## Page 1

14-00000

104-10333-10008

2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT O E 1992

104-10333-100

UNCLASSIFIED

59 p.p.

NOTE FOR:

J. Barry Harrelson @ DA

Gloria M. Boyd.® DA

Barbara A. Standley @ DA

FROM:

John F. Pereira

DATE:

12/07/94 05:00:07 PM

SUBJECT:

Meeting with JFK Board Staff

l've confirmed with David Marwell that we will meet with him and several of his staff in Ames at 10:00, tuesday, 20 December.

For D/CSI: Marwell asked us to provide background on our JFK review process to him and the four or five members of his staff who will

be on board. Among them will be Sheryl Walter, their General Counsel. I've invited Bob Eatinger, OGC to participate.

CC:

Brian S. Latell @ DA

UNCLASSIFIED

---

## Page 2

4/94

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

(draft)

BRIEFING OUTLINE (FOr JFK Board)

1.

Background on CIA's approach to review of JFK records

- Organization of the effort

- The review process

2. Description of records under review

- Condition of records

- Sequestered documents

- Oswald 201 file

- Microfilm (printouts)

- Other records

- HSCA

- SSCI

- HPSCI

- EBI, other third agency

- Warren Commission,

Rockefeller Commission

- Presidential libraries -Ford, Kennedy, Johnson

3.

Status report on processing of documents

- Records released to NARA (in full, sanitized)

- Records remaining to be completed

- Records withheld (examples)

- Types of information sanitized

4.

Issues/Problems

- Degree of sanitization

- Relevancy

---

## Page 3

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5.

- Privacy

- Duplicates

- Office of Personnel files

Office

Security files

- Identification

aids (examples)

Indexing

- Jim Lesar litigation

- Inadvertent release of agent's

identity

Review of records by the Board

- Summaries

(examples- financial records)

---

## Page 4

/ 4.00000

CIA JFK Collections

1) Oswald 201 file: 17 boxes (Aug 93/Jan 94 Release)

1) JER hard copy, 63 boxes (Aug 93/Feb 94 Release)

2) JFK microfilm, 72 reels (currently under review)

The Microfilm Reels contain the files that the HSCA staff

either requested or had access to.

A great deal of the

material is duplicative

of that found in the 63 hard copy

boxes including the complete Oswald 201 file. There are

also files not related to the assassination story and files

not reviewed by the HSCA.

HGR has reviewed all the microfilm material (page by page)

with the exception of the Oswald 201 file.

The Microfilm

collection has been divided into

to two parts:

1)

documents reviewed for release and being prepare

For NARA (records related to the assassination, the

investigations, or the various conspiracy theories),

documents reviewed but being held pending

discussion with the board (see attachment).

---

## Page 5

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Microfilm Material Not Processed for Release (Pending

Discussion with the Board) :.

Oswald 201 File - this appears to be a duplicate of the hard

copy 201 file reviewed in 1993. 12+ Reels/approximately

30,600 pages

CIA Staff Employees' Personnel Files - Approximately 10,800

pages located on 7 different reels.

Request that these

not be considered part of the JFK collection as a matter of

privacy.

Only a small portions of these files have any

relevance to the JFK investigations and we believe that the

documents related to their roles in the JEK story were

released in the JEK hard copy collection.

We have reviewed

each of the OP files and prepared a classified summary for

the Board.

Non-Related Material - Most of these documents fall into

three major categories:

Individual 201 files : These files cover the entire

period of agency interest or contact with a person.

For

individuals who are not "key figures" in the JFK story,

those sections of the file that are outside relevant time

don not be the d

frames or can not be linked to Oswald, the assassination,

the various investigations, or any of the conspiracy

theories have been treated

as non-related.

Project/Operational Files: Many of these cover the

complete life of a project.

Sections of these file deals

with operations which have no connection with the

assassination or fall in only part of a relevant time frame.

For example there are

over 3000 pages on the Mexico City

Photo operation covering the 1960's and 1970's.

The only

related material is that falling in the time frame of

Oswald's visit to Mexico City and the investigation

following the assassination.

Cuban Exile Groups/Operations: The anti-Castro

activities of the Cuban exiles in the US during 1960 - 1963

are considered relevant to the assassination.

However, some

of the organizations

and individuals members continued to

run operations against Castro into the 1970's.

The exile

activities after the assassination are generally not

considered related unless they involve plots to assassinate

Castro, the continuation of pre-assassination projects or

the Garrison Investigation.

---

## Page 6

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Notes:

I did not address the financial records of the CRC that we

are replacing with a summary (need to review again); we will

probably have to wait until we meet with the full board to

There are other categories/types of documents that are non-

related but do not fit in the above categories.

example, the HSCA reguested files on 29 on defectors; they

chose only 11 for their defector sample to be compared with

oswald.

We treated the 11 as related and the rest as non-

related.

However, the number of pages involved is small

compared to the above three categories.

---

## Page 7

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facsimile

TRANSMITTAL

to:

fax #:

re:

date:

pages:

John Pereira

703-243-8343

Upcoming Visit

December 19, 1994

1, including cover shect

The following ARRB Staff will be coming:

David G. Marwell

Gene Burpoe (Starting 27. December)

Jereny Gunn (Interim TS)

Sheryl Walter (Interin TS)

Tom Samoluk (Clearance l'ending)

→Panny

753

CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO

DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR

RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION

IN THIS DOCUMENT

from the desk of...

Dand G. Manwil

500 C Steei NW • Foor 203

Wasturgun, DS 20001

(202) 724-0088

Fax. (202) 724-0457

---

## Page 8

4-00000

: *

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

20 Dec 94

BRIEFING OUTLINE (For JFK Board Staff)

INTRODUCTIONS

AGENDA: Discuss review process for JFK records

Status of document review

Discuss indexing (Gloria)

Walk-through/see documents

1. Overview of CIA's approach to review of JFK records

a. Process of review began in April 1992

b. How the original "core' file was organized

- Sequestered file

- Oswald 201

c. How CIA identified additional records

- Oswald 201 file

- Search request in 1993

2. Organization of the effort

- Staffing

- Steps in the review process:

- - Reviewers

-- Senior reviewers provided guidance

-- Coordinated with directorates

-- Coordinated with third agencies

- Guidance (JFK Law, specific)

3. Description of records under review

- Condition of records

-- poor quality

--

-not organized

-- lots of duplicates

-- large number of press items

- Sequestered documents (64 boxes, 127,000 pages.

- Oswald 201 file (17 boxes, 35,000 pages)

---

## Page 9

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=

- Gates released a pre-assassination file

on Oswald to Congress in 1992

- Microfilm

(1 of 64 boxes, 72 reels, 164,000 pages)

(printouts)

- Other records

- DCI Morning meeting minutes (400 pages)

-HSCA - 14,000 pp réflara ls 1,000 to doJ

- SScI - complete

- HPSCI / -

- FBI, other third agency - 10,000 pp

- Warren Commission, Rockefeller Commission

- Presidential libraries -Ford, Kennedy, Johnson

- Ford Library documents reviewed v

4.

Status report on processing of documents

- Records released to NARA (in full, sanitized)

(attachment)

- Records remaining to be completed

15,000

HSCA,

Working files,

Presidential libraries

- Records withheld (examples)

• - Types of information sanitized

-- identity of agents

-- sensitive sources

and methods

-- relations with foreign government

-- unwarranted invasion of privacy

- Summaries (examples--financial records)

5. Issues/Problems (examples of postponed information)

- Degree of sanitization

- Relevancy e.g., chrono cables

from Mexico City

(Chinese ops items)

- Privacy

- Duplicates

(Oswald 201 in microfilm)

---

## Page 10

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• :

6.

- Office of Personnel files

Office of Security files

- Hand- written notes prepared by HSCA staffers

-- 5x8 cards, note pads, sensitive operational

information, some of

it innaccurate

- Identification aids (examples)

Indexing

- Jim Lesar litigation--receives copies of docs, i.a.

• - Inadvertent release of agent's identity

(attachment)

Discuss

arrangements for review of records by the Staff

---

## Page 11

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LIA SPELIAL CULLELIUNS

RELEASE IN FULL

2000

Assassination Review Board

Second Public Meeting, 12 July 1994

Room 105, NARA

Official Attendees: Members of the Board, Steve Tilly, NARA.

