-IR-14 Breckinridge files. CIA (OGC) will determine the disposition of the files of Scott D. Breckinridge. *CIA-IR-15 Electronic “take” from Mexico City Station. . The Review Board has for some time been attempting to determine whether it has had access to all of CIA’s surveillance “take” from the Cuban and Soviet facilities in Mexico City at the time of the Oswald visit and in the immediate wake of the assassination. On numerous occasions, the Review Board has asked whether there was any surveillance take in addition to what is currently in the collection. On March 18, 1997, the Review Board provided additional leads to CIA to assist it in answering these’ questions. The DO has agreed to check Headquarters records for the file referenced in HMMW 12454, to search for the crypts cited in this document,.and to search for HMMA 20307 and other cables or dispatches — cited in this document. The DS&T will query its offices for possible records on ' Mexico City and Cuba and for the present location of Staff D records. Regardless of the outcome of these particular searches, the Review Board continues to seek a full accounting for all surveillance conducted during the relevant time periods. CIA-IR-16 U-2 files. | DS&T will provide a folder title print out of U-2 materials.for Review Board examination, check for records filed under Richard Bissell’s name, and search for OSP files. DS&T has also contacted Lockheed for assistance. CIA-IR-17 DS&T Records on Castro assassination plots. HRG will furnish the 1967 IG Report to provide possible search query suggestions for DS&T follow-up. CIA-IR-18 DO Office. The Review Board has requested orally information about a particular DO office. We understand that you are collecting the relevant information.
13-00000 04/16/97 WED 16:15 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB | | Mr. J. Barry Harrelson | April 16, 1997 Page 11 | CIA-IR-19 Computer searches The Review Board has requested that full computer searches be conducted on all of the following people: ‘and organizations. The results of the searches should be documented. - 7 ae ar 1. 1 Spas Ri Rakin, | ARRB awaits documentation. OP file starts in 1988. HRG is 2. Leo Cherne checking on a 201. No OMS file. 3. Hunter Leake | ARRB awaits documentation. HRG is checking for a DCD file. 5. John McVickar ARRB awaits documentation. No OP file. No OMS file. DO is ae 6. Andy Anderson 7. Byron B. Morton, Jr. ARRB awaits documentation. No OP file.. No OMS file. 8. Marie Cheatham _ | ARRB awaits documentation. No OP file. No OMS file. 9. Paul Garbler ARRB awaits documentation. OP file. OMS file. HRG has" requested Personne! file. 15. INCA (information | ARRB awaits documentation. HRG will check for files. Council of the Americas) | ARRB awaits documentation. HRG will check for files. oe. i SHEL ve Aone My sai si * fe awaits sdocumentatian 1012
13-00000 7 04/16/97 WED 16:15 FAX z0z 724 U457 ARID | Mr. J. Barry Harrelson | April 16, 1997 Page 12 | | Conclusion Please let me know if you have any supplements or corrections. We would very much like to ensure that these matters .are handled expeditiously. As always, we appreciate your cooperation and assistance.
13-00000 —<SEEGRET= - Executive Order 8 October 1997 * 4 JFK Records Review Project (U) The following is intended as a guide for those people whose work requires them to review Agency documents - and materials that may be subject to the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records ‘Collection Act of 1992. Some of the records within the. .Agency's JFK collection are assassination specific, others are ancillary. They deal with individuals and events not directly linked with Oswald’ or the assassination; but they are thought to have hada . relationship to the assassination,or investigation into the assassination. Pres “ee I. The Agency’ s JFK Collection. (U) The Agency's JFK records collection is made up primarily of records pulled together for the Warren Commission and House Select Committee on Assassinations - (HSCA). There were eighty-one (81) Records Center-sized boxes in the original collection. Of these, the first - seventeen (17) made up the Oswald 201 file. The next sixty- four (64) are referred to as the “JFK files” or sequestered collection and break down as follows: thirty-four (34) boxes of DO materials; nine (9) boxes of Office of Security files; fifteen (15) boxes of OLC materials; two (2) boxes each of OGC and IG materials; and.one (1) box of DDS&T documents. . HSCA originated material, including notes by. HSCA staff members, are found throughout the collection. Box 64 contains seventy two (72) reels of microfilm. (U0). The microfilm contains copies of complete files to which the HSCA had access during its investigation. In addition to the Oswald 201 file (12 reels), the microfilm . includes: 201 files on Cubans, Americans, and Soviets linked to Oswald, the JFK assassination or the various © investigations (approximately 26 reels)and the Cuban ~ Revolutionary Council and other exile group activities (approximately 13 reels); the personnel files of CIA staff employees (approximately. 5 reels); and operational files on organizations, projects, and other subjects of. interest to > the HSCA investigation (approximately 16 reels). CL BY: 4 611637 \ CL REASON: 1.5(c) DECL ON: X1 DRV FRM: LOC 3-82
13-00000 . | Rt (U) We continue to identify other collections of documents that properly belong witHin the JFK collection. These include: The Oswald Security File; Agency working files generated by JFK assassination investigations and requests; and CIA documents found by other agencies and Presidential~’ Libraries and referred to CIA for review under the JFK Act. II. The Time Frame of JFK Assassination Records. (U) In general, the time frame of JFK records commences when Oswald arrived at the US air base (the U-2) at Atsugi, Japan, in December 1957 and continues through the end of the Garrison investigation in 1968. Note, however, for information which is clearly related to the story of the JFK assassination or its investigations, ther time fr. limitation, Any document or request that deals with tHe . assassination, Lee Harvey Oswald, or the various conspixacy? theories should be referred to the HRG/JFK review ‘Project. III. Key Topics, Etc. (u) Certain individuals, organizations, places, projects, and subjects are central to the Oswald/JFK story and the ensuing investigations, which causes a number of documents with no mention of Oswald or the assassination to fall within the purview of the JFK Act. Clearly, it is not possible to list every category of document which may have been reviewed and released under the JFK Assassination Records Act. The following categories contain examples of information that are considered to be within the JER review. (U0) A. JFK Assassination Investigations: ~- Warren Commission, 1963-64 -- James Garrison, New Orleans DA, 1966-68 ~~ Rockefeller Commission,* 1975; -- Church Committee (Senate) ,* 1975-76 -~ House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) , 1976-79 * JFK Assassination, anti-Castro plots and CIA anti- Cuban operations only. B. Key subjects (S) -- Moscow Station, Mexico City Station, JMWAVE Station, and CIA stations in those cities through which Oswald passed on his way to and from the Soviet Union, as they related to Oswald's activities or to possible conspiracies.
13-00000 (AIUO) *. OIA anti-Cuban operations 1960-64 (Mongoose, etc.) VOLV (see comment qn Meagher's “index” below); most US anti-Castro activities in 1963 are considered relevant. (U) -- Cuban exile anti-Castro activities, leaders and. organizations, 1960-64, if. ‘they involve JFK figures. -- Castro assassination activities (plans and attempts); no limit on time frame. -~- Mafia, if related to Castro, JFK, or New Orleans. during Oswald time frames (see attached chronology). - (AIUO) C.. Key figures (the following individuals are considered JFK | , assassination-related, unless the context is clearly — unrelated or outside the appropriate time period)_ ~~ AMMUG, Cuban defector; - 3 -~- Maurice Bishop, alleged to exist (any xréference) ; ~ -- Silvia. Duran, employee in Cuban Embassy, Mexico Citv: ott land the Free Cuba Committee s'— Owa une, A employee; -- Priscilla MacMillan Johnson, journalist; ~- Valeriy Kostikov, KGB officer in Mexico city; | -- Mr. & Mrs. George de Mohrenschildt (all documents) -- Yuri Nosenko and the dispute over his bona fides; _-- Michael and Ruth Paine, Dallas friends of Oswalds; -- David Phillips, CIA employee; -- Richard Snyder, State Department Officer. -- Winston Scott, COS Mexico City For a more comprehensive list of subjects and individuals related to the JFK assassination, reviewers should consult Sylvia Meagher ‘s ster Index to the JFK Assassinat Investigations, The Scarecrow Press, 1980. (U) Action Officer: Barry Harrelson (31825) Attachment: Oswald Chronology ~—~SECRET--=
13-00000 (U) Attachment: Oswald Chronology, ‘1956-1963 --Joing Marines ~-Arrives Atsugi (U2 Base) Japan ~-Returns --Hardship discharge ~-Departs New Orleans for Moscow to US via LeHavre, --Arrives ~-Resides ~-Departs --Departs --Arrives Moscow in Minsk t . London, Helsinki Moscow via train Rotterdam via ship New York -~-Fort Worth/Dallas, Texas ~-New Orleans ~-Mexico City --~Dallas on SECRET one 10/26/56 09/12/57 11/62/58 09/82 /s9 09/20/s9 10/16/59 06/62/62 06/64/62 06/13/62 06/14/62 04/63 . 09/25/63 10/3/63 01/07/60 - 65/22/62 04/63 09/63 10/03/63 11/24/63
October 16, 1997 HAND-DELIVERED ]. Barry Harrelson Senior Review Officer Historical Review Group Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 02505 Re: Submission of CIA’s Initial Statement of Compliance Under the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 Dear Barry: In connection with the work of the CIA to locate and release records relating to | — President Kennedy’s assassination pursuant to the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (“JFK Act”), please submit to the Review _ Board the CIA’s initial formal report regarding its work. i As you know, the procedures for documenting the CIA’s compliance with the JFK Act were set forth in the Review Board’s November 27, 1996 letter to the CIA Director. These procedures entailed the submission of an intial report by the CIA, which we referred to as an Initial Statement of Compliance. This past Spring, we informally agreed to extend the time for submission of the Initial Compliance Statement pending ongoing work of the CIA under the JFK Act. To facilitate the completion of the CIA’s work by September 1998, including the submission to Congress of a final report detailing the work accomplished by the CIA Lo and other Federal agencies under the JFK Act, please submit the CIA’s Initial | Compliance Statement to the Review Board no later tha vember 6,
13-00000 e Mr. J. Barry Harrelson October 16, 1997 Page 2 Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, T. Jeremy Gunn Executive Director. and General Counsel cc: Esq.
