DESTRUCTION OF ANGLETON'S FILES
Originator: CIA
From: CHIEF, ISS
To: C, COUNTERINTELLIGENCE STAFF
Document date: 03/29/1979
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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

2 3 M0/ 13/6

MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Counterintelligence taff

FROM

:

Charles

_A. Briggs

Chief, Information Services Staff

SUBJECT

: CI Staff Records Study

REFERENCE

:

Memorandum for the Record dated 4 February 1976,

Subject:

Meeting with Chief, Cl Staff, from

Chief, Information Services Group

A.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

1.

At the request of Chief, CI Staff, an ISS Analyst Team

has worked with the CI Staff to:

a.

Conduct a study of CI Staff's records holdings,

records keeping practices and problems.

b.

Develop iccommendations for bringing Cl Staff's

twenty-five year

accumulation of compartmented and sensitive

records and files under control of the DO Central Records

System.

Design methods for recording sensitive information

in the DDO Central Records System to provide leads to CI

Staff's, holdings while providing appropriate

protection.

d.

Coordinate systems development activity needed to

help CI Staff accomplish the recommended objectives.

The ISS Team surveyed the CI Staff's records holdings

to determine hol these records relate to the DDO Central Records

System. All records being held at Headquarters were reviewed; a

sampling of the material being held at the Records Center was

reviewed.

3..

The ISS team reviewed current se....ù, iu.dis practici

to measure records traffic and ascertain that material

was being

properly processed into the DDO Central Records System.

B.

FINDINGS

1.

The records currently being maintained by CI Staff to

support its existing organization are generally well organized

and for the most part, properly maintained. There are cases where

Property mine gone:

3

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official files have not been opened and records are not being

processed into the DDO Central Records System because the material

is considered too sensitive.

Procedures for processing this

material into the records system are being developed.

2.

CI Staff has accumulated several hundred feet of

files that contain a mixture of record and non-record material.

Many of these files are fragmented, reflecting previously divided

or parallel responsibilities among CI Staff, and in some cases,

other DDO components.

There are many files, and many documents

within files,

particularly CI Staff memoranda, codeword material,

sensitive liaison correspondence, etc., which have never been

processed into the records system.

especially

those being held at the Records Center, are ambiguously

Some of these files identified.

Some of the documents in these files are completely unrelated to the

subject of the file.

The files that have a continuing operational

value should be pulled together and the records in the files indexed

and abstracted in accordance with existing procedures.

The files

that no longer have an operational value should be retired in their

present form.

While it is not necessary to perform in-depth indexing

of these dormant records, it is important that the names of people

with whom the Agency has

been operationally involved be identified

in the records system.

Files that contain background, reference,

and working papers are

being held but apparently are not being used.

The ISS recommendations for disposition of the tiles, including the

destruction of much material in accordance with approved records

schedules and the retirement of transfer of other holdings to

more appropriate components, are contained in Annex A.

3.

There are a number of policy and management files

that

shoul'd

be established for the documents that reflect the

Staff's plans, policies and procedures.

The documents that provide

this type of information are currently buried in miscellaneous files

and cannot be retrieved, in an organized manner.

4.

There are several card indexes being held by CI Staff.

These indexes do not reflect current Staff needs nor do they

meet the indexing

criteria established for the DDO Records System.

They are filled with extraneous information such as the names of

CI/Research and Analysis Group maintains

an index of 270,000 3x5 cards that provides access by name to its

extensive document holdings.

The cards in this index contain

name and document reference but no biographic data to facilitate

identification.

Many of the cards should be purged, but there is

insufficient data on the cards themselves to make a

judgment.

These

indexes

should not be integrated into the Records System.

The names

can be indexed into the system directly from the documents that

warrant processing into the central system.

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5.

Some material is considered too sensitive to be processed

by the Central Records System.

There are names

that cannot be

disclosed during a routine name trace because of the personality's

notoriety or operational significance.

There are documents which

require special handling to protect sensitive sources and the CI

Staff's interest in certain cases and subjects.

C. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

1..

Annex A identifies the

files being held in each CI Staff

office and the Records Center and contains recommendations for their

disposition.

A considerable number of these files should be analyzed

to ensure that records are properly filed and identified in the DDO

Central Records

System. Miscellaneous files such as background,

reference, and working

papers that do not contain

record material

need not be processed into the records system. Cl Staff should revier

them to determine their utility and destroy those that are no longer

used. The following recommendations on staffing, computer support,

and space should help to support integration of

the appropriate

records into the central system.

a. Staffing

(1)

A project team consisting of ISS personnel

should be established to analyze the record material and

perform the necessary codification, abstracting, indexing,

cross-referencing and cross-filing. Experience or training as

an ISS analyst is

a prerequisite for processing this material.

The age and diversity of the material will present unusual

problens.

Experience with both the older records and the

facilities provided by the records system to support document

processing is desirable.

(2) There is a total of 418 feet of record material

to be analyzed and it will take an estimated 11.9 man years

based on the following statistics.

# pages

# pages

per foot

per document

2000

2 1/2

•* documents

analyzed per hour

7

(3)

The project team should consist of four ISS

analysts.

Three of these analysts should process records

full time.

The fourth should be a senior analyst who can

supervise

the project and process records half time.

The

senior-analyst must have a practical knowledge of the

records system,:

especially the older records, and the

CI Staff's past

records keeping practices.

45

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b.

Computer Support

(1) It is recommended that a Video Display Terminal

and a romote printer be installed in the CI Staff area.

This

display terminal

and associated printer will enable the analysts

to communicate directly with the

computerized data base containing

file, and document status information. These terminals

Will be used to process the old records into the system and to

perform

current records processing needs.

(2)

It is recommended that two Four-Phase Data

Entry terminals be installed in the CI Staff area to allow analyst

to key new index and abstract records..

It is estimated that

somewhat less than 50% of the documents to be analyzed will

require processing. Using an average of two index and one

will have to be keyed.

working area will eliminate the need to mail documents to IP

Electronic Data Input Section for processing..

c. Space

A secure area will be needed as work space for

the analysts, computer and data entry terminals, and document

storage.

The CI/Research and Analysis Group's vault, Room 2B-28

is recommended. It is large enough to accommodate a

team of

four analysts.

Its proximity to ODP's Special Computer

Center and IP/Electronic Data Input Section facilitates computer

and data entry terminal installation.

the files to be analyzed are already stored, a large portion of

in this area.

The responsibility for maintenance of files that are

split between two or more CI Staff components should be assigned

to a single component and the material in the files consolidated.

The CI/RMO should establish Policy and Management files

paid such our one he say to the a sure 0m 3

4.

The senior analyst who supervises the ISS team should

also serve permanently as the CI Staff analyst to perform four basic

functions:

a .

Process CI material currently being handled by

the IP/Data Management Section.

b.

Ensure that files

are properly opened and maintained.

C.

Serve as a records referent to provide advice on how

sensitive cases and projects can be processed into the records

system in a manner that protects the privacy of sources and

methods.

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d.

Analyze

and process current as well as backlogged,

sensitive material, (including CI Operational letters and

ERJAFFY) into the Central Records Systen.

5.

A computerized information system should be developed

to enable CI Staff to maintain a central index of names that are

considered too sensitive to record in the DDO Central Records System.

Indexes to sensitive names are currently being held by individual

case officers and it is difficult to account for the names and the

documents they are identified in. A compartmented computer file will

enable CI Staff to identify readily their sensitive name holdings

and account for the associated documents.

6.

The system should also allow DDO main index name trace

requests to be compared with the sensitive name file. The fact that

another component or agency is conducting a trace on a name considered

sensitive by CI Staff concerns the Staff.

This type of comparison

will provide a mechanism for alerting the Staff to outside interest.

CI Staff personnel can then take appropriate action (such as contacting

the requester).

7.