Public:

25/30 in attendance including four from FBI (Terry

& Grant), Lesar, and Newman.

Also one network

(АВС?) кер.

Purpose:

Transact official business, briefing form Tilly on

recent releases; discuss future board activities

Selected items of HRG Interest:

I spoke with Jack after the meeting. Ex. Director MARWELL

will be on board & Augusts; they expect to be in new offices

by 15 August and have a core start in september.

Jack said

(after meeting) he would like to meet us last part of

August/early September.

Tilly said that the CIA would be releaseing 70,000 pages

20,000 pages of HSCA material in our files that we would be

reviewing this summer.

FBI received praise from the board; not much discussion of

DOD agencies are now the "bad boys". Hall ask several

pointed questions about the "small" DOD releases then Newman

blasted NSA and DIA during the question period.

Items/Issues addressed by the Board during the meeting:

Announced appointment of Executive Director David G. MARWELL

(see bio sheet). Will be on board & August.

Passed

resolution extending the Board to October 1995

MOA signed with the White House - funds through Sept. 1994

Discussed status of items before Congress (extending the

Board to October 1996 and funding).

Funds included in House

version of appropriation bill/deleted from Senate.

They

assume that the -funds will be restored in Conference;

nowever, could be reduced which would impact on number of

public meeting to held outside of Washington.

Expects to move into new office space by mid-August and have

a core staff in place in September. The bulk of the staff

would come on board in October.

---

## Page 12

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Plans to begin public hearing on defining an assassination

record in Sept.

Anna Nelson commented on the importance of

identifying what is a record before beginning to address

specific issues/documents.

William Joyce reported that he had sent letters to 55

agencies asking about the quaintly of records still held by

the agency and had received 20 responses several which had

identified additional sources for documents (no specifics)

Steve Tilley gave a briefing on status of releases.

Releases since last meeting include tapes of telephone calls

trom the Johnson Library, the FBI files, Church Committee (7

boxes), and DOJ's FOIA litigation files. This month an

additional 10 boxes of Church Committee and some Pike

Committee Files

(only a small part deals with JFK).

Expects

a release from the CIA of approximately 70,000 pages later

this summer (mentioned the 73 Reels).

Tilley also described the 20,000 pages of HSCA material in

CIA files and that NARA would be acting as House agent on

these record.

Questions (to Tilly) by the Board:

Size of the NARA collection? - 1200 Cubic Feet

(2500 pages

per foot)

(Jack) what was the number of documents with redactions? --

Steve said he could not give a figure, would guess less than

50%

(Graff) any problems with agencies' willingness to release

documents -- None, considers the work be the various

agencies as a remarkable effort to turn over records.

The

problem was the volume of material and the time it takes to

review.

A question about Senate and House Committee reviews

procedures led to a discussion where it was clear that

neither the Board nor Tilly had a good fix on that part of

the review. The point was made that CIA information in

those documents (and in our HSCA material) would be reviewed

by CIA reviewers; the originator of the information was the

key reviewer).

(Jack) how were the agencies doing in defining

"assassination records? -- Tilly described some of his

discussions about assassination records within NARA and with

other agencies.

He mentioned that the "major agencies" had

records that they felt fell outside the scope which they

planned to discuss with the board.

---

## Page 13

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(Hall) how was the cooperation of the DOD intelligence

agencies including NSA / how much had they withheld ? --

Tilly said he found them cooperative but that the release

was small.

Did not know off hand how much was withheld.

Hall considered

so few record as "suspect" and ask if NARA

had followed up.

Tilly said no.

NARA did not have the

authority to question the agencies about their searches. He

indicated that the Army among others had not responded to

NARA's initial request.

(During the public comments part of

the meeting Newman and Lesar returned to the question of DOD

compliance.)

Several members of the Board had questions about the

Presidential Libraries; Tilly described his role and the

process.

When Jack open the meeting for public comments, Newman

returned to the question about DOD releases.

He clamied

that NSA had release only one true document and that most of

the DIA files was administrative or news clipping. He said

he had seen at least 30 DOD documents in CIA and FBI files

that did not appear in the DIA release.

Newman then ask if the agencies could withhold documents

from the Board; Jack responded that under the law thar only

Board had the power to withold a document.

Lesar ask if the Board had given consideration to. his letter

concerning the definition of an assassination record. Jack

thanked him for the letters but the Board would not be able

to address the issues Lesar raised until they had a staff to

do the research.

A third "expert" named Mark Zaid ask a question about Post

Office files that had been released before and how they

compared with recent Post Office files found by NARA. Anna

responded that such questions require a staff.

-..

---

## Page 14

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stu is 54

r. Ui

Baray

ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW BOARD

600 E Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20004

TO:

FR:

KE:

MEMORANDUM

via facsimile: A pages

JOHN PEREIRA CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO

DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR

RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION

IN THIS DOCUMENT

JOHN R. TUNHEIM

Chair

PEREIRA LETTERS

DATE:

September 23, 1994

PHONE:

(612) 296-2351

Please disregard the letter faxed to you on the issues the Review Board would like to

review on Wednesday, as that was a preliminary draft of the issues. On Monday you will

be faxed a letter which will be in final form of the issues the Reivew Board would like to

discuss. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused. Thank you.

ADDRESS FOR REVIEW BOARD CHAIR

102 State Capil - Sr. Paul, Munesola 55155-1002

612 296-2351 • TDD 612-297.7206 • Far 612-297-4143

---

## Page 15

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sep 1s

15:5

r. U1

ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW BOARD

600 E STREET N.W.

WASHINGTON, DC 20004

202-727-0088 - Fax 202-724-0457

September 23, 1994

via facsimile: 703/243-8343

CIA HAS NO OBJECTION TO

DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR

RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION

IN THIS DOCUMENT

John Pereira

Chief, Historical Review Group

Room 404 Ames Building

Central Intelligence Agency

Washington, D.C. 20505

Dear Mr. Pereira:

This is to confum our discussion in which we agreed to meet on Wednesday,

September 28, 1994 at 10:00 a.m. in your offices to discuss the agency's review of

records related to the assassination of President Kennedy. I expect all of the Boarc

members, Kermit Hall, Henry Graff, Anna Nelson, and William Joyce to join me, as well

as the Board's Executive Director, David Marwell. As I indicated, Mr. Marwell now has

a "temporary top secret" security classification. I expect to fax to you on Monday a list

of the questions that the Board would like to review with you and your staft, questions.

along the lines we discussed on Wednesday.

We look forward to meeting with you and beginning our understanding of the issues

and the process that the CIA is following with respect to the records that fall within the

Review Board's jurisdiction. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Jolm r. Trichein

John R. Tunheim

Chair

cc:

Board Members

David Marwell

--.

ADDRESS FOR REVIEW BOARD CHAIR

102 State Capital - St Paul, MIN 55155

612-296-2351 - TDD 612-297-7206 • Far 612-2974193

---

## Page 16

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ASSASSINATION RECORDS REVIEW BOARD

600 E STREET N.W.

CIA HAS NO COMESTION TO

WASHINGTON, DC 20004

DECLASSIFICATION AND/OR

202-721-0088 - Fax 202-724-0457

RELEASE OF CIA INFORMATION

IN THIS DOCUMENT

September 26, 1994

via faissmile: 7031243-8343

John Pereira

Chief, Historical Review Group

Room 404 Ames Building

Central Intelligence Agency

Washington, D.C. 20505

Dear Mr. Pereira:

In our briefing meeting on Wednesday, the Review Board would like to address the

following issues, along with whatever issues you may wish to raise.

Overview of the JFK Assassination Record review process followed by

the CIA, including:

i.

Formation of the original core file that was organized in

.....--

response to previous congressional investigations;

b.

The process by which the CIA identified additional

assassination records in order lo fulfill the mandate of the

current legislation.

Overview of the process by which the CIA has identified assassination

records, including relevant discussion of the filing system;

Discussion of the files which include assassination records, including:

d.

Bnefing on the filing systems). content of ClA archives,

eflect of reorganization of ClA since 1960s on filing

systerns, etc.