13-00000 DRAFT Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW - 2nd Floor - Washington, DC 20530 (202) 724-0088 +» Fax: (202) 724-0457 — SNOOQBJECTIONTO =; CIAHA Ecrs - October 17, 1997 RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION . DOCUMENT Mr. John Perdfia IN THES Director | Historical Review Group Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Washington, DC 20505 w Re: Completion of Review of Assassination Records * 7 3 Dear John: The Assassination Records Review Board (“Review Board”) has less than one year to complete its statutory responsibility of ensuring that all Federal records related to the assassination of President Kennedy are made publicly available at the National Archives and Records Administration (“NARA”). Because of the importance to the Review Board of completing the review and release of Central Intelligence Agency records, I am taking this opportunity to raise with you some of our concerns and to describe our goals. Let me first reiterate our deep appreciation for the cooperation that we have received thus far from the Agency. We are very mindful of the enormous amount of work that has been accomplished thus far. We very much hope to be able to report, at the completion of our work, that the Agency has fully complied with the letter and spirit of the JFK Act and that the Review Board is confident that all CIA assassination records have been fully processed and transferred to the National Archives. Unfortunately, it is clear at this point that the pace of review of CIA records will need to increase significantly during this final year so that the Review Board and the CIA will be able to complete our responsibilities and that the Review Board can issue the type of report that we all ideally envision. It is our goal to have all CIA assassination records reviewed and transferred to NARA by September 1, 1998. By “all” assassination records, I include the unredacted originals as well as copies containing Board-approved postponements. (I am excluding, therefore, duplicates of those records that have been transferred to NARA.) The Review Board is prepared to take all necessary steps within its statutory authority to ensure that this work is accomplished. Boano Memeers: John R. Tunheim, Chair « Henry F. Graff - Kermit L. Hall « William L. Joyce « Anna K. Nelson Executive Dinecror: David G. Marwell
13-00000 Mr. John Pereira October 17, 1997 Page 2 The Review Board has promised Congress that this work will be completed by September 1998. The Review Board also is obligated to keep Congress informed, on a monthly basis, of the steps it has taken to ensure completion of this goal. We now need to keep Congress informed of any difficulties that we are facing in the course of | completing this work. As you know, the JFK Act in many ways imposed difficult obligations. For example, it required the CIA (and other agencies) to complete its review and transfer.of records to NARA within 300 days of the time the statute was enacted in 1993. Although-this statutory deadline was not met, we would like to make it as clear'as we possibly can - that we intend to.ensure that the goal to review and transfer all assassination records to NARA is accomplished during the lifetime of the Review Board. We have raised with you previously our concerns about whether the Agency has allocated sufficient resources to complete its work on its assassination records by September 1, 1998. In a meeting at CIA headquarters on October 16, 1996, CIA Executive Director Nora Slatkin promised members of the Review Board that the CIA would devote whatever resources are necessary to complete the task. In order to ensure that this work is completed, the Review Board has developed a timetable for review of remaining CIA records. The CIA’s Historical Review Group suggests that refinement of the timetable is necessary, but has of yet offered no specific changes. In order to fulfill our responsibilities under the JFK Act and in order to honor our. pledge to Congress, we believe that the following steps are necessary: First, we need to establish a reasonable but strict schedule for the CIA’s review and release of records. The CIA must devote all of the resources necessary to review the records under this schedule. We believe that the only way to ensure that the CIA’s work is completed is to adhere to such a schedule. Second, if the CIA has not completed its scheduled review by the proposed deadline, the Review Board will require that all CIA records identified as assassination records under the JFK Act be transferred forthwith to the National - Archives regardless of whether they have been reviewed or processed by the CIA pursuant to the Board’s authority at 44 U.S.C. § 2107.7(j)(B).
13-00000 8 Mr. John Pereira October 17, 1997 Page 3 Third, the Board will presumptively vote to open in full all records that have not been reviewed i in conformity with the schedule. . We can assure you that we have no desire whatsoever to take steps t two and three. . However, at this point, we see no other method for satisfying our obligation to ensure that the CIA’s assassination-related records are released by September 1998, unless the CIA agrees to schedule the review in a timely, consistent, methodical, and enforcedble manner. Although you should not hesitate to contact us regarding any ideas you have for streamlining or improving the accomplishment of this task, there should-be no misunderstanding by the Agency regarding what we believe our goal to be and the _ steps that we are prepared to take to ensure the fulfillment of our statutory obligations and our promises to Congress. It is our perception that if the Agency allocates additional resources to the accomplishment of this Project, we all will be able to accomplish the goals of the JFK Act. We therefore strongly urge the Agency to allocate now whatever resources are necessary to complete its review records in an orderly and systematic manner. To the extent that the Agency is able to meet the necessary deadlines, there will be no need for us to resort to the extreme -- but potentially necessary — measures to complete our _ obligations to Congress and the American people. Sincerely, T. Jeremy Gunn Executive Director Skwirot e:\wp-docs\ciastatu.wpd
13-00000- -- - Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW - 2nd Floor « Washington, DC 20530 (202) 724-0088 « Fax: (202) 724-0457 October 30, 1997 RELEASE oF DOR } AG GMLITIZED eT VIA FACSIMILE J. Barry Harrelson — Senior Review Officer Historical Review Group Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 02505 Re: Submission of CIA’s Initial Statement of Compliance Under the JFK ssassination Records Collection Act, 44 U.S.C, § 2107 _ Dear Mr. Harrelson: I have been asked by Jeremy Gunn to take responsibility, along with Robert Skwirot. and Michelle Combs, for handling the Review Board’s JFK Act Compliance Program with respect to the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Gunn has informed me that you have agreed to provide us with the CIA’s initial compliance statement (as it is described in our November 27, 1996 letter to the CIA) by the end of November 1997.. Thereafter, we can establish a reasonable time for the CIA to prepare and submit its Final Declaration of Compliance. The CLA’s Final Declaration will be submitted to Congress and the President. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, Taal Ybor Ronald G. Haron Associate General Counsel Boano Memeens: John A. Tunheim, Chair « Henry — Graff « Kermit l. Hail « William L. joyea « Anna K. Neison Executive Dinacron: David G. Marwell
Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW - 2nd Floor » Washington, DC 20530 (202) 724-0088 + Fax: (202) 724-0457 GIA HAS NO OBJECTION 70 DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR February 11, 1998 BENE OF THIS DOCUMENT VIA FACSIMILE Mr. J. Barry Harrelson Senior Review Officer Historical Review Group Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C.02505 Re: CIA Initial Compliance Statement To Be Submitted Under the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 Dear Mr. Harrelson: Thank you for submitting to the Review Board the CIA’s December 11, 1997 DRAFT of its initial Statement of Compliance under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act (“JFK Act”). You submitted the draft to obtain the Review Board’s initial comments. We have made a preliminary review of the draft and offer the following comments. The Statement is helpful in providing general background history regarding the measures undertaken by the CIA to assemble files relating to the assassination of President Kennedy. The Statement also gives a good overview description of those files. At this time, we do not propose that you make any major changes that would delay the formal submission of the initial Compliance Statement to the Review Board.’ * We note that the initial draft statement generally describes the records identified in response to specific Review Board requests. For the initial Compliance Statement, this will be sufficient. To the extent that additional records are later identified or requests completed, these can be included in the Final Declaration of Compliance. We also note that “[t]he status, results and documentation of specific [Review Board] requests” are more specifically being addressed in separate memoranda © being submitted to the Review Board, and this process is ongoing. These responses are extremely helpful in articulating what the CIA has done to.search for records on the JFK assassination. Therefore, the Review Board will request that these detailed responses ultimately be incorporated by reference into the Final Declaration of Compliance. Boarp Memsers: John R. Tunheim, Chair « Henry F. Graff « Kermit L. Half « William L. Joyce « Anna K. Nelson Executive Director: T. Jeremy Gunn ¢ Deputy Director: Thomas E. Samoluk
13-00000 ‘Mr. J. Barry Harrelson February 11, 1997 Page 2. - Therefore, please submit the CIA’s official initial Statement of Compliance to the Review Board as soon as possible, but no later than March 16, 1998. After formal submission of the CIA’s initial Statement of Compliance, we would schedule an informal interview with you (and perhaps other members of the Historical Review Group) to ask questions regarding the Compliance Statement and regarding the sufficiency of the CIA’s record searches. After addressing any outstanding issues, the CIA would thereafter submit its Final Declaration of Compliance. I recognize that.you are extremely busy processing CIA records for inclusion in the JFK Collection. However, it is essential that the CIA devote sufficient time and attention to its Final Declaration of Compliance because, as we have stated before, | the Final Declaration will constitute the CIA’s representation to the American public, under oath, that the CIA has diligently searched for records relating to the JFK assassination and that the CIA is not withholding any materials regarding the assassination. —_ IG G. Haron Associate General Counsel cc: Esq. . (By facsimile)
13-00000 - _ | | 2) 4e BEFORE THE ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 7 CIA SPECIAL COLLECT PECL: ECTIONS _ RELEASE IN eULL a | | 2000 DECLARATION OF BRIAN LATELL I, Brian Latell, do hereby declare and say: “m 7] 1. I presently serve as the Director of the Center for the Study of Intelligence (““CSI'') for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (“CIA or ~“Agency'') and have held this position since September 1994. I also hold the position of Chairman of the Editorial Board (“Board'') for Studies in Intelligence (Studies) , a publication of CsI. I have served as a foreign intelligence officer for the United States Government for over 36 years and, at CIA, I have held a variety of senior positions of management and analytical responsibility including serving as a member of the National Intelligence Council for 14 years and National Intelligence | Officer (NIO) for Latin America for four of those years. I hold a doctorate, masters and undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, have served as a Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and presently hold an appointment to Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service as an Adjunct Professor.
13-00000 2. The purpose of this declaration is to provide the Assassination Records Review Board with my view of the status of Studies as a classified publication available within the Intelligence Community and as an unclassified _ publication available to the public. I make the following “* statements based upon my personal knowledge, information, made available to me in my official capacity, and :the me conclusions I reached in accordance therewith. ee 3; Studies is an independent, scholastic endeavor with the mission to promote scholarship in intelligence literature. Articles submitted to Studies are intended for educational purposes only and present solely the personal, academic views of the individual authors. The final . responsibility for accepting or rejecting an article rests with the Board. Its criterion for publication is whether the article makes a contribution to the literature of intelligence. Articles submitted to Studies are not , a required to be coordinated through channels and, indeed, are not vetted through management by either the Board or the author. In addition to senior Agency officers, the Board also has membership representing other agencies of the Intelligence Community.
13-00000 wv &. 4. In the beginning of Studies, articles were primarily written by CIA authors. In the past decade, however, Studies has been enriched by an increasing number a of contributions from authors from other components of the Intelligence Community, from members of the academic world in the United States and abroad, and from a few private citizens, most of whom have had some past intelligence ~- connection. The Board welcomes this trend and looks forward pois to increasing contributions from non-Agency authors. i 5. Once an article is submitted for consideration in Studies it is circulated to the members of the Board for their review. The Board then decides whether an article meets the criteria for publication and, if it does, begins the publication process. All unclassified submissions are reviewed by the Publications Review Board (PRB)* to ensure the unclassified nature of the article. The articles are edited, approved by the Chief of CSI, and published in the classified version of Studies. Most of the unclassified articles published in this version are then picked up by the unclassified version of Studies and with further slight editing are published. If an article has been deemed to contain classified information by its author, and it is subsequently requested to be released, it will be reviewed * PRB is the same body that reviews private writings proposed for publication by current and former Agency employees as required under Agency regulation. ,
13-00000 a j by either the History Staff, the Historical Review Program, or more recently by the Publications Review Board -- pursuant to the personal manuscript standards -- to allow declassification or the creation of an unclassified version. By deeming or marking a given article as classified, we represent only that this personal writing contains some oo information of a proprietary (hence classified) nature to the US Government ; that fact does not alter the nature of this private work or convert it into an official federal record containing official government information. 6. The independence and integrity of the Board, and its historical commitment to academic traditions, has never been questioned by Agency management. I, as well as several of my predecessors, can recall no cases of interference by Agency management with the publication decisions of the Board, no matter how sensitive the subject matter or . critical of the Agency. Indeed, it is the antithesis of official information and the embodiment of personal, academic scholarship and work. The very intent is academic in the context of educational mentoring from one individual to those in succeeding generations. The Agency teaches through its institutional and official course materials; individual intelligence officers teach personally through Studies.
