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1CV. 28. 195,2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

SECRET

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

WASHINGION, D.C. 20505

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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The Honorable John Raymond Tunheim

Chairman

Assassination Records

Review Board

600 E. Street N.W.

Washington, D.C.

Dear Judge Tunheim:

(C) I have just received informal word of the

decisions the JFK Board made at its 17 November 1997

meeting. Most of the Board's

decisions--those relating to

the CIA presence in Warrenton, CIA's involvement in various

non-governmental organizations, and the details of CIA

tunding of the Cuban Revolutionary Council-are very

welcome. I must, however, urge the Board to reconsider its

decision to release documents in a form that would reveal .

the Agency's use of State Department cover.

(C)

We stand behind the position that we have

presented in writing and in discussions with the Board on

previous occasions.

I would welcome an opportunity to have

a senior CIA representative meet with the Board at your

convenience to explain why the Agency considers this

information so sensitive and to answer any questions you may

have.

Meanwhile, I offer the following summary of our

fundamental concerns.

conduct its business with allied liaison services in

countries where host governments would find it politically

unacceptable to acknowledge a cooperative relationship with.

In all such settings,

State Department cover is critically important because its

use affords our officers the rights and privileges set foith

in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatio and Consular

(Immunity--diplomatic immunity, in particular. Indeed, the

effectiveness of the Agency's

use of state Department cover

CL BY:

2217297

CL REASON: 1.5 (c)

DECL ON:

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DRV FROM: COV 2-87.

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Judge Tunheim

Clearly illustrates the purpose behind the Director's

statutory obligation to protect intelligence methods from

unnecessary and inappropriate disclosure.

(S) No other cover mechanism can provide our officers

the operational utility and personal security that State

Department cover does:

Achieving effective cover,requires

that our officers be fully integrate off state department

entities, offices, and functions.

routinely assigned

State Department duties to make it harder

for hostile services and others who might try to harmor

expose our officers to identify them as Agency employees:.

Official acknowledgment of even the fact of Agency, use of

State Department cover would increase dramatically the risks

that both Agency officers and our State Department

colleagues encounter in serving US interests around the

world.

(S)

(State Department cover continues to be an

important intelligence method.

"Its use is undiminished

since the 1960s, and it will remain essential for the

foreseeable future. I urge the Board to reconsider its

recent decision insofar as it concerns the Ägency's use of

State Department cover:

In this regard,. we will be

forwarding a more comprehensive memorandum addressing the

damage issue prior to the next Board meeting, and we would

like to offer the Board the opportunity. for a personal

appearance by a senior CIA representative should that be

appropriate.

Sincerely,.

avid w. Carey

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