4:

The CIA's view as to how the term "assassination records" should be-

defined;

ADDRESS FOR REVIEW BOARD CHAIR

102 Stale Capill - SL Paul. MIN 55155

612-290-2351 • TDD 612-247-7206-Fax 612-297-4193

---

## Page 17

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John Pereira

Page Two

September 26, 1994

Discussion of postponement issues from the CLA's view, including

Icvicwing examples of postponed information and categories of

postponed information;

6. Discussion about relevant files at the Ford Library;

7. Review issue of operational files as it relates to assassination records.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday. Please contact me or Dave Marwell

if there is any matter that we should discuss prior to Wednesday. We are planning a 1-5

hour meeting. Thanks very much.

Sincerely,

John R. Tunheim

Chair

Cc: Board Members

David Marwell

---

## Page 18

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LA STELIAL CULLECTIONS

RELEASE IN FULL

2000

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Banny

28 Sep 94

BRIEFING OUTLINE (For JFK Board)

INTRODUCTION:

Discuss review process for JFK records

Walk-through look at documents

Possible demonstration of indexing (Gloria)

1.

Overview of CIA's approach to review of JFK records

a. How the original "core' file was organized

b. How CIA identified additional records

- Oswald 201 file

- Search request in 1993

2.

Overview of CIA filing system(which include JFK records)

_ Issue of operational files

3a. Organization of the effort

- Staff (from attached data sheet)

- Steps in the review process:

-- Reviewers

-- Senior reviewers provided guidance

-- Coordinated with directorates

-- Coordinated with third agencies

3b Description of records under review

- Condition of records

-- poor quality

-- not organized

-- lots of duplicates

-- large number of press items

- Sequestered documents

164, boxes, 127,000 pagest microfilm

- Oswald 201 file (17 boxes, 35,000 pages)

- Gates released a pre-assassination file

on Oswald to Congress 'in 1992

- Microfilm (1 of 64 boxes, 72 reels, 164,000 pages)

---

## Page 19

14-00000

•do deode pelle 1914

(printouts)

- Other records

- DCI Morning meeting minutes (400 pages)

- HSCA - 20, 000 PP

- SSCI

- HPSCI

- FBI, other third agency - 10, 000 pp

- Warren Commission, Rockefeller Commission

- Presidential libraries -Ford, Kennedy, Johnson

4. How assassination record should be defined ?

5. Status report on processing of documents

- Records released to NARA (in full, sanitized)

(attachment)

- Records remaining to be completed

HSCA, Working files, Presidential libraries

- Records withheld (examples)

- Types of information sanitized

-- identity of agents

-- sensitive sources and methods

- relations with foreign government

-- unwarranted invasion of privac

- Summaries (examples--financial records)

6. Issues/Problems (examples of postponed information)

- Degree of

sanitization

- Relevancy e.g., chrono cables from Mexico City

(Chinese ops items)

-.-

- Privacy

- Duplicates (Oswald 201 in microfilm)

- Office of

Personnel files

Office of

Security files

---

## Page 20

14-00000

- Hand- written notes prepared by HSCA staffers

-- 5x8 cards, note pads, sensitive operational

information, some of

it innaccurate

- Identification aids (examples)

Indexing

- Jim Lesar litigation--receives copies of docs, i.a.

- Inadvertent release of agent's identity

(attachment)

7.

Ford Library--relevant files.

8.

Question: Arrangements for review of records by the

Board

---

## Page 21

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.=

SECRET

The following on hey mendy, August end the meeting

Eleanor Neiman

Directorate of Operations

(Michael Luce)

Directorate of Operations

(John Kambourian)

Directorate of Operations

Fred Wickham

Directorate of Operations

William McNair

Directorate of Operations

Robert Eatinger

Office of General Counsel

Barry Harrelson

Historical Review Group

SECRET

---

## Page 22

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SECRET

18 may95

Then the wind on see sely attend the meeting

Eleanor Neiman

Senior Coordinator, Directorate of Operations

Directorate of Operations

Robert Eatinger

Office of General Counsel

William McNair

Information Review Officer, Directorate of Operations

Michael Luce

Latin America

Division, Directorate of Operations

John Pereira

Historical Review Group

Barry Harrelson

Historical Review Group

SECRET

---

## Page 23

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li Marile aó

1. Mr. Devine will discuss the perspective of the

Directorate of Operations with

respect to sensitive

information that may appear in the assassination records.

This includes information related to protection of sources

and liaison relationships.

2. The following Agency members will attend the

meeting with the ARRB on Monday, 6 March 1995:

John Devine

Associate Deputy Director for Operations

Donald Cryer

Deputy Chief, Information Management Staff

Eleanor Neiman

Senior Coordinator, Directorate of Operations

Margaret Sanders)

Latin

America Division, Directorate of Operations

Robert Eatinger

Office of General Counsel

Frederick Wickham

Chief of External Support, Information Management

John Pereira

Historical Review Group

Barry Harrelson

Historical Review Group

- ..

---

## Page 24

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To Mr. David Marwell:

The following Agency members will attend the meeting with

the ARRB on Monday, 6 March

1995:

John Devine

Donald Cryer

Eleanor Neiman

(Margaret Sanders

Robert Eatinger

Frederick Wickham

John Pereira

Barry Harrelson

---

## Page 25

4-00000

CERTIFICATION FOR 6 MARCH 1995

David Marwell

Thomas J.

Gunn

Thomas E.

Samoluk

Sheryl Walter

080-30-7709

529-74-8907

030-50-1292

506-80-0934

SI/TK/G&B

---

## Page 26

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SECRET

11 December 1995

NOTE FOR THE FILE

SUBJECT: Briefing of JFK Board Staff: Cover

office of entrate breathe eute i to of

the Assassinations Records Review Board and other Board

staff members.

Also participating from CIA were (John Goins

and Eleanor Neiman of IMS; Linda Cipriani, OGC; and Barry

Harrelson and I from HRG.

2. The

focus of the briefing was on the need to protect

the names of former Agency employees that appeared in the

JFK records. Gibson discussed the risks involved for people

who retired under cover if they were identified in the

public record as former CIA employees.

He discussed the

efforts made by his office to obtain written statements from

the more than 100 individuals whose names appear.

3. The purpose of the briefing was to assist the Board

in its review of names when it meets on 12-13 December. The

Agency was asked in particular to present, in writing,

evidence of risk for each of the names that will be

discussed at the Board's meeting.

Len Percien

John F. Pereira

CL BY:_

101859041

CL REASON:.

Cov 2-87 15C

DECI ON:

XI

DEV FROM:

AHB. 70-9

SECRET

---

## Page 27

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ARRB OPEN MEETING

6 August 1996

HANDOUTS

Memorandum of Understanding Between the Director of Central

Intelligence and the Select Committee on Assassinations

Office of Legislative Counsel Memorandum (OLC 79-2477) dtd

August 1979; Subject: HSCA Records

Request of Records Disposition Authority

CIA'S HSCA JFK Sequestered Records - I

(Boxes 1-63]

CIA'S HSCA JFK Sequestered Records - II [Box 64]

---

## Page 28

LOT FOR RECORUS DISPOSITION AUTHORITY OUTA

See Instruci,"s on reverse)

'L"!

LEAVE BLANX

i0: GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION,

NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE, WASHINGTON, DC 20408

1. FROM (AGENCY OR ESTABLISHMENT)

Central Intelligence Agency

Z. PAJOR SUBDIVISION

Office of legislative Counsel, (08-76

• MINOR SUBDIVISION

ПIC1-263-80-1

DATE RECEIVED

June 3, 1980

NOTIFICATION TO AGENCY

In accordance with the provisions ol 44 US.C. 3303a the dissosalre-

NOT REQUIRED FOR AFPROVAT OF

4. NAME OF PERSON WITH WHOM TO CONFER

FER ANUNT RETENFION OF RECORDS

Elizabeth S. Laricer, Jon E. Wolfe

David W. landram

Archivise of che linised Slures

8. CERTIFICATE DE AGENCY REPRESENTATIVE:

I hereby certify that | am authorized to act for this agency in matters pertaining to the disposal of the agency's records;

this the ne ors not be ne i ater the triention eti ods specife fagets) are not now needed for the business of

• A Request for immediate disposal.