13-00000 . § e : 7. For the foregoing reasons, I believe that, while ““Studies in Intelligence’’ is published under the auspices of the United States Government, it is neither an expression of official information nor an official release of official é Executive Branch information, but rather a forum for the > _ private academic expressions of the authors. 8. Executed this 13th day of February 1998 at Fairfax County, Virginia. . ee BRIAN LATELL
13-00000 € g:\iperdwp\general\lss\arrb_dec.doc 12 february 1998 draft by marty; revisions by lss \ we
13-00000 ’ L Conval intelligence Agency CLASSIFIED oe ATTACHMENT Weashengion 0 C 20505 19 March 1998 CIA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Mr. T. Jeremy Gunn RELEASE AS SANITIZED Executive_Director Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street, N.W. Washingtonse D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Gunn: ~ ‘ Re: STATEMENT CONCERNING ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE JFK ASSASSINATION RECORDS COLLECTION ACT OF. 1992 The following is a listing of thé principal measures taken to date by the Agency.to fulfill the requirements of the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (the Act). Note: it does not include the numerous informal meetings, conversations, and exchanges between ARRB and HRP staff members, many.of which covered all of the measures. INITIAL SEARCHES a. In early 1992, even before the Act was passéd, the Chief of, the CIA History Staff reported to the Director that the staff had located all of the so-called “sequestered collection’ (those records compiled by the Agency for the House Select Committee On Assassinations investigation) and had surveyed these and other related holdings on the assassination both at Headquarters and at the Agency records center. The sequeStered collection contained sixty-four record center~size boxes. In addition, the staff had «~*located sixteen boxes of Lee Oswald’s 201 file and a number of loose folders mainly from Mexico Station records that — were collected for the Warren Commission. ee b. Before the ARRB was appointed by the President, ‘ John Pereira, Chief, Historical Review Group/Center for the Study of Intelligence, sent a memorandum dated 25 October 1993 to the Agency directorates requesting a name search on Lee Harvey Oswald, the JFK assassination, and any documents related to the assassination. This effort and discussions _, with various Agency components and Agency Information 4, \ Release Officers over the past four years resulted in more . ~
13-00000 Mr. T. Jeremy Gunn than 31 additional boxes of materials being sent for review... Included within this material were 19 boxes of JFK working _ files based on the sequestered collection, two boxes on. Nosenko, seven boxes of LA Division documents and three boxes from the Bay of Pigs period. Not all of this material is related to the JFK story; and in some boxes only a few folders had anything to do with the assassination or .events “surrounding it. To date, the ARRB stdéff has designated. approximately 22 boxes of this material as assassinatioh ~- records. In addition, about 400 pages of material from an - FOIA request for minutes of the DCI’s morning meetings which related to JFK were added to the collection. The search for documents is a continuing effort. Guidelines for this effort have been sent to Agency individuals and components which review documents and materials in the course of their work. REVIEWS a. Historical. Review Group, now the Historical Review Program, reviewed boxes 1 through 63 of the sequestered collection and the Oswald 201 file and released most of the documents: therein either in full. or in sanitized form'to the National Archives in August.1993. The total number of pages released by CIA prior to or during August 1993 was approximately 123,000. An additional release of i approximately 30, 000 pages of HSCA material from the sequestered collection was made in 1995S. d. Box 64 of the sequestered collection contained 72 reels of microfilm primarily dealing with Directorate of © Operations materials and Office of Security files. In addition there‘ were 22 reels of 201 files on 151 individuals. Following release of the main collection in August 1993, HRG staff. members reviewed the microfilm files and released approximately 74,000 pages of material to the National Archives either in full or in sanitized form. e. The status of HRP’s review of additional records and re-review of the sequestered collection will be addressed in regular progress reports to the ARRB staff. REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL RECORDS AND INFORMATION -£. The Agency maintains a rather unique and non- integrated files system which precludes a single query ona particular subject and the expected response from the files
13-00000 Mr. T. Jeremy Gunn of all directorates. Following coordination with the ARRB . staff, the Agency arranged for the staff to be briefed by a representative of each directorate concerning the nature of the files within the directorate -- how they are organized, maintained, searched, and how they have been searched previously for assassination-related materials. Following this effort, the ARRB staff asked for a number of. additional searches by the Agency and they are im various stages of completion. a g. In addition, pursuant to requests both: formal and informal from the ARRB staff, HRP has tasked various elements of the Agency to conduct special searches for other materials thought to be relevant to the assassination story. Included in this category was the Oswald security file which was found and has been examined by the ARRB staff.- Although a number of the requests are still outstanding, considerable -material has been provided for review by the ARRB staff some of which has been found to be relevant. These materials include the History Staff's histories on various CIA operations and Agency components; files on specific individuals involved in either. the Warren Commission or HSCA investigations; and the product of CIA internal, reviews of programs and operations. Those parts of these materials ‘Which are determined by the ARRB staff to have relevancy to the assassination story will be reviewed | by HRP andi released as completed. . The status, results, and documentation of specific requests are to be addressed in a separate memorandum. Sincerely, JFK Project Officér e®
Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW + 2nd Floor « Washington, DC 20530 CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO a July 7, 1998 DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR | RELEASE OF- CIA INFORMATION | IN THIS DOCUMENT HAND DELIVERY Mr. J. Barry Harrelson ; Chief, JFK Project Historical Review Program : Office of Information Management ge Washington, D.C. 20505 . Re: — Final Search for all Original CIA Records Related to the Assassination of ) President John F. Kennedy . = | Dear Barry: - This letter is in follow-up to our meeting of June 26, 1998, where we discussed the comprehensiveness of CIA’s search for assassination records. As we expressed in the meeting, the Assassination Records Review Board is extremely concerned as to whether all original records held by the Central Intelligence Agency, particularly those controlled by the Directorate of Operations, have been identified in previous searches for records relevant to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Review Board i is aware that the former Chief of the Historical Review Group, John . Pereira, ordered a search of all CIA records in 1993. Since that date, however, we have identified at least three examples of records clearly relevant to.the assassination that have been identified through the efforts of the Review Board staff and that were subsequently located by CIA. These records’ were not identified through the 1993 CIA search. In order to comply with the strictures of the JFK Act and to ensure that all original CIA records relevant to the assassination are identified, the Review Board requests the following: ; 1. CIA conduct a new search of all Office of Security and Directorate of Operations (including all counterintelligence components), for any documents relevant to the assassination. Particular care should be taken to examine possibly | - relevant documents dated shortly before and any time after the 1993 search. Boaro Memaers: John R. Tunheim, Chair + Henry F. Graff ¢ Kermit L. Hall + William tl. Joyce » Anna K. Neilson : €xecutive Oirecror: T. Jeremy Guan ° Deruty Oimector: Thomas E. Samoluk (202) 724-0088 » Fax: (202) 724-0457
13-00000 Mr. J. Barry Harrelson July 7, ) _ Page2 1998 2. CIA Director George Tenet send a directive to all CIA personnel that explictly requires all offices to search their files and notify the Historical Review Program immediately if they have any records that might possibly be considered relevant to the assassination—including any records created after 1992. 3. CIA artange for a meeting between the Review Board staff and. appropriate CIA officials to discuss CIC and other counterintelligence records. 4. CIA conduct a search for updated or continued records on individuals from a list of names to be provided by the Review Board, of subjects who weré of © interest to the House Select Committee on Assassinations. Wé are particularly | interested in any records that CIA acquired on these subjects since the original _ _files were sequestered in 1978.. A list will be provided toyoushortly. =~" The Review Board. appreciates your cooperation and assistance in resolving these _ issues. As time is growing short, we would like very much to ensure that these matters are handled expeditiously. cc Assassination Records Review Board Mr. James Oliver Lee Strickland, Esq.
13-00000__ Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW - 2nd Floor > Washington, DC 20530 (202) 724-0088 » Fax: (202) 724-0457 CIA HAS NO ORJECTION Te July 15, 1998 aes, AS SANITIZE a VIA FACSIMILE AND U.S. MAIL Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. General Counsel Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 20505 Re: CIA Compliance With the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 Dear Mr. McNamara: . I am writing to address the completion of CIA’s outstanding obligations under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 (“JFK Act”), including submission by CIA of a Final Declaration of Compliance certifying, under the Act, its work to identify and release records relating to President Kennedy’s assassination. As we have advised CLA previously, the Final Declaration _ will constitute CLA’s representations, under penalty of perjury, regarding disclosure of . its records relating to the Kennedy assassination. Accordingly, set forth below is our understanding of (1) the status for completion of CIA’s work under the JFK Act and (2) the form and content of CIA’s Final Declaration. A. Completion of CIA’s Work Under the JFK Act We confirmed with CIA that it intends to place into the JFK Assassination Records Collection (“JFK Collection”) at the National Archives and Records Administration (“NARA”), by September 1998, all identified assassination records except certain documents confirmed by the Review Board staff as being duplicates, which may be _ processed later.’ Thus, CLA commits to placing the following assassination records into the JFK Collection by September 30, 1998: 1 In addition, some peripheral documents may be processed after September 1998, but only if identified beforehand to, and approved by, the Review Board. Boaro Memecas: John A. Tunheim, Chair « Henry F. Graff « Kermit L. Hall « William L. Joyce > Anna K. Nelson Executive Girnecroa: T. Jeremy Gunn + Beeuty Diaecror: Thomas E. Samoluk
13-00000 Robert M. McNamara, Jr. Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 2 ° Non-duplicate documents within the hardcopy set of the CIA-House Select Committee on Assassinations (“HSCA”) Sequestered Collection (i.e, CIA files that were reviewed by the HSCA for its investigation of the JFK assassination and which were sequestered pursuant to agreement of the CIA and HSCA). . Non-duplicate documents within the microfilm version of the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection (the microfilm version is a more expansive set of records than the hardcopy set of the CLIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection in that it contains complete underlying files, not just the specific records reviewed by the HSCA). . Lee Harvey Oswald's 201 File. CIA has placed this file into the JFK Collection.‘ As for the microfilm copy of the Oswald 201 file (which we assume duplicates the original Oswald 201 file processed by the CIA), we request that it be placed in the protected portion of the JFK Collection by September 1998 (after Review Board examination). Certain recently discovered documents relating to Oswald also must be added to the JEK Collection. : Lee Harvey Oswald's Office of Security File. CIA has placed this file into the JFK Collection. * Marina Oswald’s 201 File. Whild Marina Oswald’s 201 file has been sen processed : for the JFK Collection (as part of the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection), we request that the original file be transferred to the protected portion of the JFK 2 As CIA has reported, the hard copy and microfilm versions of the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection were first placed irito the JFK Collection in 1993 and 1994. See CIA Initial Statement of Compliance (dated March 19, 1998), at 2. Documents from _ those collections are being re-processed, however, to the extent that the Review Board has mandated that such documents be opened up to a greater extent. 3 NARA reports that it does not have the computerized version of the record identification forms (“RIFs”) for documents in the microfilm Sequestered Collection. _ CIA explained that it must first complete the processing of non-duplicates and update the computer data before that data is transferred to NARA. CIA anticipates that this. will be done sometime after October 1998. 4 However, NARA reports that many documents do. not have the proper RIFs attached. CIA will coordinate with NARA to correct this.
13-00000 Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 3 Collection by September 1998. . Non-duplicate documents within Kennedy assassination working files of CIA officer Russ Holmes (19 boxes). ¢ — Non-duplicate documents selected from 7 boxes of Latin American Division working files. * CTA organizational materials, including the JMWAVE organizational chart specifically designated as an assassination record by the Review Board [CIA-1].° ° Excerpts of certain CIA histories designated by the Review Board [CIA-7]. . ° Excerpts of CIA’s “Family Jewels” memorandum [CIA-IR-08].° ° Excerpts of a CIA personnel file that relate to organized crime/Cuba [CIA-IR-13]. s Excerpts of the personnel file of Mr. George E. Joannides, the case officer responsible for the Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil (DRE) during a period in the early 1960's [CIA-IR-21]. \ ° CIA “A” files for Clay Shaw and Jim Garrison [CIA-IR-22]. "8 Designated Watch Committee Reports [CIA-IR-23]. ° Oswald-related documents from the a general defector file maintained by the CIA’s Office of Security [CLA-IR-24]. ° Certain records from the files of former CIA Director John McCone as designated by the.Review Board (CIA-IR-28]. 5 “CIA-1" reflects that these assassination-related materials were identified by © the Review Board from among materials that CLA provided in response to a formal, written request (numbered 1) from the Review Board. § “CIA-IR-08" reflects that these assassination-related materials were identified by the Review Board from among materials that CIA provided in response to an. informal request (numbered 8) from the Review’Board.