All processing that involves

these names must be done

in a manner that affords maximum security. Annex B contains a

proposal for developing a computerized system for handling these

sensitive names.

However, ISS is considering other alternatives

for meeting this requirement.

D. ALTERNATIVES

1. All solutions to the CI Staff's record keeping problems

explored by the ISS team involved processing the appropriate

holdings into the DDO Central Records System. Failure to process

the material into the Central Records System means running the

risk that, in any investigation, or in response to Freedom of

Information Act or Privacy Act inquiries, information will be

overlooked or brought forth piecemeal to erode the Agency's credibility

or bring into question management's control over information

CoLLeCtIOn

and exploitation.

The following solutions were explored:

a .

The various card indexes being held by CI Staff

could be entered into the records system to provide access

to the CI files.

The files could continue to be held in

hard copy or converted to microform to reduce storage require-

ments.

However, these indexes do not contain the biographic.

data nocessary to facilitate positive identification during.

a name trace of the central system. The files themselves

must also be reviewed and processed to eliminate fragmentation,

incorrect titles and filing, etc.

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b:

The existing records could be sent to IP/Data Manage-

ment Section for processing into the records system. IP/DMS

has the records expertise and

the computer terminals necessary

to support records processing.

This approach would necessitate

moving the records from CI Staff to IP/DNS which could present

security problems. It would also impede CI access to the

material while it was being processed. Because the IP/DMS

was bronza

analysts have other work to perform,

the CI material would

nave a secondary priority which would defer the completion of

the project:

E.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The ISS Team's recommendations are that:

1.

CI Staff's record material should be integrated into the.

DDO Central Records System.

2.

A project team should be established to expedite this

records integration.

3.

Computer terminals should be installed in CI Staff to

facilitate records processing.

4.

Fragmented files should be consolidated and responsibilities

for them fixed.

5. Policy and management files should be opened.

6.:

A computer system should be developed to allow names

of sensitive personalities to be recorded in the central system

for access by authorized CI Staff personnel and to enable CI Staff

to monitor interest in these personalities.

Controls for sensitive

files should be developed on a case by case basis.

7.

A senior ISS analyst should be assigned to CI Staff to

handle current records processing needs.

8.

Although the ISS Team did not attempt to make recommen-

dations on altering the

design of the DDO Records System,

they did see a need to improve the system's facilities for

handling

CI Staff is not the only component

that deals with sensitive material, and other components like

CI Staff tend to control their sensitive material outside the

central system.

To ensure that sensitive material is accounted

for in the central system, methods for protecting sensitive holdings

must be designed into a future records system.

181 Charisa A. Brides

Charles A. Briggs

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Subject: CI Staff Records Study

Attachments:

1.

Annex A - Survey of the Active Records of the

Counterintelligence Staff

Attachment 1:

Attachment 2:

Records requiring processing

Sensitive records requiring special

processing

Attachment 3:

Recommendations for Policy and

Management files

2. Annex B - Computer system proposal for handling

CI Staff's sensitive names

3

DDO/ISS/SG/AD/fLEichorn:bg (19 November 1976) X7371

Distribution:

Original

.1

2

- C/CI

(w/att)

- C/ISS

(n/o att)

1

- DC/ ISS

(w/o att)

1

- EPS/ EG

1

(w/o

att)

- ISPG

(w/o att)

1

- C/ IMG

(w/atti

1

- C/ IPG

(w/o att)

1

- C/SG

(w/o att)

1

- C/'SG/AD

(w/o att)

1

- Project File (FLE) (w/att)

1

- Reading Board (n/o att)

1

- EPS/EG (Mr. Glenn Brown) (w/o att)

SECRET

Inc

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29 MorTI

CI 140-79

...

MENOR4128 FOR: Chief, Inforration Management Staff

ATTENTIOK

: Chief, Operations Group

FROM

:

David g. Blee

Chief, Counterintelligence Staff

SUBJECT

CI Staff Record Study

REFERENCE

: Information Services Staff Nemorandum,

76-572, dated 23 November 1976

1. The IMS Analyst Team assigned to CI Staff has

completed

a little over two years of an estimated 3.4

years' assigment to the Staff.