Request for disposal after a specified period of time or request for permanent

E. DATE

D. SENATURE OF ASENCE REE

E. TITLE

Edgar T. McHenty

5/23/80

ITEM

NO

E. DESCRIPTION OF ITEM

(With Inclusire Dates or Retention Periods)

Associate Records Management Officer

SAMPLE OR

JOS NO.

10.

ACTION TAXEN

MATERIAL HELD BY CIA RELATENG TO THE HOUSE SELECT

COMITTEE ON ASSASSEVATIONS INYESTIGATIONS

Consists all substantive dicurents and other materials

created or reviered as:

the result of inquiries made of

the CIA by the House Solect Committee on Assassinations

(HSCA) during its investigations into the deaths of

Fresident comedy antilatin Luther King. The collection

includer at dis files regested for review, documents

generated the isaas the result of its reviews,

correspondence exchanged between the CIA and the HSCA,

and pertinant supporting documentation.

The bulk of the

collection consists of CIA files reviewed by the Comnittee

and is prarily in che form of 16mn roll film produced,

stored, and inspected in accordance with Federal standards

for archival nicrofilm. The microfilning was done in

those instences wher it was necessary to return the paper

files to their original locations:

(Each paper file

microfiled will be trainkained or disposed of in accor-

lance wich approved records control scheilules covering

the record saries of which the file is a part.)

i. Silver origirai In microfiln procused, stored, ani

inspecred in accordance iilt7

---

## Page 29

ITEM NO.

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

est for Records Disposition Authority - Continuation

8. DESCRIPTION OF ITEM

(With Inclusive Dates or Retention Periods)

JOB.NO.

1701-253-89-1

SAMPLE OR

JOB NO.

PAGE OF

CTION TAKE

b.. Textual records not contained in l'a" above.

Permanent.

Rocords to be retained in the Agency Archives

and Records Center.

Hot to be opened without the

concurrence of the Legislative and General Counsels.

Records will be offered for transfer to the National

Archives and Racords Service when national security

considerations permit.

Iitial inspection of item la microfilm will be conducted

as required by 41CFR 101-11, 507-2, at 2 year intervals

from the approval date of this records disposition request.

Amendments

to thie dehedule concurred in by

on E, Wolfe/ CIA, und R C Tagge/NARS-NCD, 6/07-05/80!

Four coples. Includirig.org/nat, to or suS mitrad to tha Mailonal. Archlves

EUS OREGIAL VISE ONLY

STANDARO FORM 115-1

idingistratien

---

## Page 30

4-00000

....

OLC 79-2477

10 August 1979

MERCRANDUM FOR:

fir. George Frates

At/Records Management Givision

ISS/DCA

•..

FROM

SUBJECT

: Rodger 5. Gabrielson

Office of Legislative Counsel

: NSCA Kecords

1.

During the course of the HSCA investigations, much classified

information was assembled in response to HSCA requests. Three categories

of, information must now be disposed of under terms of the HSCA/DCI

Memorandum of Understanding.

Category la: Classified material from Agency

holdings, requested by the HSCA, which HSCA staff

members reviewed.

Category lb: Classified material from Ayency

holdings, requested by the HSCA, but which HSCA

staff members did not review.

Category 2: Material generated by the HSCA from

Agency classified holdings made available to. the

HSCA in response to the latter's request.

(Note:

This HSCA material is considered by the HSCA as its

property and, therefore, not releasable to the

public under the Freedom of Information Act. An

inventory of this material received from HSCA has

been completed.

Category 3: Classifigd correspondence and certain

unclassified correspondence exchanged between this

Agency and the MiCA.

2.

The HSCA has indicated its desire that copies of these three

cutegories of material ie hald in sealed and segregated storage to

ensure the preservation of all relevant records pertaining to the

whasa of the investigation involving this Agency. In order io accom-

morate the sco real coa our be ace as aces sible for rentine

made availabie in response to a specific request by the HSCA

(Category la and lb).

---

## Page 31

4-100000

?.*

3. Ucon completion of the task of photographing the Category la

and lb docurients, those photograunic copies (Category 1!: che liSCA-

generated materials based upon Agency material (Category 2), and the

designated Agency-HSCA correspondence (Category 3), will be sealed and

held in segregated storage by the Agency, in accordance with schedules

= gestablished by the Archivist of the United States.

4. documents are now in the individual custodies of members of

the Agency MiSCA Task Force. These individuals are listed by attachment.

5. Please advise on your recormended procedures for photographing

these documents and procedures for entering these copies into sealed

storage.

Rodger S. Gabrielson

Attachment

::

---

## Page 32

1400000

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

AND THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ASSASSINATIONS

1977.

I.

Preparation of Materials

A. The Central Intelligence Agency (CLA) will cooperate fully

in the investigations conducted by the Select Committee on Assassinations

(Committee) by providing access, as requested, to classified information

vithin the releasing authority of the CIA, and held by the CIA LA bears

upon the study and investigation authorized by H. Res. 222.

notify the Committee of any requested information held by ClA not

vithin the releasing authority of the CIA, and notify the Committee of the

proper authority to contact to obtain the information.

No document or a

portion of the document in the possession of CLA will be withheld without

written notice of that action to the Committee. Access to all classified

information designated for protection from unauthorized disclosure by the

Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and currently held by any federal

agency or department shall be governed by this memdyandum.

B. Documentary material will be made available

and completely as feasible,

subject to the responsibility of the DCI to

protect sensitive intelligence sources and metbods.

The Committee and

CIA will periodically agree upon a list of identities that will not be excised

from materials turned over to the Committeé.

Subject to the list of

identities that will not be deleted, ClA will appropriately sanitize, including

excising il necessary, information to assure protection of information

identifying sensitive sources and methods.

When an excision is made,

CIA will indicate the nature of the source

or method excised, including the

functional intelligence discipline which was the source of the intelligence.

C. The Chief Counsel of the Select Committee on Assassinations

and a designated representative of the DCI shall meet monthly to discuss

a random sample of the complete and unsanitized materials selected by

the Chief Counsel for the purpose of verifying the appropriateness of the

Those matters on which they do not agree

shall be referred to the Chairman, Ranking Minority Member,

---

## Page 33

in maling any excisions or other alterations of requested

CLA shall be bound by 18 U.S. C. Subsection 1505 and all

other applicable statutes.

Il. Request Procedure

A. The CLA element responsible for dealing with the Committee

is the Coordination and Review Staff of the Office of Legislative Counsel

C&RS/OLC). All Committee requests for intormation will be conveye

• CIA only via the Coordination and Review Staff. Absent extraordinars

circumstances, appointments with CLA employees and former employees

will be arranged through the Coordination and Review Staff.

B: All Committee requests for information will be in writing.

In the interest of timely response, C&RS/OLC will accept preliminary

telephone or other oral requests, but no information can be made

available until a request is received in writing from the Chief

Counsel or one of the Deputy Chief Counsels.

ILl. Staff Clearance

Prior to access by Committes personnel to any material which

has been designated. for protection from unauthorized disclosure by the

DCI, such Committee personnel will be granted secarity clearance

by the Committee after consultation with the CIA. Committee personnel

requiring access to such material will be required to execute,

in advaace,

the attached Select Committee on Assassinations Nondisclosure Agreement.

IV. Transcripts of Statements Under Oath

A steno-typist from either the Committee or the CIA will make a

verbatim record of all statements of current CIA personnel taken under

One copy of the record will be made available to the Committee

and the other to the CIA in accordance with the Rules of the Committee.

V.. Examination of Material

Materials to which access has been granted by CIA will be reviewed

in a ClA reading room set aside for this purpose or in a designated area

within the Committee's offices.

• VI. Storage of Materials

approved by, the CIA.

2

---

## Page 34

B.

• Upon the termination of the Committee, all materials

provided by CLA and examined by the Committee will be kept and

preserved within a segregated and secure area within CIA for

at least 30 years unless the DCI and the House of Representatives

agree to a shorter period of time. All persons having access to such

materials must sign an access sheet indicating the date, the name of the

person receiving access, the specific documents or materials to which

access was granted, and the person who authorized the access.