13-00000_ Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 4 ° Designated records from security files of Jack Ruby, Walter Sheridan, Harold Weisberg, Richard Case Nagel, and Gordon Novel [CIA-IR-27]. . Excerpts from the calendar of former CIA Director Allen Dulles [CIA-IR-31]. In addition to the assassination records identified above, the Review Board currently is inspecting additional files CLA has made available in response to Review Board requests. We may designate additional assassination records from these files. They are: intelligence community reports on Cuba/Soviet Union [CIA-9]; files relating to CIA officials stationed at JMWAVE [CIA-12]; and files of various high-level CIA officials (former Deputy CIA Directors Charles Cabell and Marshall Carter, former Deputy — Directors for Plans Richard Bissell and Richard Helms, former General Counsel Lawrence Houston, C. Tracy Barnes, and William Harvey) [CIA-IR-34]. Additional assassination records may be identified from other requests for additional information. 2. Mexico City Tapes [CIA-IR-15 We also have discussed with CIA the potential processing of recordings maintained by CIA and apparently reflecting audio surveillance of certain “Soviet bloc” and Cuban ’ facilities in Mexico City for the period November 22, 1963 through early January 1964, including possible surveillance of the Cjaban consulate in Mexico City. Because CIA has not yet listened to the full tapes, it could not yet confirm the targets or substance of this “electronic take.” CIA has committed to listening first to the tapes for the period November 22-23, 1963 (approximately 18 tapes), and thereafter will discuss with the Review Board potential placement of these and later audio recordings into the JFK Collection. CIA said it will complete its review of the November 22-23 tapes in July. 3. Processing of Duplicate Documents under the JFK Act , a. The CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection. Although a version of the CLA-HSCA Sequestered Collection (both microfilm and hardcopy) were placed in the JFK Collection in 1993 and 1994, the CIA has since been forwarding more open versions of certain documents in light of Review Board decisions. All such “re-processed” documents will be placed in the JFK Collection by September 1998 except that, to the extent that there are other duplicate copies of these re-processed documents in the Sequestered Collection, such duplicates will be re-processed and placed into the JFK Collection within one year after the Review Board terminates (i.e., by September 1999). b. Russ Holmes Collection. The CIA currently has not placed the Russ Holmes
13-00000 Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 5 Collection (consisting of CIA officer Russ Holmes’ working files relating to the Kennedy assassination) into the JFK Collection. The Review Board recognizes that many documents within the Holmes files may be duplicates of CLA documents found in the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection or Oswald 201 file. Nonetheless, the Review Board considers placement of the Holmes files into the JFK Collection to be of paramount importance in view of the selection and organization of documents that was made by a CIA officer. Accordingly, the CIA has committed to placing into the JFK Collection, by September 1998, all documents from the Holmes files not found elsewhere in the CIA materials at NARA. Duplicates of documents found elsewhere in the open JFK Collection can be processed after September 1998. Given the unique organization of the Russ Holmes files, however, the Review Board requests that CIA make every effort to process those files, in their entirety, as soon as possible. Our understanding is that CIA will attempt to place the complete set of Holmes files, including duplicates, into the JFK Collection by December 1998 but absolutely no later than September 1999. 4. Custody of CIA Assassination Records to be Released in 2017 We have discussed with CIA its concerns regarding physical custody of certain records whose release has been postponed, under the JFK Act, until 2017. CIA has indicated that it may want to retain physical custody of certain postponed records pending disclosure in 2017. The Review Board believes that original, postponed records should presumptively be - held by NARA in accordance with the JFK Act. See 44 U.S.C. § 2107(5)(e)(2) (“Each Government office shall... . transmit to the Archivist . . . all assassination records the public disclosure of which has been postponed ... to become part of [NARA’s] protected Collection.”) Accordingly, all postponed assassination records of the CIA should presumptively be transferred to the legal and physical custody of NARA by September 30, 1998. The Review Board requests that the originals of any postponed -records from the Oswald 201 file, the Oswald Office of Security file, and the Marina Oswald 201 file be placed in the protected portion of the JFK Collection by September 1998. The Review Board understands that originals of postponed records from the CIA- HSCA Sequestered Collection and the Holmes Collection would be transferred in September 1999 after duplicates have been processed. To the extent CIA believes that certain other records, particularly those designated as NBR, must remain in CIA’s physical custody until 2017, we suggest further discussions
13-00000, Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 6 to resolve definitively how those record groups will be handled. 5. Completion of CIA Responses to Review Board Requests We have identified certain Review Board requests for additional information (both formal and informal) for which responses are still due from CIA. We understand that some outstanding responses are in draft form or otherwise nearing completion. CIA’s completion of all outstanding responses is an essential aspect of its compliance with the JFK Act. We identified the following responses due from. CIA (certain priority items are listed first): | Priority Responses Due Accounting of Pre-Assassination Files on Oswald (partial response received) [CIA-16] Accounting of James Angleton Files [CIA-IR-04] Accounting of Electronic “Take” from Mexico City [CIA-IR-15] Possible Foreign Source for Oswald Records [CIA-IR-05] , Possible IG reports re Oswald [CIA-IR-10] Files on Warren Commission Critics [CIA-IR-11] S. Breckenridge Files [CIA-IR-14] Other Responses Due , Intelligence Community Staff Records [CIA-8] Interagency Source Register [CLA-10] Computer Search for HTLINGUAL Documents [CIA-IR-03] QKENCHANT [CIA-IR-06] Contacts with Journalists [CIA-IR-12]
13-00090, vu. Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 7 DO Office Information [CIA-IR-18] Computer Name searches [CIA-IR-19] Zapruder Film [CIA-IR-25] AMWORLD [CIA-IR-32] Search for document mentioned in RIF No. 104-10151-10206 [CIA-IR-35] William Pawley Files [CIA-IR-37] "6. CIA Review and Declassification of Other Records Besides CIA records, CIA is continuing to review its equities in other records, including Church Committee records and records from the Presidential libraries. In addition, the Review Board's interviews with former CIA official Ann Goodpasture must be -reviewed and declassified by CIA so that the interviews can be sent to Ms. Goodpasture for her corrections and then included with the Review Board’s open records. . Finally, the Library of Congress has a set of closed Rockefeller Commission records in its Manuscript Division that may require CIA review and declassification. It is our understanding that these records are closed until 2001 and can be inspected only by permission of the CIA Director. To assess what should be done regarding release of these records, the Review Board first seeks to inspect them. Accordingly, please authorize the Library’s Manuscript Division to permit our inspection and let us know when this authorization has been granted. B. CLA’s Final Declaration of Compliance CIA’s Final Declaration of Compliance will constitute its public statement, under penalty of perjury, that (1) CIA has located and disclosed all records relating to Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of President Kennedy that it could identify . through a diligent records search and (2) CIA is aware of no other assassination-related records being withheld from the public. We request that CIA submit its Final Declaration to the Review Board absolutely no later than September 1. To demonstrate that CIA has disclosed all relevant materials, we make the following recommendations for CIA’s Final Declaration of Compliance:
13-00000 Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 8 1. CIA Should Describe More Specifically its Searches for Assassination Records We consider it essential that CIA describe with more specificity the searches that it conducted for records relating to Lee Harvey Oswald and to the JFK assassination, including searches done by CIA in the early 1990's. See CIA Initial Compl. Stmt., at 1. This is important particularly in light of the fact that CIA record keeping is apparently decentralized among various components of CIA. Therefore, we ask that the Final Declaration confirm that the relevant components of CIA -- the DCI and its offices, the CIA Directorates (Operations, Intelligence, Science & Technology, and Administration), and the CIA office responsible for maintaining CIA’s archives ~ in some manner. . inventoried their holdings for the relevant time period for records relating to Oswald or the assassination. To the extent that computer database searches were run by different components of CIA, please confirm that fact and, if possible, identify the names or topics searched .’ For its early 1990's searches, the CIA should attach the 1993 search request issued by the Historical Review Group (“HRG”) and unclassified versions of memoranda from components of CIA that describe their searches or search results. In addition, we recently requested CIA to re-undertake its searches based on the discovery of certain assassination records that were not identified by CLA’s earlier searches.* We specifically requested that CIA Director George Tenet issue a directive to all CIA offices requiring them to search their files for assassination records. See July 7, 1998 J. Gunn Letter to B. Harrelson. As part of its Final Declaration, we request that CIA document the steps it took in response to our recent request, including attaching the requested search directive from CIA Director Tenet. ” We understand that most CIA records relating to the assassination of President Kennedy were collected and identified in 1978 for the House Select Committee on Assassinations and, therefore, currently reside within the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection being processed. under the JFK Act. It is not our intention to have the CIA re- do exhaustive searches done in 1978. However, we want CIA to demonstrate, in the . Final Declaration, that it has searched its various components and that the searches’ were sufficient to identify major records on the assassination not included within the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection (it is our understanding that the Sequestered Collection does not encompass post-1978 records). * For example, Oswald’s Office of Security file was not identified through CIA’s early searches. Similarly, we have identified recent documents related to Oswald.