During this period

of the original 417 feet of Staff unprocessed

records have been reviewed by either the IMS Analysts

or. Cl Siaff personnel.

The Analysts recently completed

the processing of over 2,000 soft files which are the

responsibility of our Technical Branch. This task was

done in a most expeditious manner.

for the caliber of personnel you have been sending to

Pop person

ditsons a you have

He remain thankful

the Staff. (C)

2.

In order to more fully understand how best to

complete the remaining unprocessed records we have

compiled a listing of those records reviered by the ISS

Analyst Team

in 1976, but not yet completed. Ke estimate

that 246 feet of files have been revieied by the Task

Force and another 31 feet by cl Staff personnel, leaving

roughly 90 feet of unprocessed material vet to be reviered

and possibly incorporated into the DO Central Records

System.

of the paper

revieved by CI Staff personnel

were found to be duplicate and lere destroyed. Those

documents which had to be processed lere given to the

IS Analysts for processing.

WARING COTICE

1:::62007 8 00S

015958

10

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- 2.

:

3.

The folloring files remain to be reriered and

possibly processed:

(S)

FILE DESCRIPTION

LOCATION

a. C/CI

FOOTAGE

6

b. C/CI

c. C/C1

Miscellaneous Policy,

Operational, and

Subject Files

99

Operation CANARY -

Soviet Contacts

Mise Subject Files

[ERTAFFY Chrono

d. C/C1

(Records

Center)

c. CI/A/IS

(Records

Center)

6

Vogel-Krogery Gulik

11

Case - The X-Y-Z

Çase -DENINDOW Project-

6 NOSEITER Case

2Q ORNING -

EENPASSKEY Project -

2 ERCHEST PrOJeCt -

2E gHULAGE Project

MIKE/PORTIO/HAITI

2 DEMILKY Case

ITKIN

3 File

99°

GROUNDHOG Case

22

Covers period 1944-

1969.

RE ARKS

SaTe COSINT-

integrate into

existing files.

Open Subjest

illes.

Integrate

into 201 files.

Sensitive -

Restricted -

None in DO

Records System.

IMS Analyst

processing

required.

Some sensitive.

5 X 8 Card Index

in CI/A/IS.

f. C/CI/OG

-

Review files.

Some material

integrate into

PMF and other

official files.

Obtain file

number, register

crjpt.

Index

individuals

involved in

case.

Processing

required.

Misc.

Liaison Files -

Sensitive

portions

of 201

and Operaiions

Files.

11

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. i....

.3

LOCATION

g. CI/A/T

FILE DESCRIPTION

COMINT Case Files.

FOOTAGE

'2.

z

h. CI/A/1S

LLOYFONI Project

9

REMARKS

Revier for

processing into

officjal files.

Some official

documents.

Includes

approxinately

1, 5

index cards.

Official subject

file 100-006-113

already indexed

but should be

reviered for

future retention.

Request IMS

advice on how

to proceed with

this review.

i. CI/A/IS

Sensitive CIA/

LIAISON Files.

30

Contains

nemoranda -

Very Sensitive -

d'one in DO

Records System.

4.

In addition to the above, a member of your

Staff has been reviewing and consolidating the HEAT"!

Project.

When the review is completed we hope to

receive a recommendation on whether or not this material

should be processed.

This project is sensitive and

contains some 35 feet of unprocessed paper. Fresent

same kind of review of the [GROUNDHodMaterial (Item

agreed to by menbers ofggyour Staff, call for the

prior to processing by the IMS Analysts assigned to the

Staff.

SMENST

12

3hmc

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_4 -

5. Unfortunately the time required to complete

the above will have to be a rough estimate. At times

the Analysts have been able to move rapidly through

the files, while at other times they have run into

records problems and the work has been slow.

They •

have just begun the processing of Item i above.

is a compartmented codelord file and every document

will have to be revielied and most processed into the

DO Central Records System (STAR) •

le believe there

will be considerable indexing to

do and it may take

from 6 to 8 months to complete this project.