VII. Disclosure o1 Latormation

The Committee will notify the DCI in writing of its desire to

disclose, in any manner, including under the Select Committee on

Assassinations Nondisclosure Agreement, axy information that is

designated for protection from unauthorized disclosure by the DCI.

Il within five days the Committee does not receive a letter from the

DCI objecting to the proposed disclosure and stating the reasons for the

objection, the Committee may disclose the information.

B. Il the DCI notifies the Committee within five days that he objects

to the proposed disclosure and states the reasons for his objections,

the Chairman of the Committee and the DCI, or their designated

representatives, shall meet to attempt to resolve any differences over the

information to be disclosed. Il the Chairman of the Committee considers

that the negotiations have reached an impasse, he will give the DCI a

written notice to that effect, and the Committee will take no steps until

at least l4 days thereatter to disclose the information in dispute.

• C. Aay differences left unresolved by negotiatiod' may become the

subject of litigation.. In any such action each party will be free to assert

all its constitutional, statutory, or other legal rights, and the parties

agree to be bound by the final outcome of any such action.

If such an

action is commenced by the Executive Branch but is disposed of without

a judicial decision on the merits of the disclosure issue, the Committee

agrees that it will not on that basis, or on the basis of its 14-day notice

letter, disclose the information in dispute.

This Agreement, however,

is without prejudice to any of the Committee's other rights, privileges

and responsibilities concerning the production by legal compulsion and

disclosure oi information, and the DCI's rights, privileges and responsi-

bilities concerning the protection from disclosure of the information.

Director of Centra

19 AUG 1977

Date

rairman

August 29, 1977

Date

3

---

## Page 35

14-00000

5 August 1996

CIA'S HSCA JFK SEQUESTERED RECORDS - I

BOXES 1-63 HARDCOPY MATERIAL

The 63 boxes contain copies of material collected or

prepared in response to over a thousand individual requests

from HSCA. Boxes are grouped by responsible component. With

the exception of the security files, there is no general

subject grouping or order to the boxes. Individual boxes

usually contain a mix of topics and types of documents, and

there is much duplication through out the collection.

Boxes

1-34

(Directorate of Operations): contains a mix of

CIA, third agency (primarily FBI) and Warren Commission

documents plus a significant amount of HSCA originated

material*.

These records cover a wide range of topics

but focus on anti-Cuba/Castro activities and Oswald

in USSR, Mexico City and New Orleans. Also included are

responses to the large number of names traces

requested by the HSCA staff, numerous copies of

documents from the Oswald 201, the 1967 IG report,

testimony of Richard Helms before HSCA, Nosenko

material, CIA cable traffic.

Boxes 35-36 (Inspector General): HSCA reports, Senate

Select Committee reports, reports on Cuban

operations, Book V of Church Committee final report.

Boxes 37-38 (Office of the General Counsel): Cuban exile

activities, Garrison investigation, name files.

BoX : 39

(Directorate of Science & Technology) : Photo

comparisons of Hunt, Sturgis and the Dallas

tramps;

chart of frames from Zapruder film.

Boxes 40-48

(Office of Security): name files.

Boxes 49-63

(Office of Legislative Liaison) : HSCA

requests, notes, memos, correspondence and final

report, plots against Castro, photos of unknown man,

defector study, Nosenko, name files, Mexico City

station files, FBI reports, Warren Commission reports.

*aperoximately 30,000 pages of HSCA originated material has

been

removed-from the files and transferred to the National

Archives.

--==

---

## Page 36

14.00000

5 August 1996

CIA'S HSCA JFK SEQUESTERED RECORDS -- II

BOX 64 MICROFILMED

MATERIAL

Box 64 contains 72 reels of microfilm. All but a small

percentage of the materials are CIA-originated, and include

reports,

material:

Reels 1-20

Individual 201 files, mainly Cubans, some

Americans and Soviets

Reels 21-22

Reels 23-25

Reels 25-28

Reels 28-30

Cuban Defector AMMUG-1

DO Project Files, Garrison investigation

Cuban exile organizations

Office of Personnel Files; Mexico City

records

Reels 31-44

Oswald files; 201 file is duplicate of

hardcopy file

Reels 45-47

Reels 48-49

Nosenko; Mexico City records

CIA-HSCA Correspondence, 1967 IG Report,

Cuban Mug Book, miscellaneous

Réels 50-56

Reels 57-60

Reels 61-62

Individual 201 Files (includes Cubela)

Office of Personnel Files

Nosenko, Golitsyn, anti-Castro activities

Reels 62-71

Cuban Revolutionary Council and other Cuban

exile organizations.

Reel 71-72

Project Files

-

---

## Page 37

4-00000

Il.

presentation)

Outline of Presentation to the Board

August 6, 1996

Where we are in the process of ClA records

We have almost completed the Oswald 201 file.

Size 17 boxes

Postponements have been reviewed word by word

We are now turing to new areas for CIA records

HSCA collection now housed physically just a few yards from here

To be reviewed word by word

Scelso

Oswald in Mexico City by Hardaway and Lopez

JFK Library

Release this fall of many records related to Cuba

I am pleased to say - and I offer this as my personal opinion -- that I have

seen no example where the Board has postponed any information that

bears directly on the assassination. I believe that the story is coming out

with the records that are being released.

Issue immediately before us is the ClA's sequestered collection.

Mr. Pereira has described it from the perspective of the agency.

The Review Board staff has been reviewing the record and has given the

Board its own assessment of the status of the records.

There are a great number of records in the sequestered collection that are highly

relevant:

Lee Harvey Oswald

Georges de Mohrenschildt

Elena Garro de Paz

Antonio de Varona (Frente RD)

Silvia Duran

Rolando Cubela

CRC

Bay of Pigs

Castro assassination attempts®

Warren Commission

HSCA

Garrison investigation

++^=

---

## Page 38

4-00000

III.

- 2 -

These types of records need to be reviewed on the same word-to-word basis as

the board has reviewed records thus far.

But we have a new problem: how should the Board review records from the

sequestered collections where the relevance to the assassination is not clear.

Examples where the staff has difficulty finding a nexus to the

assassination in certain records.

I will offer a few examples to provide you with a flavor of some of the issues we

are confronting. The examples below are hypothetical and are loosely based

upon our review of the files in order to illustrate the issues.

A. The "false hit" category

The HSCA requested files from ClA on a great number of persons. In many

instances the agency did not know why the files were requested, and accordingly

it made available files that it had on the name that had been requested.

Because names are not always unique, the agency sometimes made available

files on individuals who were of no interest to the HSCA and who had no

identifiable relation to the assassination.

1.

A very common name - I will use as an example the name Robert Smith.

The HSCA requested Robert Smith files because of an alleged

connection between a "Robert Smith" and Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963.

The Smith whose file was made available, however, was a CIA officer who

died in 1956. The ARRB staff has reviewed the file and has discovered

no relevance to the assassination.

B. CIA operational files or 201 files.

3.

Cuban now living in the Unitet States. CIA unsuccessfully attempted to

recruit her to collect information on Cuba through her family and friends,

but ultimately abandoned the effort. Neither she nor any of her hoped for

contacts had any identifiable connection to the Oswald story or to the JFK

assassination.

Cuban cultivated for operational work against Castro in whom CIA lost

- interest when he was not able to meet operation standards.

4. • Soviet official at the Mexico City embassy during Oswald's visit, although

he never had any personal contact with him. The Mexico City portion of

his file ha been reviewed and released in part to NARA. The remainder of

---

## Page 39

14-00000

- 3 -

his file covers his subsequent career in a European country, where CIA

monitored him closely. This portion of his career - by far the largest part

of his file - has no bearing on Oswald or the JFK assassination.

C. CIA officials

There are many personnel files of CIA officers. The files often contain medical

records evaluations, recommendations, and postings. They generally do not

contain any operational details.

5.

CIA employee who was a Headquarters secretary for a major figure in the

case. Her file consists of personnel records, medical records, and a

polygraph, none of which has any identifiable bearing on the Oswald story

of the JFK assassination.

As anyone knowledgeable about the Kennedy assassination can testify, there is

a bewildering number of allegations regarding CIA officials who have alleged

connections to the assassination. The HSCA investigated some of these leads.

Not all leads are successful.

6.

