MEMO: ISSUES RE CRYPTONYMS, COUNTRY DESIGNATORS, ACTION INDICATORS AND EMPLOYEE TRUE NAMES
Originator: CIA
From: BARRY HARRELSON. CIS/CSI.HRG
To: JEREMY GUNN. ARRB STAFF
Document date: 11/08/1995
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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1104-10330-10021

2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992)

SECRET

8 November 1995

MEMORANDUM FOR:

FROM:

SUBJECT:

Jeremy Gunn,

ARRB Staff

Barry Harrelson,

CIS/CSI/HRG

Issues re Cryptonyms, Country

Designators, Action Indicators and

Employee True Names (U)

Attached is memorandum from the DO Focal Point.

staff and complements information provided in previous

discussions.

Ellie and I welcome the opportunity to discuss

these issues with your staff. (U)

Attachment

Unclassified When Separated

From Attachment.

SECRET

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J F/:

MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Historical Review Group

FROM:

Fredrick C. Wickham, JI.

DO, Focal Point for ARRB

SUBJECT:

Position on Release of Cryptonyms,

Country

Designators, Action Indicators

and Employee True

Names

During the period since the ARRB last met, the DO has

considered the four issues listed below that have not yet been

addressed with the Board. These issues appear throughout the JFK

collection and by stating our position up front we hope to

facilitate the Board's review and to reach an agreement that will

be mutually satisfying to the Board and the Agency.

Cryptonyms - Except for cryptonyms related to

operational assets' or activities involving Mexiço or Miami,

the Agency will release the main component of cryptonyms and

withhold only the two-letter digraph. Treating cryptonyms

in this manner will protect the nationalities of individuals

and operations that are not pertinent to Oswald or the JFK

investigation and render

an easier reading of the written

material.

Country File Designators - We will delete the first

element of operational activity and operational interest

files in those instances when the credibility of the

narrative is not affected. The first element of the file

those

number corresponds to the alphabetical position of the

country name which is easily discernible, whereas the

subsequent two elements relate to type of activity or

interest and specific subject.

Action Indicator (Slug) Lines - Generally, we will

release the entire action indicator line of a document.

Occasionally, however, we will withhold portions when the

CL BY 0695930

DECL OADR

DRV HUM 4-82 :

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SECRET

SUBJECT: Position on Cryptonyms, Country Designators, Action

Indicators and Employee True Names

context identifies a

source or a relationship with a

specific liaison service.

True Names of Staff Employees - In most instances we

will release names of employees who have retired in an overt

status and were serving in Headquarters when cited in a

document:

We will continue to protect the true names of

employees cited as serving in a field position. References

to field personnel in true name are uncommon, however, since

pseudonyms are normally used in correspondence between

Headquarters and the field.

2

SECRET

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