104-10331-10201 eo SECRET CL BY:{ | CL REASON: Section 1.5 C DECL ON: X1 Drv Fra: HUM 4-82 From the Desk of Lee S. Strickland Chief, Information Review Group / CIA NOTE FOR: Donald R. Cryer@DO- FROM: Lee S. Strickland OFFICE: = OIM ; DATE: 09/29/98 11:39:08 AM SUBJECT: URGENT: Points for DDO Decision re JFK Board ~ Don, As you know, OIM has been working with the JFK Board to ensure that all critical DO equities are . protected despite the Board’s penchant to release everything even remotely related to the JFK assassination. However, in the last few days of the Board’s tenure, their demands have become more strident and we need your approval on the following strategies for negotiations today. 1. The Walt Elder document. This is a summary of the Agency’ : in Washington with “Iden* substituted for. The details left in the document reveal that it was a in Washington, We believe we may be able to have the Board defer release if we provide an oral, classified briefing on the facts to the 5 cleared Board members _ «as we have on several other occasions this year on other matters. If you approve this classified briefing, we would also advise the Board that if they do not agree to defer, we will, without question, recommend an appeal to the President. 2. The Mexico City Station History. Largely agreed, the sticking pdints are a few segments ' which contain the root part of the relevant crypt (LICASA) and other details which reflect that our asset nd that we got lots of good stuff, etc .) We ask your concurrence to compromise on the base of the crypt (CASA) since it reveals nothing more than has already been released BUT stand fast and firm on the details of the source @nd and the goodness of the he takéjand tell the Board -- nicely of course -- that they may release "CASA" but we will again go to the President on the remainder. 3. The Administrative Traffic. Surely one of their more ridiculous demands. However, they have the authority and the precedent since the FBI gave them tons of such material. They want every scrap of paper which documents the Agency’s processing of the Board’s requests. It could cover, for example, all of my and your e-mail which concerns the Board. We would like to say no and seek their agreement by addressing only the 57 cables which concem our (and the Board's interaction)(with the n their requests AND the 5 underlying declarations that were completed recently and which formed the basis for the ExDir’s public declaration. Each of these documents would be properly redacted before release. This is a prudent compromise in my view since it well preserves the CIA's SECRET
SECRET position that internal deliberative type documents will not be released (as in the Chester fl ISCAP case). These strategies have been developed by Barry Harrelson, the DO’s JFK Team, and Chuck _ Briggs who.is our most senior annuitant on the project. Ed Cohen arid | agree that these positions make sense from a perspective of best protecting core DO equities. We need your approval on the above approaches and any similar compromises that may be necessary today and tomorrow as we move ina “white heat" on the Board's final demands in the closing days of their tenure. NO Many Thanks. LEE cc: - Willam H. McNair@DO Gloria Boyd@DO . [000 (bcc: James R. Oliver) Seni on ptember 1998 at 11:39:08 AM SECRET