A CIA officer was allegedly in Dallas on November 22. An examination of

the file suggests that the individual was not in Dallas, but was in Vietnam.

There is nothing in the file that contains any apparent connection to the

assassination.

7.

CIA official in Mexico City who was directly involved in matters related to

Oswald's visit. Prior to and subsequent to the Mexico City tour, the officer

was stationed at headquarters and at other locations in the world. With

the exception of the portion related to Mexico City, the staff can identify no

other documents that illuminate the assassination.

D. Summary of problems

First, establishing criteria for relevance

Second, handling different types of records

ex. 1: entire file has no identifiable relevance

ex. 2: some documents in a file have relevance, but others do not

ex. 3: portion of a document has identifiable relevance, but others do not

---

## Page 40

14-00000

IV.

- 4-

Selected Statutory Provisions in The President John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, 44 U.S.C. § 2107 (Supp. V

1994)

Definition of Assassination Record

''Assassination record' means a record that is related to the assassination

of President John F. Kennedy, that was created or made available for use

by, obtained by, or otherwise came into the possession of [the HSCA]."

Sect. 3(2).

Interpretation 1: All records in segregated collection are assassination records.

Argument: the segregated collection are "assassination records" because

a goverment agency examined them in the course of their investigation

of the assassination.

Interpretation 2: Only segregated collection records that actually relate to the

assassination of President Kennedy come within the scope of the JFK Act.

Argument: In order for a record to be an "assassination record" it must:

(a) relate to the assassination of President Kennedy, and (b) have been

used by, obtained by, or otherwise came into the possession of a

government agency.

Selected CFR Provisions:

"All records collected by or segregated by all Federal, state, and local

govemment agencies in conjunction with any investigation or analysis of

or inquiry into the assassination of President Kennedy...." 36 CFR

1400.1(b)(2)

"An assassination record shall be released in its entirety except for

portions specifically postponed pursuant to the grounds for postponement

of public disclosure of records established in ... the JFK Act, and no

portion of any assassination record shall be withheld from public

disclosure solely on grounds of non-relevance unless, in the Review

Board's sole discretion, release of part of a record is sufficient to comply

with the intent and purposes of the JFK Act." 36 CFR 1400.5. -

---

## Page 41

14-0000

•

V.

- 5 -

Staff Preliminary Suggestions to Board

A. Factors suggesting possible relevance to assassination:

Unfortunately, there is no simple, clear, obvious method for determining

relevance. Accordingly, rule of thumb guidelines need to be followed.

The obvious rules of thumb to assist staff in identifying relevant

documents would include:

- documents that obviously are related to assassination

CIA internal investigations

Oswald records

Garrison investigation

Castro assassination attempts

- documents falling within certain dates (relevance of dates depends on

issue under consideration

dates associated with Oswald

dates immediately around assassination

dates of Warren Commission

dates of Church Committee, HSCA investigations

- individuals of importance

CIA officials in Mexico City

David Atlee Phillips

Win Scott

CIA officials in HQ involved in investigation

John Scelso

JJ Angleton

- geographical relevance (USSR; Cuba; Mexico)

B. Handling of records in sequestered collection

First, ARRB staff reviews all records and files in sequestered collection.

Second, all documents that are found to be relevant will be subjected to

word by word review of postponements by the Board. The staff will, over

time, work with the Board to establish guiding criteria for identifying

relevance. The focus will be on individuals and groups that have been

identified as playing a role in the larger story of the assassination.

Examples of individuals who have been identified as being a part of the

greater story surrounding the assassination include David Atlee Phillips,

Win Scott, James Angleton, etc. Groups include Cuban exile groups

.--

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## Page 42

14-00000

- 6 -

(DRE, Alpha 66, etc.), Minutemen, etc.

Third, for a file where no relevance can be found, the staff will write a

memorandum identitying the file, describing the review process, and

explaining the basis of finding no relevance. The staff memorandum will

then be sent to the JFK Collection and be made fully available to the

public.

Fourth, for a file containing some relevant records, the relevant records

will be subjected to the word by word review. Records for which the staff

has been able to identify no relevance, a memorandum will be written to

describe generally the type of records and explain the basis for finding no

relevance.

Fifth, with regard to the microfilm copy of the Oswald 201 file, the staff will

review the entire file in order to determine whether there are any records

in the file that are not included in the released version of the 201 file. If

such records are identified, they will be subjected to the same word by

word review as other records -- but the remainder of the 201 file will not

be reviewed again.

Sixth, in rare cases, portions of a document that genuinely have no

identifiable relevance to the assassination, may be redacted consistent

with the 1400.5.

I recommend that the Board, in the near future, deliberate on the guidance that it

wishes to give to the staff regarding these matters.

---

## Page 43

14-0000

TESTIMONY BEFORE JEK BOARD, 6 AUGUST 1996 ~

INTRODUCTION

Introduce CIA participants

We are pleased to provide information to the Assassination

Records Review Board that might assist the Board in fulfilling

its responsibilities under the President John F. Kennedy

Assassination Records Collection Act. CIA is committed to full

Before addressing the subject of the sequestered collection

directly, I would like to provide some background to help put

the sequestered collection into some sort of context.

In the spring of 1992, prior to the enactment of the JFK

Assassination Records Act,

then Director of Central

Intelligence,

Bob Gates issued instructions to begin reviewing

for declassification all records related to the assassination.

Bob cakes records

The CIA History Staff was charged with identifying the

relevant records.

Once this was done, the Historical Review

Group took custody of these records and immediately began

reviewing them for declassification for release to the National

Archives.

Once the Kennedy Assassination Records Act was passed, our

goal became to release as many of the records as possible by the

22 August 1993 deadline established by the Act. Approximately

125,000 pages were transferred to the National

date.

Archives by that

§*With subsequent releases, CIA has now declassified and

Archives.

Archites a see on dise sages at the boarde ational

continuing to release additional information that had been

redacted earlier.

The remaining records are in various stages of review.

Some require review by other agencies. Some is congressional

material. Final decisions on other records are awaiting

discussion with the Review Board.

1

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## Page 44

4-00000

THE ASSASSINATION RECORDS

In identifying relevant records, we have followed the

definitions in the 1992 Act and the related rules which were

published in the Federal Register.

The Kennedy assassination records in CIA consist of two

major groups of files.

One group consists of the documents in

the Lee Harvey Oswald file--sometimes referred to as the

• "Oswald

201 file". These consist mainly of documents collected after the

assassination and during the Warren Commission investigation.

There are about 26,000 pages of material in the Oswald

file.

All but a handful have been declassified and sent to the

National Archives.

The second group is comprised of the "sequestered

collection".

These are the records that were made available to

the House Select Committee on Assassinations, and which the

Committee asked CIA to hold in safekeeping upon the completion

of the Committee's investigation.

Certain additional records, including 400 excerpts fron

minutes of the Director's morning meetings, and some working

files, have been added to the overall collection since 1992.

2

---

## Page 45

14-00000

SEQUESTERED COLLECTION

First of all, every document in the sequestered

collection is available to the Board for review.

The

documents are available in full, without redactions.

The record shows that the sequestered collection

consists

of documents compiled in connection with the

investigation of the House Select Committee on

Assassinations (HSCA) •

A portion of the documents were created specifically in

response to requests from the HSCA. Other records were

already in existence prior to the creation of the Committee.

Still other documents were created by the Committee itself.

For example, notes of interviews conducted by the

Committee's

staff.

Within the sequestered collection there are two major

categories of records. One category consists of

approximately 129,000

pages of hard copy.

The second

category consists

of 72 reels of microfilm, or the

equivalent of 163,000 pages of hard copy.

The reason

why the documents were sequestered is

explained in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the

Chairman Louis

Stokes of the HSCA and DCI Stansfield Turner

in August 1977. The Memorandum provides as follows:

"Upon termination of the Committee, all materials

provided by CIA

and examined by the Committee will be kept

and preserved within a segregated and secure area within CIA

for at least 30 years unless the DCI and the House of

Répresentatives agree to a shorter period of time."

In April 1979, Robert Blakey, Chief Counsel and Staff

Director of the HSCA visited CIA Headquarters to complete

the process of designating what materials were to be

sequestered.

All the documents made available to the

Committee were included in the sequestered collection.