The time

remaining to complete everything will depend upon the 99

decision made concerning the WHEAT] Project, the GROUNDHOG

Project, and the LCiAYFOWL Material. These three files

Meters of our

feet of paper.

We will work closely with

members of your Staff on these decisions.

David H. Blee

DDO/C/CI/A/1S/Bradley:as

Distribution:

Orig. & 1 - Addressee

1

- C/CI Chrono

1 - CI/A/IS Chrono

29 March 1979

R- 9429'

13

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101

ADMINISTRATIVE- INTERNAL USE ONLY

5 August 1977

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

FROM:

Leslie S. Raty

Deputy Chief, IMPG

SUBJECT:

Processing of Documents by the Analysis Unit

in CI Staff

1..

This will confirm the conclusions of a

discussion held on 26 July 1977 between the members of

the CI Staff Analysis Unit and the undersigned.

2.

It was the understanding of the ISS team that

surveyed the records of CI Staff that the Analysis Unit

would process information found in the Staff which had

not been previously processed into the records system.

It would compare files opened by CI Staff with files

already opened in the central system consolidating them

where duplication existed and registering unique files

centrally when warranted. It would also process

unique

documents found in the staff which had not been

previously processed. The survey team recognized,

however, that the CI Staff held literally thousands of

documents which were duplicates of documents already

processed for the central system for other DDO

components.

These included non-record or carbon copies

DOC. MICRO. SER.

• DEC 16 1992 -

MICROFILMED

IMs ASB

ADMINISTRATIVE- INTERNA

USE-ONLY

RECORD COPY:

/

Kx-0x877

05. Aug.17

67V-673-001

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ADMINISTRATIVE-INTERNAL USE ONLY

of cables and dispatches and memorandums for which CI

Staff was only an information addressee..: These the

team did not believe warranted reprocessing.

these documents are an integral part of a file being

integrated into or consolidated with a duplicate file

in the central system the documents should be retained

in the official file but not be reprocessed

individually.

Leslie S. Rat

Distribution:

Orig - CI/RA

1:-

IP/DMS

1

IP/PB

DC / IMPG

- C1/ RMO

2

ADMINISTRATIVE-INTERNAL USE ONGY

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101

ADMINISTRATIVE- INTERNAL USE ONLY

5 August 1977

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

FROM:

Leslie S. Raty

Deputy Chief, IMPG

SUBJECT:

Processing of Documents by the Analysis Unit

in cr Staff

1.

This will confirm the conclusions of a

discussion held on 26 July 1977 between the members of

tbe cr Staff Analysis Unit and the undersigned.

2. It was the understanding of the ISS team that

surveyed the records of CI Staff that the Analysis Unit

would process information found in the Staff which had

not been previously processed into the records system.

It would compare files opened by CI Staff with files

already opened in the central system consolidating them

where duplication existed and registering unique files

centrally when warranted.

It would also process unique

documents found in the staff which had not been

previously processed. The survey team recognized,

however, that the CI Staff held literally thousands of

documents which were duplicates of documents already

processed for the central

system for other DDO

components.

These included non-record or carbon copies

DOC. MICRO. SER

- DEC 16 1992

MICROFILMED

Ims/ASB

*ADMINISTRATIVE- INTERNAL

RECORD COPY;

Kx-0x877

05. Aug.17

67V-673-001

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ADMINISTRATIVE-INTERNAL USE ONLY

of cables and dispatches and memorandums for which CI

Staff was only an information addressee...These the

team did not believe warranted reprocessing.

where

these documents are an integral part of a file being

integrated into or consolidated with a duplicate file

in the central system the documents should be retained

in the official file but not be reprocessed

individually.

Leslie S. Raty

Distribution:

Orig - CI/RA

1 - IP/DMS

1 - IP/PB

DC/IMPG

• CI/RMO

2

ADMINISTRATIVE-INTERNAL USE ONLY

---