ee ee aaeu eV ee ee ee ey shane cae Ste Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 9 In addition, the Final Declaration should confirm whether or not CIA has saved any 1963-64 files of the Mexico City Station (and certain files from another station).. If those files have not been retained, please confirm that fact in the Final Declaration. To the extent those files have been archived, however, then please confirm that they have been examined for the purpose of determining whether they contain assassination records. 2. CIA Should Identify More Specifically the Records It Has Released Relating to Oswald and the Assassination of President Kennedy _ We recommend that CIA identify more specifically the CIA files that have been, or will be, placed in the JFK Collection at NARA. Although we leave this to CIA’s discretion, we recommend that, to the extent practicable, CIA attach a non-classified listing of the ' files encompassed within the CLA-HSCA Sequestered Collection. We believe that an identification of the files within the CLA-HSCA Sequestered Collection will demonstrate the breadth and variety of assassination records being made public by the CIA. 3. CIA Should Specifically Account for Certain Important Record Groups, Includin Destruction of Assassination. rds _We request that CIA, in its Final Declaration, account for any important records regarding the assassination that may have been destroyed or that otherwise cannot be located. For example, CIA has reported that the original surveillance tapes that recorded the Oswald telephone conversations with the Cuban Consulate and Soviet Embassy in Mexico City were destroyed, and that CIA has no copies of these audio recordings. However, CIA apparently has preserved certain recordings from Mexico City that post- date the assassination (see J A.2 of this letter). We assume that CIA will provide a complete accounting for these records in its response to Review Board request CIA-IR- 15, which relates to CIA’s “electronic take” from Mexico City for the relevant time — period. That response should be attached to the Final Declaration (CIA may also want to attach any formal explanation of this issue that it previously provided to the HSCA). We want to ensure that CIA explains the circumstances for the destruction of the audio. recordings of the Oswald telephone calls in Mexico City, confirms that no copies of this audio surveillance has been retained by CIA, and gives a full accounting of the post- ‘assassination Mexico City tapes. We also request an accounting of certain records of former CIA Director John McCone. In reviewing his files, we noted that certain documents on the assassination (or dated
13-00000 : wee Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 10 around the time of the assassination) are identified on an index as missing or destroyed. In the Final Declaration, please explain, as best as possible, the circumstances for this. We previously requested an accounting for the files of former Counter-Intelligence Chief James Angleton [CIA-IR-04] in view of the fact that no discrete files of Mr. Angletori had been identified under the JFK Act. Since Mr. Angleton was involved in the CIA’s assistance to the Warren Commission, we request that C1A’s statement regarding Mr. Angleton’s files (i.e., CIA’s response to CIA-IR-04) be attached to the Final Declaration. We also ask that CIA verify that all assassination-related materials from the files of Win Scott, former Chief of Station for Mexico City, are in fact in the CLA-HSCA Sequestered Collection. CIA should describe what was done to inventory the Scott files to make certain that no other assassination-related materials exist in addition to those in the Sequestered Collection. _ The Final Declaration should identify any other records relating to Oswald or the assassination that CIA knows to have been destroyed or removed from CIA files. 4. The CIA Should Identify, and Incorporate by Reference, Each of Its Written Responses to Review Board Requests for Additional Information CIA has been cooperative in providing written responses to formal and informal requests submitted by the Review Board regarding CIA records. These responses will collectively demonstrate much of the work that CIA has done under the JFK Act. We request that.CIA attach to its Final Declaration a list of CIA’s written responses and identify each by subject, date of response, and'the Review Board request number. The Final Declaration should state that each response is being incorporated therein by reference. 5. CIA Should State That It Is Aware of No Records on Oswald or the assinati Being Withheld from the Publi After describing its records search under the JFK Act, identifying the assassination — records that it has located, and accounting for records that were destroyed, CIA should. include a representation that it is aware of no other undisclosed files or records relating to Lee Harvey Oswald or the assassination of President Kennedy, including records post-dating the 1978 HSCA investigation. We want the CIA to explicitly confirm, for _ example, that it is not aware of any undisclosed 1980's or 1990's intelligence or records
Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 11 mn relating to Oswald or the assassination. As part of its overall representation, we request that CIA attach to the Final Declaration its complete formal response to the Review Board’s request for an accounting of all pre- - assassination files that CLA had on Lee Harvey Oswald [CIA-16]. We believe that CIA’s response to CIA-16 has been very valuable and therefore should be included as part of CIA’s Final Declaration. Also as part of its certification that no assassination records are being withheld, we request that CIA represent that any remaining assassination records being processed after September 1998 are, in fact, duplicates of records already in the JFK Collection (or are peripheral documents that have been identified to the Review Board for processing after September 1998). CIA should explain, in a general way, its methodology for identifying duplicates so that there is a reasonable level of assurance that unique documents are not being withheld. 6. CIA Should State Its Future Commitments With Respect to the Disclosure of Assassination Records As we discussed with CIA, CIA will undertake certain actions, after September 1998, to - continue release of duplicate records and to release postponed records in 2017. We request that CIA, in the Final Declaration, memorialize its commitment to undertake these tasks and describe what will be done (as contemplated in [J A.3 and A.4 of this letter). In addition, we ask that CIA confirm in the Final Declaration that it will place any newly discovered or created assassination records into the JFK Collection. 7. CIA Should Execute the Final Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury CIA’s Final Declaration should be made under penalty of perjury.” We have made this request of all agencies that have searched for records under the JFK Act. The Review Board considers it essential that CLA’s representations regarding its search for, and release of, assassination records be made under penalty of perjury. Because of the decentralized nature of CIA records, we ask that the responsible * The Final Declaration(s) would be executed under oath in the form prescribed by 28 U.S.C. § 1746. Thus, the appropriate CIA official(s) would state at.the conclusion of the Final Declaration(s) that “I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed in Virginia oh this __ day of ___ 1998.”
13-00000 Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. July 15, 1998 Page 12 individual for certain important components of CIA execute an affidavit on behalf of that component certifying, under penalty of perjury, that a diligent search for assassination records was undertaken. Accordingly, we seek a separate certification from: (1) the DCI area; (2) the Directorate of Operations, including its counterintelligence components; (3) the Directorate of Intelligence; (4) the Directorate of Science & Technology; (4) the Directorate of Administration; and (5) the Office of Information and Management, which we understand to be the office responsible for maintaining CIA’s archive records. . Thank you for your continued cooperation in meeting the CIA’s obligations under the: JFK Act, responding to specific inquiries of the Review Board, and adhering to our J. Barry Harrelson, Senior Review Officer, - . CIA . Steven D. Tilley, Chief, JFK Assassination Records Collection
13-00000 components are: DCI area, Directorates (DO, DA, DI, DST), and the: AARC oe | CIA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Ci RELEASE IN FULL 2000 Ina 15 July 1998 memo to CIA General Counsel, the JFK Assassination Records Review Board outlined what it expects will be contained in CIA’s Final Declaration of Compliance, due to be submitted to the Board no later than 1 September 1998. The following is a summary of all points in in section B which covers the Declaration: B. CIA’s Final Declaration of Compliance 1. Specific Description of Searches a.) Confirmation that relevant components inventoried their holdings for the relevant time periods for records on Oswald or the assassination. These relevagt_ 3 [input details to be provided by the IROs] ~ b) Attach 1993 search request from HRG and “unclassified versions of memos from components that describe searches and results.” [Note: search request is easy; 1993 responses, however, were thin to non-existent] Attach recent DCI directive, unclassified version of followup memo to CI, LA, CE and results of the searches. If possible, search terms and databases searched should be included. [Input details to be provided by the above offices] c.) 1963-64 files of Mexico City Station. If retained, confirm that they have been searched for assassination records. If not, state so. [DO to provide information] 2. Provide an unclassified index identifying what files are in the JFK Collection at NARA. To the extent possible, attach an unclassified listing of what files are in the CIA- HSCA Sequestered Collection. [To be done after October 98) 3. Account for Certain Important Record Groups, include. any destruction of Ass. Records b.) E.g. is from Mexico City tapes. Attach comment on the time and manner of destruction of any records, including information to the effect that destroyed records were first made available to the HSCA (if that is the case)
13-00000 {[DO/IRO to provide input] c.) Explain missing McCone files relating to the time of the assassination. {[DCI/IRO to provide input] d.) Attach CIA’s statement on James Angleton’s files, especially the fact that Angleton was involved in assisting the Warren Commission but no files have been found: ~ on this activity. [DO/IRO to provide input] e.) Verify that all relevant materials from Win Scott’s files are in the HBCA: Sequestered Collection. Describe how the Scott files were inventoried to ascertain that all assassination records were included. [DO/IRO to provide input] f.) Identify any other records relating to Oswald/assassination that CIA knows to have been destroyed or removed from CIA holdings. 4. Include CIA’s Written Responses for ARRB Requests for Additional { Information, with Cross References for each. [HRP files] §. Statement that CIA is Aware of No Records on Oswald/Assassination Being Withheld — from the Public. b.) Include CIA response to CIA-16 c.) State that all assassination records being processed after Sept 98 are duplicates of records already in the JFK Collection or have been identified by the ARRB as peripheral. Explain our methodology for identifying duplicates. [HRP will handle al all answers to No 5] 6. CIA’s Future Commitments to Disclosure of Newly Discovered Assassination Records
13-00000 Ne «" FAX TRANSMISSION ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW BOARD 600 E Srreer, N.W. Secono FLooR WASHINGTON, D.C, 20530 202-7 24-0088 Fax: 202-724-0457 wo: bac berela0r Date: Joly CG /998 | . Fax#: (03~-6/5 ~ 30 6S Pages: CZ. , including this cover sheet. From: ch ele Com bs 7 COMMENTS:
13-00000 Search Terms Lee Harvey Oswald ‘Harvey Lee Oswald — Marina Oswald Jack Ruby Exaction Ex Action Executive Action Assassination President Kennedy John F. Kennedy Kennedy Assassination JFK . JFK Assassination Presidential Threats Threats to U.S. President GPFLOOR GPIDEAL Assassination Attempts Warren Commission . HSCA House Select Committee on Assassinations
NY -HSCA Names Alvarado, Gilberto Arcacha-Smith, Sergio Azcue Lopez, Esuebio Cabell, Earle Calderon, Luisa Cheme, Leo Cobb, June Viola Conein, Lucien E. de Mohrenschildt, George _ Diosdado, Cesar Duran, Silvia Tirado de . Ferrie, David W. a Garrision, James ” «. Lf Garro de Paz, Elena Gutierrez Menoyo, Eloy _ Hall, Loren Eugene Heming, Gerald Patrick Johnson, Priscilla Mary Post Kantor, Marvin Kostikov, Valeriy Vladimirovich Martin, Jack Masferrer y Rojas, Rolando... - McMillan, Priscilla Johnson McVickar, John Anthony Nagell, Richard Case Odio, Sylvia . Pawley, William D* Proenza, Maria Teresa Raikin, Spas Ray, Manuél Ruby, Jack Salvat Roque, Juan Manuel Shaw, Clay Snyder, Richard EB. Sturgis, Frank Anthony (aka Fioriri) Veciana, Antonio Carlos Blanch Webster, Robert Edward Werbell, Mitchell Livingston IT
13-00000 HSCA NAMES Alferov, Ivan Gavilovich Alpizar Perez, Evelio Alvardo, Gilberto Alvarez, Ramon Joseph Alvarez Fernandez, Santiago Alvarez Rodriguez, Santiago Amron, Irving Araujo Bernal, Lepoldo Arcacha-Smith, Sergio Artime Buesa, Manuel Azcue Lopez, Esuebio Bagley, Tennent H. (Pete) Bakulin, Valentin Vasilyev Balbuena, Luis Barker, Bernard Barnes, Winifred C. Bartes Clarins, Francisco Antonio Bartes, Frank Bartine, Dominick E. Batista Falla, laureano Bentin, Sam Blanco Fernandez, Juan. Francisco Bloc(k), Morris Bosch Avila, Orlando _ Browder, Edward, Jr. Buetos-Videla, C.Z. (aka Charlotte L. Zehrung) Bustamente O'Leary, Jose Angel Cabell, Earle Cain, Richard S. Carballido, Emilio Cavillo, Manuel Cellini, Dino Vincent Charles, Clemard Joseph Chayes, Abram Cherne, Leo Christ, David L. Cisneros Diaz, Rogelio Citrynell, Harold
13-00000 Cobb, June Viola Coe, Virginius Frank Conein, Lucien E. Conte Aguero, Luis Croizer, Ross L. Cubela, Rolando Cuesta Del Valle, Antonio Dalzell, William Davidson, Irving Davis, Rudolph Richard, Jr. Davis, Thomas E. Davis, Bruce F. De Varona,.Manuel Antonio De Torres, Bernardo de Mohrenschildt, George Diaz, Lanz Marcos Diaz-Lanz, Pedro Julio Diosdado, Cesar Donovan, John Du Bois, David (aka Mc Canns, David Graham) Duque Miyar, Evelio . Duran, Silvia Tirado de Dutkaniez, Joseph _ Echevarria Valdivia, Homer Samuel Espinosa-Hernandez, Victor Fernandez, Alberto _ Ferre, Luis Albert Ferrie, David W. Flick Charles, E Flores, Jose Jesus Clarck _ Frank, Susan Heligman Galan Ric, Victor Garanin, Fedor Alexeevich _ Garrison, James Garro de Paz, Elena Godoy y Solis, Joaquin: 7 Golitsyn, Anatoliy Golub, Grigoriy Y. - Gonzales, Reinol