3

---

## Page 46

14-00000

REVIEW AND DECLASSIFICATION OF THE SEQUESTERED FILES

In 1992, CIA wrote to Speaker of the House Thomas Foley

ridiuesting approval to begin declassifying and releasing the

records.

_In October of that year, Mr. Foley wrote a letter

to the DCI granting CIA the authority to do so. The

Speaker's decision was made in anticipation of passage of

the Assassination Records Collection Act.

THE HARDCOPY MATERIAL

The hardcopy part of the sequestered collection

includes

• copies of most of the CIA documents in the Oswald

201 file.

Also included are 201 files, personnel files, and

security

files on persons who are mentioned in documents

relevant to the assassination, or who figure in one of the

conspiracy theories.

The collection also includes about 30,000 pages of

documents, memos, and notes (many handwritten) that were

created by the Committee staff during their investigation.

--------=•

4

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## Page 47

14-0000

THE MICROFILM PORTION OF THE SEQUESTERED COLLECTION

As I noted earlier, there are approximately 72 reels of

microfilm in the sequestered collection.

have arranged to have all of the microfilm records printed

in hard copy.)

The decision to microfilm a portion of the sequestered

collection was apparently based on two major considerations:

First, the integrity of the sequestered records

had to be maintained.

HSCA

Second, a number of the files requested by the

were active

and had to be available to allow people to

continue conducting their normal activities.

The solution was to replace certain records with

microfilm versions.

These records were microfilmed during

1979-80 with the approval of the Assassinations Committee.

THE CONTENT OF THE MICROFILM

A sizeable portion of the microfilm--approximately 50

percent--duplicates the hard copy files. For example,- there

are 12 reels of material from the Oswald 201 file.

The bulk of the reels consists of files on

individuals and organizations, including personnel files of

CIA employees.

There are also a number of files on anti-

Castro organizations.

All but a small percentage of the

materials are CIA-originated cables, dispatches, memoranda,

reports, and correspondence.

There are questions of privacy that we believe the

Board

may want to consider in determining what information

is to

be released to the public. Some of the records

contain, for example, medical information on an individual.

There are also questions of relevancy that we suggest

the Board consider.

For example, many of the documents

cover sensitive activities that go far beyond the timeframe

of the

assassination or investigations into the

assassination.

5

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## Page 48

14-00000

SUMMARY

--We hope that the Board has found this discussion of

the sequestered documents useful.

--We look forward to continuing cooperation with the

oard as we all work towards releasing as much informatio:

s possible to the American public

6

---

## Page 49

14-00000

ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY

24 February 1997

MEMORANDUM FOR:

[Richard Flynn@ DI

(Teresa Wilcox @ DST

Kathryn Dyer

FROM:

SUBJECT:

REFERENCE:

J. Barry Harrelson

CSI/HRG, JFK Project Officer

Records Briefing for ARRB Staff

ARRB letter to DCI, did. 27 November, 1997, RE CIA Compliance

with the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act.

1. The JFK Board (ARRB) staff has requested briefings by records "specialists" on the

Agency's records systems as part of the compliance with the JFK Act process (see reference). The

first DO briefing took place on 12 February. The DA briefing and a follow-up DO briefing is planned for

early March. I would like to set up the remaining briefings as soon as possible.

2. The ARRB staffers are very familiar with agency documents and have had several general

briefings on Agency records; one member of the staff is a former Agency employee (CTC). These

"compliance" briefings should focus on what files would have existed in the 1958-63 time period and

how we search, or account for, those records today. The ARRB requests you have been working on

give you some sense of the type of information they are interested in. In addition I am faxing a copy of

the "talking points" prepared for the DO briefing. I have also ask Jeremy Gunn, ARRB General Counsel,

to provide a list of directorate specific topics.

'3. The briefing can take place at HQ or at IP. The ARRB attendees will include Mr. Gunn and 4

or 5 members of the Board's CIA team; all are fully cleared (SCI). I have asked Mr. Gunn to provide a

list of dates when he and his staff would be available,* I will forward the list to you as soon as I receive

it. Thank you for your assistance in setting up these briefings. If you have any questions, please give

me a call on extension 31825.

CC:

John Pereira

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## Page 50

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ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY

24 February 1997

MEMORANDUM FOR:

FROM:

SUBJECT:

REFERENCE:

Lee Strickland @ DA

DA Focal Point for JFK Board

J. Barry Harrelson

CSI/HRG, JFK Project Officer

Records Briefing for ARRB Staff

1. Meeting with you, 21 February, 1997, same subject;

2. ARRB letter to DCI, did 27 November 27, 1997, RE CIA Compliance

with the JFK Assassination Records Collection ACT.

1. As we discussed in our meeting of 21 February, the ARRB staff has asked for briefings on

the Agency's records.systems. These briefings are the first steps in the compliance with the JFK ACT

process describe in reference #2. At the meeting we set the first two weeks in March as the timeframe

for the DA briefing. Mr. Gunn has requested that the briefing take place prior to 12 March if possible.

The Board is meeting on the 13-14 March and he will be reporting on the status of the compliance

process. Let me know as soon as possible if this is feasible.

2. Your proposal to include representatives of offices of Security and Personnel is excellent.

The briefing should focus on what records would have existed in 1963 and how we search, or account

for, those records today. The talking points paper for the DO briefing, which I left with you, will give you

a good sense of the type of information the ARRB staff is interested in. It you have any questions, please

give me a call on extension 31825.

CC:

Becky L. Rant @ DA

John Pereira

ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY

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## Page 51

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• Tunge Tundern

Jeremy Gunn

*Cohen

lee stucklend

Talking Points - 2/18/98 Judge John R. Tunheim, Chair • Jrhr Peren

Assassination

Records

Review Board

Mann Blund

1. OIM - New Office -

• Bany Rapton

a.

Bringing

all of release programs into alignment.

b. Realize there are problems - let me read two short

sections from a briefing I have prepared for the DDA and the

EXDIR

Pgs 13, and 19

C.

This office is not knee-jerk or Neanderthal in its

approach.

We care a

great deal about what makes sense

practically and legally

d. In fact we have a significant legal bent in this

office.

Lee is a former OGC attorney.

His FOIA coordinator is an attorney.

I am a former DGC on rotation from OGC

And I have three attorneys assigned to this office

Bruce Burke - Assoc DGC for Information

And two staff level attorneys:

Vicky Pepper) a GS-15 attorney and

(Martin Boland a junior attorney.

2. Cover Issue:

Appreciate your consideration of our concerns on

(state cover).

b. As I explained when I met with Dr. Gunn on 3

February. There are subjects

that seem like open secrets,

if they could be called secrets at all. And certainly, this

is different from a secret like x is a CIA spy in y country.

But as the State Department and our station chiefs

have indicated, this is more important that it would seem at

first blush.

There are repercussions from official

acknowledgment of certain

d.

Which brings me to perhaps a final point:

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Intelligence information often looks sensitive to

the layman or generalist when the expert will tell you it is

innocuous.

And conversely, what seems innocuous to the

layman can be quite sensitive.

Our job is to help you

distinguish the one from the other.

f .

we rely on you to help us figure out ways to ensure

your job is done and the American people are informed

without doing damage to intelligence equities.

We want to be as forward leaning as possible, and

work out compromises so it is a win-win solution for our

respective organizations and for the American people.

h. We will strive very hard for a cooperative,

harmonious relationship and we are committed

to providing

whatever resources are needed, from a very slender resource

base to ensuring that we have met all of your taskings.

[shifted

7 additional contractor/reviewers to bring the

total to

-

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Office of

OlM

Challenges

i ormation Managene

ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY

JDD000000

a Process

• Directorate Search & Review Is Cumbersome

• Coordination Is Resource Intensive & Inefficient

• IRO Task Not Perceived As Important

• --Limits Experience & Sophistication We Can

Bring to the Task

• The IRO Has Little Clout or Resources

@ Policies

• Saying "No" Is Easier Than Justifying Damage

• Past Practices Are Not Examined Until Forced

13

s/addais/ed/brieing/982Gina8.ppt

Process: First, process - the components own the information and the IRO is the gate-

keeper who controls what will be done, what will be searched, and what will be released.

This makes coordination complex, but the larger issue is that the IRO usually does not

have either the clout or the resources to do the job and we find cases bottle-necked.

Policies: What also makes coordination difficult, is an institutional bias to withhold

until forced to release. Thus, we adopt silly positions. When pressed, we often concede

in the end, but we lose credibility in the process.

There is no stomach, and perhaps no time to:

# Question the questionable,

# Revalidate the counter intuitive,

• or even overturn the nonsensical.

13

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Oliv

Nomato ME: OIM Corrective Actions

[ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY 00000000000

@ Expedite Automation Efforts

• Assure All Released Agency Material

Contained in a Compatible and Easily

Accessible Database

Conduct a Top Level Review of Current

Classification Policy

• Confirm What is Sensitive and What is Not

19

s/addais/ed/briefing/982Gina8 ppt

Sixth, Capture of Previously Released Information: We are trying to complete the job of

populating a data base of previously declassified and released information.

It is not acceptable that those outside the Agency know better than we do, what we have released.

Our MORI database, once fully populated will allow us to:

Satisfy many requesters from information we already have declassified.

Speed up our declassification by knowing what decisions have already been made.

Increase the consistency of our decisions.

And most importantly, avoid wasting resources and embarrassing ourselves fighting to protect •

what already has been released.

And seventh, Classification Policy: The world is changing.

The overall budget figure was never released, but now it is.

It was forbidden to mention the existence of the NRO; that has changed.

All NRO contractors were under cover; now a two page listing of those contractors has been

published in the media.

We tightly protected all overhead imagery program, but we now are declassifying product

from early systems.

On the other hand, we still have policies that are outdated and may no longer make sense - [Farm, -

---

defectors, psychoanalysis, bios, World War Il liaison information.]

A small effort can inject fresh thinking, and can staff issues for periodic and systematic validation by

senior management.

This can pay dividends by keeping us from wasting time and resources protecting and defending what

senior managers believe can and should be released.

19

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Secret - Working Notes

17 August 1998

Talking Points for meeting with ARRB Executive Director,

Laura

Denk

--

4:00

p.m., 17 Aug. 1998

Meeting is primary a "Meet and Greet"

Laura will be looking for reaffirming of commitment to

complete the tasks

still outstanding and to meet the

deadline for the Final Declaration.

She may also bring up

the subject of a

"Memo of Understanding" on what is to be

done

after the Board goes out of business.

Current Status:

Sequestered Collection

The re-review is virtually complete-- the remaining material

(approximate two boxes) is mostly security files)

[Note: In the review controversial, complicated or Denied

in Full documents were white-banded

for later processing; I

currently have a team of 3 reviewers going through the

collection handling these problem documents. A number of

these could lead to potential appeal issues.

It will take

2-3 weeks to complete the white band review.]

Russ Holmes' file

Review

-- approximately 2/3 completed

Indexing -- approximately 1/2 completed

Special Requests

Complete

-- 22

Continuing -- 10

(searches complete;

material being

collected or

available for review)

Outstanding -- 5 All DO

[Note: Two of the outstanding requests (CIA 16 and CIA-IR-

04) are long-overdue priorities that the ARRB staff

requested by completed by 7 August.

Laura may raise this

issue.

Several of the "Continuing"

requests are close to

completion.]

Preparation of Records for NARA

(Board Determination Documents and Release in Fulls)

The pace

will pick as I move reviewers from the sequestered

collection to

assisting with preparation.

[Note: Will probably need additional resources in September

to complete the taskl

Secret - Working Notes

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## Page 56

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Secret - Working Notes

Post Board Tasks (some examples)

Duplicates

from the Sequestered Collection, Russ

Holmes,

and other working files.

Referrals received in last two months of project (We

will try to review as many as possible by end of

September)

Other documents/material that it is not feasible to

review by 30 Sept. or extremely time-consuming for

both staffs and marginal to the story (examples:

Mexico City tapes, card files that duplicate

information in the file)

Other Topics for Discussion

Final Declaration --

"Who signs" may come up.

Transfer of Oswald classified files to NARA by 30 Sept.

Transfer of all Release In Full documents to NARA by 30

Sept.

[Laura changed procedures -- we no longer have to send

through ARRB staff; send directly to NARA.]

Next Meeting - 25 Aug. - Possible Issues

Mexico City Tapes (200+)

Board leaving toward declaring as Assassination Records;

DO's initial response is to object. I have advised DO that

we will need a "defense"

for Aug. 25 meeting.

IEDECANTER

Although the release of DECANTER was delayed at last

meeting, I understand the Board still leans toward release.

Secret - Working Notes

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## Page 57

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Secret - Working Paper

Notes from Briefing of ARRB Staff on Stations?

(11 October 1995

- ARRB conf. room)

CIA Attendees: Bill Me E

John Goins /

Chuck Briggs

Hal Bean

Barry Harrelson

Bill re Stations:

No problem with release of CAS (Controlled American Source),

fact we have overseas

locations, CIA representatives in

specific countries -- the problem comes with officially

acknowledging the stations thereby putting the host

government and service in a position of explaining why it is

allowing a foreign espionage unit to operate in the country.

This may become a serious political issue for the

government, especially in countries where the government

does not acknowledge its own

service. Also can be perceived

as

"rubbing their nose in it" and can affect the trust

between the Agency and the host service (violated agreement

of confidentially).

Marwell pointed out that this information was 30 years old

and asked what was the impact of acknowledging a station

presence in 1963 on current operations or relations.

Bill responded "opened up old sores" and cited Rome and the

sensitivity to our involvement in past election. Mentioned

the reaction to the announcement on covert actions by DCI.

Gunn asked if stations = liaison relationship; Bill said the

other service can not say it did not know the CIA was

operating in its own country -- would look incompetent.

Mary asked about changes in government; Bill responded that

intell types tend to stay own or its revolving door where

the group that leaves when a neww government comes into

power will be back in power at some point.

Bill comments on specific stations

If important to the story such as Mexico City and the

surrounding stations which were involved in the cable

exchanges re Oswald, then will release.

"Don't take it away from us for little of no gain to the

story"

', I. e. if not critical to the story let us protect.

Secret

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## Page 58

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Secret - Working Paper

He indicated he could live with opening the stations for

short windows if important to story, but also said it

created a problem about protecting other activities in that

window

Moscow - opened for Oswald windows

Rome - No, past elections issue and current narcotics

projects

Delhi - No, counter narcotics projects

Madrid - Liaison relationships have been up and down; (PNGed

five officers) can't afford any more flaps

Rabat - long time relationship w/ head of state; could give

anti-government labor unions an issue however, would

not "fall on my sword" for this one

Helsinki and Stockholm -- would go to DCI with request to

appeal (governments currently under fire for cooperation

with US/very sensitive operation under way

Marwell asked about substitute language: Scandinavia,

• Northern Europe -- Bill responded with Western Europe/ said

southern Europe for Rome, Madrid etc. "ok"

London: do not want to acknowledge but could live with

Australia - very sensitive

Berlin - is open in 1955; 1963 (?) Bill may have been having

second thoughts about previous

statement "to release", but I

think it still stands -- there

was a discussion of why

Berlin important to story.

south

Mary asked about other European stations, Bombay and some

South American stations

Bill did not have specific on other stations but made a

couple of comments

Bonn and Hague - no problem

Brussels - very sensitive to any mention of intelligence

service presence

Would get back to them on other stations

[I promised Bill a list of the Stations]

Secret

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## Page 59

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Secret - Working Paper

Other issues discussed

Crypts other than LIs and AMs - there was a discussion re

deleting digraph and letting rest of crypt; everyone seemed

receptive, but no decision.

Bill mentioned Iranian takeover as good example of damage

caused by release of documents with crypts, file #s, etc.

Gunn ask if there was an internal "damage"

study prepared.

Bill said he would check.

Marwell rejected the approach of the Agency having the

opportunity to discuss Board actions before official

notification.

If we have evidence, need to present upfront.

not come back with additional evidence after the decision.

The balancing of public interest vs Agency needs came up

several times; Marwell commented that even if a document or

item is not important to the Oswald story, the Agency must

still defend.

Bill stated several timed during the meeting "If important

to the story, we can live with release".

Barry

12 October 1995

Secret

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