13-00000 Guitart Camizano, Agustin Gutierrez Menoyo, Eloy | Hall, Loren Eugene Halperin, Maurice Hyman Hem(m)ing, Gerald Patrick Hernandez Sanchez, Carlos Eduardo . Hernandez Hechevarria, Alberto Hoke, John Lindsay Hunt, Everette Howard, Jr. - Isaacs, Harold Itkin, Herbert Johnson, Priscilla Mary Post Jones, Louis Henry Kail, Samuel G. Kantor, Marvin Kara-Patnitsky, Waldemar boris Karty, Floryan R. . Keenan, Thoman J. Koch, Gene John Korengold, Robert J. (Bud) Kostikov, Valeriy Vladimirovich Kutner, Louis Laborde, Lawrencw J. Lawson, John Howard Leonov, Nickolay Sergeyev Lesnick, Max Loganov, Valentin Sergeyevich Lopez, Gilbert Polocarpo Lorenz, Marita Luce, Clare Booth Lynch, Grayson Maheu, Robert A. Martin, Willian Hamilton Martin, Jack Masferrer y Rojas, Rolando Mastrocola, Bruce G. (aka Leo Cherne) Matlak, Dorthe K. (Mrs.) McCord, James W. McDonald, Hugh .McLaney, Michael
13-00000 ‘Morales Navarette, Ricardo McLendon, Gordon McMillan, Prisilla Johnson McVicker, John A Merloa, Joseph R. Meyer, Karl Miller, Newton , Mirabal-Diaz, Alfredo M. Mitchell, Bernon Moore, J. Walton Morales, David S. Morgan, Eilliam — oe Morgan, William Alexander — ” Morua, Martin Moss, Edward K. Nagell, Richard Case Newton; William J. Nobregas, George _ Nunez Portuondo Emilio _ Obyedkov, Ivan Dimitriyrvich Odio, Eunice Otero, Rolando O'Sullivan, Fredrick Stephen Paneque Batista, Victor Manuel Pawley, William D. Pedroso Amores, Acelo ‘Perez Alamo, Duney Petrulli, Nicholas. _ Phillips, David Atlee — Pico Ramon, Reinaldo | Pino Machado, Quintin Pittman, John Orion Posada, Luis Clemente Posey, Buford Wallace Prio Socarras, Carols Proenza, Maria Teresa Raikin, Spas . Ramirez Ortiz, Antillio Randall, Fredrick C. Rasco, Jose Ignacio
13-00000 Ray, Manuel Reggab, Mohammed Ricciardelli, Libero Rodriguez, Emilio Americo Rodriguez y Gonzales, Armesto Napolean Rodriguez, Tamayo, Francisco | Rodriguez Lopez, Rogelio Rorke, Alexander Rothman, Norman Ruby, Jack Ruiz, Pedro -. Ruiz Perez, Ortestes G. Le es Salvat Roque, Juan Manuel Seymour, William Houston Shaw, Clay Shaw, Robert Taylor Sierra, Martinee Paulino Sloboda, Vladimir Snyder, Richard E. Soto Vazquez, Antonio Stoner, Jessie B. Sturgis, Frank Anthony (aka Fioriri) Ulman, Vlastimil Uzolv, Sergy Veciana Blanch, Antonio Carlos” Vega Rerez, Manuel Wasserman, Jack Webster, Robert Edward Werbell, Mitchell Livingston I Whitehouse Insua, Eduardo Julius — Wichtrich, Alfonso Rudolph Wickes, Alastar Wilson Hudson, Carlos Juan Winston, Henry Zambernardi, Robert M. Zarraga Martinez, Carlos
13-00000 «*— CEASBECTARCBYLECTIONS RELEASK IN FULL eee EMPLOYEE BIBULLETIN OIM OIM EB No. 02-98 . 22 July 1998 cd FINAL DOCUMENT SEARCH TO ASSURE COMPLIANCE WITH "PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS COLLECTION ACT OF 1992" (JFK ACT) » e FROM: George J. Tenet Director of Central Intelligence 1. (U) As you know, the JFK Assassination Records Review Board (Board) is completing its task of overseeing the search and.declassification of all Federal government records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy by 30 September 1998. The Board and we want to do everything possible to place before the American people the full story as reflected in government and other records. . 2. (U) The Agency has been working on this effort since 1992 and has searched all of the obvious databases. We want to make certain that we have left no stone unturned and that no employee has any records that might possibly be considered relevant to the assassination— including any records created [or received] after 1992. The reference to 1992 is largely intended to encompass documents which may have come into our hands since the collapse of the Soviet . Union and Warsaw Pact. 3. (AIUO) In accordance with the provisions of the JFK Act, I hereby direct all CIA | personnel to consider documents in their possession or with which they are familiar that might have relevance to the Board’s review and that might not have been found in the course of electronic or manual searches over the past six years. Representatives of the Historical Review Program believe that if such documents do exist they would, most likely, be found in files that - would not be generally related to the assassination or that would not be “logical” areas for systematic searches. These include working paper files or smaller databases related to countries | not normally associated with the assassination. Relevant documents can be in the form of papers, photographs, recordings, tapes, or other media, and can include documents “related to the assassination,” such as later investigations, key topics/events within the Oswald/JFK Story, or material related to key figures—such as Nosenko. 4. (AIUQ) CIA personnel who believe they have information regarding documents relevant ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY
13-00000 . fi § ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY to the JFK review that may not have been found in previous searches should contact their component or directorate [RO or the JFK Project Coordinator. Directorate IROs and the Agency’ s JFK Project Coordinator are as follows: *, DO/TIRO DI/IRO . DS&T /IRO DA/IRO DCI Area / TRO JFK Project Coordinator Secure Phone __William McNair 44448 : 54644 50104 Becky Rant ' 31204 39058 - Barry Harrelson 31825 7 - Te Isf_ Director of Central Intelligence ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY
13-00000 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505 General Counsel! 29 July 1998 Ronald Haron, Esq. ( General Counsel Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street N.W., 2nd Floor Washington D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Haron: Congratulations on your recent appointment as General Counsel to the President John F. Kennedy Records Review Board ("Review Board"). You have my assurances that, as the Review Board enters its final stages of the review and release of records pertaining to President Kennedy's assassination, you will continue to have CIA's full cooperation. I am in receipt of the 15 July 1998 letter from former General Counsel Jeremy Gunn in which he outlines CIA's outstanding obligations under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 ("JFK Act"). While I recognize that much work needs to be done over the next few months, I am confident that J. Barry Harrelson, Senior Review Officer for CIA's Historical Review Program ("HRP"), together with the rest of the Agency team dedicated to document review under the JFK Act, will complete the outstanding. obligations set forth in that letter. With respect to the Review Board's request that CIA submit a Final Declaration of Compliance under penalty of perjury, we are in the process of identifying the appropriate CIA official to sign such a Declaration. Both HRP and my office will work closely with you to ensure the Declaration contains the recommendations made in Mr. Gunn's letter. With respect to the suggestion that CIA execute a separate affidavit by an officer from each of the CIA's four Directorates as well as from the DCI area, the Office of Information Management, and the counterintelligence components of the Directorate of Operations, I believe that this is an unnecessarily cumbersome and confusing means by which to. attest to Agency-wide record searches. Rather, I propose that the Executive Director of the CIA appoint one senior official as a Records Validation Officer ("RVO"). An RVO has the authority to locate, identify, and preserve records created or maintained by any Agency Directorate or component which are actually or
13-00000 fe. Ronald Haron, Esq. potentially relevant to the subject matter of the search. An RVO also has authority to execute affidavits or to testify under oath with respect to all the record searches done by every Directorate or component of the CIA. For your information, this is the usual method by which CIA attests under oath to record searches done by more than one Directorate in criminal and civil litigation before the federal courts. I appreciate this opportunity to assure you of CIA's continued cooperation with the Review Board. Should you have any ‘further questions or concerns regarding this matter, you may contact | lof my office at (703) 874-3124. Sincerely,
13-00000 e fe nota” Ronald Haron, Esq. . le DCI/OGC/LD :nl 76124 (27 Jul 98) ~ OGC-98-51950 Distribution: Original - bE bt bt bed bt Addressee Gc Lec : Lit File - LDGO0021 RDC FYI OGC Registry
a wey gee EE A oR Ge Uae ALES : Wool Assassination Records Review Board ' 600 E Street NW « 2nd Floor » Washington, BC 20530 (202) 724-0088 » Fax: (202) 724-0457 GIA HAS No OBJECTION Sesser Aj an _ August 10, 1998 . a prt mop 8 be DOCUMEY VIA FAI US Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. _ General Counsel. Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 20505 Re; Compii Wi Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 Dear Mr. McNamara: -- Thank you for your July 29 letter regarding CIA’s submission of its Final Declaration of Compliance with the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992,.44 U.S.C. § 2107 (“JFK Act”). Lam writing to address CIA's desire that one official certify, under oath and on behalf of the entire agency, that CIA has conducted a thorough search for records relating to President Kennedy’s assassination. Your letter "and concerns were brought directly to the attention of Review Board members for their consideration. We understand that CLA would prefer that each CIA Directorate not be required to certify separately that it has done an adequate search for records on the ‘assassination, as the Review Board had requested. The Review Board specifically considered your proposal that the certifying official be a records validation officer appointed by the CIA’s Executive Director. The Review Board requests, however, that the CIA‘s certification be made at the highest levels of the CIA. The Review Board believes that certification by a records validation officer would be insufficient to assure, to the fullest extent possible, public confidence in the CIA’s representations that it has searched for and released all relevant materials relating to President Kennedy’s assassination. In view of the importance of the CIA’s formal representations regarding its holdings on Lee Harvey Oswald and President Kennedy’ 6 assassination, the Review Board requests that CIA’s Final Declaration of Compliance be certified, under oath, both by CIA’s Executive Director and its General Counsel. oe I ask that CLA confirm that it will agree to this manner of certification. Boarp Memuers: John A; Tunhaim, Chalr > Henry F. Graff + Kermit L. Hall + Willlam L. Joyce » Anna K. Neleon . Executive Dineeran: 7. Jaramy Guna + Geeury Dimector: Thomas E. Samoluk
at were owe tee wear §€@240 tAA £02 (24 USss ARRB Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. August 10, 1998 Page 2 Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, Ronald G. Haron Generali Counsel cc: \\ Bq. CIA J. Barry Harrelson, Senior Review Officer, CIA (djao2
13-00000 a9 " . # ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY OIM 98-0088 12 August 1998 MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Administration Deputy Director for Intelligence Deputy Director for Operations Deputy Director for Science and Technology Administrative Officer, DCI Area FROM: Edmund Cohen Director of Information Management SUBJECT: Documentation of Searches Conducted in Support of JFK Act REFERENCE: Memo, “CIA compliance with the JFK . Assassinations Records Collection Act of 1992,” dtd 15 Jul 98, fr the Assassination Records Review Board. 1. The purpose of this memorandum is to advise you of a requirement to provide to the JFK Assassination Records) Review Board a “Final Declaration of Compliance” with the. JFK Act. The declaration must include: a description of -component searches undertaken in response to Board taskings.. since 1993; information on any possible destruction of: . assassination records; and a representation that a diligent ‘search for assassination records was undertaken. We are in ‘need of assistance of your staff in preparing’ the description of these items for inclusion in the compliance. response. 2. The referenced memorandum describes the Board‘s requirements for the “Final Declaration” in greater . detail. Jim Oliver, Chief, Historical Review Program and Barry Harrelson, the Agency’s JFK Review Focal Point, are meeting with the Directorate Information Review Officer and, as appropriate, other members of your staff to review — the information needed to support the certifications which the Agency will need to make. ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY
13-00000 ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY SUBJECT: Documentation of Searches Conducted in Support of JFK Act ‘ a 3. In order to meet the 1 September 1998 deadline prescribed by the Board, we request that the information described in paragraph 1 be sent to Mr. Harrelson by close of business, 21 August 1 en ¢ uM Edmund Cohen ~~ 2 ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY
13-00000 ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY SUBJECT: Documentation of Searches Conducted in Support of JFK Act . a DA/OIM/EdCohen:bkh/31352 (11 Aug 98) share/oim/ed/oim/irg/pjt/jfk/dd draft 980812.doc . Distribution: Original - a oe i Addressees DCI IRO DA IRO DI IRO DO IRO DS&T IRO D/OIM C/IRG > C/HRP . OIM/HRP/HRO (Barry Harrelson) DA Registry OIM/Subj OIM/Chrono 3 ADMINISTRATIVE ~- INTERNAL USE ONLY
13-00000 ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY - 25 August 1998 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT: (U) Electronic Dissemination of Employee Bulletin (AIUO) I was requested to send the EB 02-98 Ceo cument Search - JFK). The request was distributed to all of the’ , Directorate via Lotus notes on Monday 17 August’1998, the notice was placed in the system on the 18° and received by the Directorate personnel on the 19°, Additionally, we placed it on the morning message that people receive when they first log onto — the system. ZO Fredrick Cv Wickham, Jr. ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY
13-00000 ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY SUBJECT: (U) Electronic Dissemination of Employee Bulletin IMS/ESG/HCS Fwickham x44448:mjk (21 August 1998) Distribution: Original - C/AHRP/OIM 1 - CAIMS/ESG 1 - IMS/ESG/HCS 1 - ESG Chrono File ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY
13-00000 x UNCLASSIFIED © 27 August 1998 MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, JFK Declassification Project/HRP/OIM/DA FROM: Fredrick C. Wickham, Jr. Chief, Information Management Staff, External Support Group SUBJECT: DO Results of New Search for JFK Assassination Records 1. This memorandum is in response to the request from the staff of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB). The staff requested that the CIA issue an Agency-wide employee bulletin for a new search for JFK Assassination Records. OIM-98-0081 dated 30 July 1998 was issued. © 2. DO/Information Management Staff ran a corporate search of the DO’s electronic message repository. That search generated some 128 hits. Michelle Combs of the ARRB staff reviewed the search results and selected three records for inclusion in the JFK assassination records collection. 3. The three selected documents have been sanitized with Ms. Combs’ concurrence. The sanitization is more extensive than JFK guidelines because of the documents’ proximity to the present and to current sources and methods. a \Sprearick C. Wickham, dr 4, The documents are not herewith attached. They are being provided separately by DO/IMS/ESG/HCS. UNCLASSIFIED
13-00000 es . * | UNCLASSIFIED SUBJECT: (U) DO Results of New Search for JFK Assassination Records. IMS/ESG/HCS FWickham x44448:mjk (28 August 1998) Distribution: Original - C/HRP/OIM | 1 - C/IMS/ESG 1.- IMS/ESG/HCS 1 - ESG Chrono File UNCLASSIFIED
13-00000 ed ae CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY SEp WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505 - 4 1998 Office of General Counsel 31 August 1998 Ronald G. Haron, Esq. General Counsel Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20530 Re: CIA Compliance With the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 Dear Mr. Haron: This letter responds to your 19 August 1998 request that the Central Intelligence Agency confirm, in writing, who will certify its compliance statement. This is to confirm that Edmund Cohen, the CIA's Director of Information Management, will sign. As Director of Information Management, Mr. Cohen is responsible for providing oversight and direction to the Agency's records and classification management activities, and information declassification and release programs. He is also responsible for the development and maintenance of automated tools. to support these activities. He oversees classification and declassification policies, procedures, and practices. He manages the Agency Archives and Records Center, and serves as the CIA Archivist and the Agency Information Review Officer... He coordinates the conduct of all special searches within the Agency and the release of any information uncovered in.such searches. Finally, as Director of Information Management, Mr. Cohen is responsible to conduct, on behalf of the Agency, liaison with the National Archives and Records Administration and its Office of the Federal Register, and with the Information Security Oversight Office; and with any other entities on any matters within the responsibility or authority of the Director of Information Management. We believe that Mr. Cohen is clearly the most knowledgeable individual within the Agency, by position and experience, to execute such a certification. Based upon our short telephone discussion, I understand that he is, in addition, at least as senior as the anticipated signatories from other agencies or departments from which the Board has requested certifications. “From a practical standpoint, we at CIA make a concerted effort to assure that the most knowledgeable. individuals speak on behalf of
13-00000 reason that we have chosen Mr. Cohen. f Mr. Ronald G. Haron, Esq. the Agency on important matters such as this. It is for this If you wish to discuss this matter further, please call me on (703) 874-3123. Sincerely, ‘RODErv YT Eatinga: Jr Associate General Coynséi- . ee 3
13-00000 Mr. Ronald G. Haron, Esq. DCI/OGC/LD/RJEatinger, Jr. 76123 (31 Aug 1998) OGC-98-52328 Distribution: Original - fed fet fot ok fk ft fd foto 6 Addressée SA/ExDi Cc) SA/ExDir | D/OI 2 dar wat CSI/ arrelson) C/LD RJE Signer Lit File (LDG00021) OGC Registry ee
13-00000 EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT | ROUTING SLIP bc D rooney ie SUSPENSE DATE: 21 September 1998 DOCUMENT NO: ER 98-4210 Contac [x37929) regarding suspense items. COORDINATION/ROUTING: EXDIR office to take lead in preparing and coordinating response with OGC. SUMMARY: The JFK Assassination Records Review Board has received the Agency’s Final Declaration of Compliance. The Board is requesting certifications by the individual directorates, as well as the office of the DCI, or alternatively that the EXDIR and the General Counsel certify that CIA has met its obligations under the JFK Act and certify that no records on the assassination or Lee Harvey Oswald have been knowingly withheld. Absent the requested certifications, the Board considers depositions of senior Agency officials necessary and | requests the DDO be made available ASAP, but no later than 21 September, for ‘| examination. Date: 14 September 1998 Received in ER: 14 September 1998 Action Officer: }a7992
*F AX TRAN SMISSION ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW BOARD GOO E Srreer, N.W. Secon FLoor Wastincton, D.C. 20530 202-724-0088 Fax: 202-724-0457 To: “Teor ge “Tenet, DCT Date: | 9 | 4 lag Fax#: FO2B- UZA- ZO6U Pages: “3 , including this cover sheet. From: John R- Tunheim, Chair Subject: Cir Come Fiance worth the ‘SFE Act COMMENTS:
Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW > 2nd Floor - Washington, DC 20530 (202) 724~0088 + Fax: (202) 724-0457 September 14, 1998 VIA FACSIMILE AND U.S. MAIL The Honorable George Tenet Director Central Intelligence Agency Washington, D.C. 20505” Re: CIA Compliance With the JFK Assassin ation Records Collection Act of 1992 Dear Mr. Tenet: We have received the CIA’s Final Declaration of Compliance (dated September 2, 1998) regarding the completion of CIA’s work under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 (“JFK Act”). On behalf of the Board, Iam writing to express the Board’s disappointment that CIA has been unwilling to have the most senior officials of your agency attest to CIA’s compliance with the JFK Act. The Board had first asked CIA to submit separate certifications from each directorate, as well as the office of the DCI, attesting to their searches for assassination-related records. We stressed these measures to obtain assurance that all components of the CIA had complied with the JFK Act, as well as to assure the American people that the U.S. Government had left no stone unturned in releasing records on the assassination of President Kennedy. The CIA refused to submit separate certifications, insisting it was their practice for one official to speak on behalf of the entire Agency. The Board then requested that CIA’s most senior officials, the Executive Director and General Counsel, certify CIA’s Final Declaration of Compliance under the JFK Act. CIA refused. In 1992, CIA Director Gates testified to Congress that he was “determined personally to make public or to expose to disinterested eyes every relevant scrap of paper in CIA’s possession” that related to the Kennedy assassination. See The Assassination Materials Disclosure Act: Hearing on S.J. Res. 282 Before the Senate Comm. on Governmental Affairs, 102d Cong., 2d Sess. 55 (1992). The Board has merely asked that CIA’s highest officials confirm that they are fully confident that this commitment has been fulfilled. While we recognize the substantial documentation provided,by CIA to demonstrate its work under the JFK Act, we are disappointed that CLA has been uncooperative in responding Boaao Mempers: John R. Tunheim, Chair + Henry F. Graff + Kermit L. Hall - William L. Joyce « Anna K. Nelson Executive Dinecroa: T. Jeremy Gunn » Gepury Binecroa: Thomas E. Samoluk
13-00000 The Honorable George Tenet September 14, 1998 Page 2 to this most simple of requests. For me personally and for other members of the Board, this raises significant concerns as to whether CIA’s highest officials actually have confidence in the reliability of the results for which the Review Board and CIA have expended considerable effort, energy and resources over the past five years. Such concerns may be noted in our Final Report. Therefore, the Review Board specifically requests that CLA submit certifications by the individual directorates, as well as the office of the DCI, or, in the alternative, that the Executive Director and the General Counsel certify that CIA has met its obligations under the JFK Act and certify that no records on the assassination or Lee Harvey Oswald have been knowingly withheld. We continue to believe that these more stringent certifications are needed, in part because of CIA’s belated discovery of core records relating to the assassination. Absent certification by the highest levels of CIA, as sought by the Board, the Board considers depositions of senior Agency officials to be absolutely necessary. Accordingly, pursuant to our authority under the JFK Act, the Board requests that CIA make the Deputy Director for Operations immediately available for deposition. The Directorate of Operations has been the primary repository for records directly relating to Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination. In fact, the Directorate of Operations only recently uncovered additional records relating to a KGB source with information relating to Lee and Marina Oswald. We ask that the Deputy Director of Operations be made available for examination as soon as possible, but no later than September 21. He will be expected to testify on behalf of the Directorate of Operations regarding its record systems, and its searches for assassination records, including searches conducted by the Counter-intelligence staff. ° Thank you for your cooperation, and please inform us as soon as possible regarding CIA‘s compliance with this Review Board request. Sincerely, John R. Tunheim Chair
13-00000 ig)oo2 09/16/98 WED 12:59 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street NW + 2nd Floor - Washington, DC 20530 2 (202) 724-0088 « Fax: (202) 724-0457. ot CIAHAS NO OBJECTION TO a. ‘DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION oe! IN THIS DOCUMENT . . September 16, 1998 VIA FACSIMILE AND U.S. MAIL Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq. . General Counsel | Central Intelligence Agency “no Washington, D.C. 20505 7 - me Gary M. Stern General Counsel National Archives and Records Administration 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, Maryland 20740-6001 Re: CIA Compliance With the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 Dear Messrs. McNamara and Stern: The Review Board considers it essential that certain remaining obligations of the CLA under the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 (“JFK Act”).be identified and memorialized before the Board ceases operations on September 30, 1998. I therefore am enclosing, for your agencies’ consideration, a draft Memorandum of _ Understanding setting forth the outstanding obligations of CIA under the JFK Act. We believe that it isin the interest of the CIA, the National Archives, the Review Board, and ultimately the public to put in writing our collective understanding of the additional work that CIA must undertake and the reasonable time frames within which it should. be completed. It is our intent'to reduce any future ambiguity or disagreements that may potentially arise as CLA completes its work. We also believe that this MOU will facilitate the ability of the Archivist of the United States to carry out his statutory obligation to certify. to the President that all assassination-related records have been released in accordance with the Act (see 44 U.S.C. § 2107(12)). The terms of a Memorandum of Understanding have been discussed among the staffs of the Review Board, the National Archives, and CIA. We believe that the enclosed draft proposal is a fair accommodation of competing interests.. Please review the Boaro Memsers: John R. Tunheim, Chair « Henry F. Graff » Kermit L. Hall « Willlam l. Joyce « Anna K. Nelsan Executive Oinecror: 7. Jeremy Gunn « Deputy Direcror: Thomas E. Samoluk
13-00000 iguus 09/16/98 WED 13:00 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB Robert M. McNamara, Jr., Esq Gary M. Stern, Esq. September 16, 1998 - Page 2 enclosed draft MOU so that we can resolve any outstanding i issues and ultimately. reach an agreement on an MOU before September 30, 1998. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Ronald G. Haron General Counsel cc: J. Barry Harrelson, Senior Review Officer, Steven D. Tilley, Chief, _ JFK Collection, NARA
13-00000 djoo4 09/16/98 WED 13:00 FAX 202 724 0457 - DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING CONTINUING OBLIGATIONS OF THE CIA UNDER THE JFK ACT WHEREAS the operations of the Assassination Records Review Board (“Review = Board”) cease on September 30, 1998 in accordance with the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 (“JFK Act”); WHEREAS the JFK Act provides that “the provisions of this Act [as applied to Fetleral _ agencies] shall continue in effect until such time as the Archivist certifies tothe President and the Congress that all assassination records have been made aygilable to - the public in accordance with [the] Act” GFK. Act§12);and . | 3 WHEREAS the Central Intelligence Agency (“CIA”), the Review Board, and the National Archives and Records Administration (“NARA”) seek to ensure that the CIA completes its continuing obligations under the JFK Act in a timely fashion; IT IS HEREBY AGREED by the CIA (including any successor intelligence agency), the . Review Board, and NARA that: 1. All CIA records identified as assassination records under the JFK Act will be placed i in the JFK Assassination Records Collection (“JFK Collection”) at NARA in College Park, Maryland by September 30, 1998 unless otherwise noted in this Memorandum of Understanding; 2. CIA may transmit the following assassination records to the JEK Collection after September 30, 1998: a. Duplicate documents within the CIA-HSCA Sequestered Collection . (both hardcopy and microfilm sets).! The CIA will ensure that, by . September 30, 1999, duplicate copies of documents from the CLA-HSCA _ . Sequestered Collection (both hardcopy a and microfilm sets) will be placed in the JFK Collection. b. Duplicate documents within the working files of CIA officer Russ_ Holmes. The CIA will ensure that, by December 31, 1998, duplicate copies of documents from the Russ Holmes working files will be placed in - the JFK Collection. ' “Duplicate documents” are exact copies of documents that are already publicly available in the JFK Collection as part of other CIA files or records.
13-00000 goos .09/16798 WED 13:01 FAX 202 724 0457 ARRB c. The audio tapes, and any transcriptions or summaries made by the CIA, from surveillance of certain Soviet and Cuban diplomatic facilities i in Mexico City for the period November 22, 1963 to January 1964. These tapes ( approximately 185), and any transcriptions or summaries, shall be placed in the JFK Collection by September 30, 1999. The CIA will submit these tapes to the JFK Collection on a rolling basis, as CLA completes — . review of individual tapes. Any postponements shall be identified to NARA and postponed information forwarded to the “Protected Collection” (ie., the classified, postponed records within the JFK = - Collection) in accordance with Section 5(e) of the JFK Act. Mat d. Working files from the DCI area, mostly from DCTI’s Executive Registry, that had been compiled in anticipation of passage of the jek Act. These. working materials, which consist mostly of duplicate documents, | shall be placed in the JFK Collection by] Decmber 31, 1998. e A document containing a list of names and cryptonyms created by the HSCA staff. Given the detailed nature of information in this docurnent (RIF No. 104-10061-10115), the Board agrees that this can be processed by December 31, 1998. | f. Any other. non-duplicate assassination-related. records created or discovered by the CIA after September 30, 1998. 3. The CIA will review its equities in records that have been referred to it, and the CIA will cooperate with NARA and other Federal agencies to ensure that such _ records are released under the standards of the JFK Act and placed into the JFK Collection. The CIA will review the following major categories of records: _ a. Church. Committee records identified by: the Review Board i in August 1998 as being assassination-related. b. Records from: the files of Robert F. Kennedy, maintained at the JFK Library, that the Library and/or Review Board has identified as either _ assassination records or as records that would enhance the historical unnderstanding of the assassination. — c. Records of the Rockefeller Commission, maintained by the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress, to the extent that the Library of Congress identifies assassination records that are not available as part of - the Ford Library set of Rockefeller Commision documents in the JFK Collection.
13-00000 {gos 09/16/98 WED 13:01 FAX 202 724 0457 oe. _ARRB _. 7 DRAFT -3~ d. The Army’s Investigative Records Repository file on Alfredo Mirabal Diaz. ” The CIA will complete its review and and recommendations for release of the major record categories listed above no later than April 30, 1999. To the extent there may be other agency documents requiring CIA review under JFK Act, the _ , CIA will continue to undertake such review. 4. The CIA shall handle the certain origina or x postponed records in the following _-manner: a By September: 30, 1998, CIA shall transmit to the “Protected © Collection,” in accordance with Section 5(e) of the JFK Act, the originals of all postponed records from Lee Harvey Oswald's 201 file, Officeof = Security file, and “A” file. 7 ig » b. By September 30, 1998, CIA shall transmit to the “Protected . ¢ al Collection” the hardcopy original of Marina Oswald’s 201. iy On” < _ ¢. By September 30, 1998, the CIA will transmit to the “Protected _ ye “ Collection” all of the original microfilm rolls forthe CIA-HSCA = WY ‘on _ sequestered collection. . ane aie \ v d. By September 30, 1998, the CIA will transmit to the “Protected Collection” all records with postponed. information to the extent that such records are not available on the CIA-HSCA microfilm rolls transmitted to _ NARA.” — ¥ e. By October 30, 1998, the CIA will: transmit to the “Protected Collection” \_ > ye? = the entire Oswald 201 file that was printed from the CIA-HSCA an % q oe 4 sequestered collection microfilm (this will provide the CIA with time to uy a make its own reference copy). | f. By December 31, 1998, CIA shall transmit to the “Protected Collection” \ pr the originals of all postponed records from the Russ Holmes working files: "(this will permit the:CIA to process duplicate r records in the Holmes Collection by that date). . 5. The Review Board and the CIA have determined that certain materials reviewed ' under the JFK Act are not believed to be relevant to the Kennedy assassination (designated “NBR”), but nonetheless should ultimately be placed in the JEK
13-00000 igi 007 09/16v98 WED 13:02 FAX 202 724 0457 ae DRAFT Collection. These NBR materials are: certain files contained within the CLA- HSCA sequestered collection; certain CIA work files relating to Yuri Nosenko (but not related to the assassination); certain materials within the Russ Holmes Collection; and the complete version of certain records, portions of which were designated as assassination-related by the Review Board in connection with its requests for additional records and information. These hard copy materials will be physically retained by the CIA and then forwarded to the JFK Collection for” public release by October 26, 2017. Within two months of the execution of this agreement, the CIA shall provide to NARA, in writing, a list of the hardcopy. files _ being retained until 2017 and confirm the arrangements for securing this material. NARA shall have the right to inspect and inventory this material for archival and administrative purposes before 2017, and these materials, Akall be ’ made available for inspection by NARA upon its request. FR 6.  TheClA shall cooperate and coordinate with NARA in carrying out the “provisions of the JFK Act, including Section 5(g) of the JFK Act, which provides for the “periodic review” of postponed assassination records. Such review “shall _ address the public disclosure of additional assassination records in the Collection under the standards of the Act” (§ 5(g)(2) (A)) and “shall serve to. downgrade and declassifiy security classified information” (§ 5(g)(2)(C)). . 7. The CIA recognizes that, in the year 2017, “[e]ach assassination record shall be publicly disclosed in full....” JFK Act § 5 (g). To the extent that records are postponed but are to be released on a date prior to 2017, NARA shall release the records on the date the Review Board set for release. If the CLA seeks continued postponement of any record in the year 2017 (or an earlier scheduled release date), it will be incumbent upon the CIA to obtain from the President “certification” that continued postponement is necessary. SeeJFK Act§ 5(z)(2)(D). Within six months of the scheduled release date, the CIA shall be responsible for notifying NARA of any specifc records, including any records within the microfilm rolls for the CLA-HSCA sequestered collection, for which it will seek Presidential certification of continued postponement. With respect to the NBR material identified in paragraph 5, these NBR materials _ shall be physically transferred to NARA by October 26, 2017 for release. In the event CIA seeks further postponement of any NBR material, it shall identify that material to NARA and seek Presidential certification that the material needs to be postponed. « ? The Nosenko materials related to the assassination have been placed in the JFK Collection.
13-00000 08/16/98 WED 13:03 FAE 202 724 0457 ARRB Date: Date: Date:... DRAFT With respect to the review of other agency documents referred to CIA, the review of any new assassination records, or the periodic review of postponed assassination records, the CIA shall, in good faith, continue to apply the’ postponement criteria of the JFK Act as previously interpreted by decisions s of the Review Board. = This Memorandum of Understanding i is intended to clarify the CIA‘s obligations. under the JFK Act in view of the expiration of the Review Board’s term on September 30, 1998. This Memorandum of Understanding shall not be _ interpreted to limit CIA's obligations under the JFK Act. | David W.Carey Executive Director _ - Central Intelligence Agency | Signed: Laura A. Denk Executive Director. - Assassination Records Review Board Signed: John W. Carlin . . Archivist of the United States
13-00000 — sles 7 SEP 2 | 1999 THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE wet WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505 CIA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS RELEASE IN FULL 2000 16 September 1998 Mr. John R. Tunheim Chair, Assassination Records Review Board - 600 E Street, Nw Washington, DC 20530 Re: JFK.Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, _ aa . ts of Dear Mr. Tunnein: te oe This will respond to your 14 September 1998 letter regarding Central Intelligence Agency compliance with the “JFK Act.” I have no doubt whatsoever that the CIA has fully met its obligations to locate, review, and release “assassination. records" as defined in the JFK Act. -The Agency's 2 September 1998 Declaration o£ Compliance-signed, as you note, by CIA's Director of information Management, Edmund Cohen—confirms my judgment. = have full confidence in the scope of the Agency's searches as described in Mr. Cohen’s recent declaration. As Director of Information Management, Mr. Cohen is directly responsible for CIA‘s records systems and for ensuring the adequacy of CIA‘s search, review, and release of documents under the JFK Act. Mr. Cohen signed the Agency’s Declaration of , Compliance because he was the most senior. Agency official with - direct personal knowledge that its statements were accurate and complete. There was no more appropriate signatory. In sum, I understand that the appropriate CIA stafi officers have worked diligently to locate and disclose to the JFK Board all relevant records in the Agency's possession and that they do not believe any other relevant records are being withheld from the Board. Mr. Cohen's declaration confirms my understanding. I trust that this will meet your requirements. Sincerely, George J. Tenet , th ce § + Fag s. 7 ner ee