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2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
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3-23-98
Notes from meeting with ARRB staff 20 March 1998 .
re Board Issues (attendees Gunn _ Skwirot Combs)
I NEW ISSUE : Covert Actions Document 178-10002-10415
[Rockfeller Commission document 1
This document went before the Board in November as part
of a group. of documents from the Ford Presidential Library.
It refers to_Agency (eovert financial ZupporE in Peruvian
Greek Finnish_ Italian and Brazilian elections and support
to @abor union in_France_ and ItalyJ The ARRB staff viewed
the highlighted material (all references to covert action)
as not germane to the assassination and had not anticipated
a problem_ The Board instead questioned the deletions and
asked for more evidence before agreeing to protect The
sense of the staff is that the Board 1s leaning toward
release The DO team prepared a response for the staff in
February, however , it is not strong enough to take to the
Board _
Given that the next Board meeting is 3 weeks away ,
we discussed a two step process:
1 At the 13 April meeting, have a senior official (Ed?)
appear before the Board to a) underscore the importance of
this issue to Agency and Intelligence. Community; b) ask why
these covert actions_ are important to the JFK asg28snation?
They obviously have interest to historians but seem beyond
the charter
[Key 'points to make : this is not just Agency decision_ NSC
and/or WH will have to be consulted; the protection
classification has been has up-held by (ISCAP?) If
Ed went down , it would also serve as an opportunity to meet
the other Board members We could also make available to
ARRB any material previously prepared defending protection
of covert actions if appropriate.]
2 If the Board remains inclined to release, prepare full
evidence package , etc for 12. meeting
According to Gunn there is no way to avoid sending
this document to the Board Once the Board has expressed
an interest in an issue_ they expect to see it again-
ACTION: We need to advibe Gunn next week if we are going
to have bomeone addre88 the ib8ue at the April meeting- If
not, the document will be scheduled for action at the May
Lt 11 meeting and our evidence package should be available for
the ARRB staff no later than the week of May 4
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II Alias documentation and accommodation addresses
[Multiple documents I briefed You earlier on this iegue
ARRB staff proposed compromise
Documentation (driver permits , SSN_ membership cards etc. ) ~
a_ If documentation can be obtained by anyone (pocket
litter: National Rife-Association card, club memberships
cards etc. ) the presumption will be to release
b_ If documentation would be expected to require
agreement of another government entity (Federal state or
Local) or private
company or organization _ the presumption
will be to protect
C Items that are considered by the ARRB staff to be
important to the story _ or that do not fall clearly into one
of the above categories_ will be considered on a cage-by -
case base The Agency may be required to provide additional
evidence to protect in these cases
Accommodation Addresses :
Release as much of the address as possible without
identifying
a specific location or otherwise providing
information that could lead to identification of an
individual cooperating with the Agency . For example delete
house number release street
Aliases [when true name is released]
If outside of the JFK timeframes (generally 1960-1964)
the presumption is protect .
If within a JFK timeframe presumption is to release ;
additional evidence will be required to protect _
Action: The HRP and DO JFK teamb will re-review the
document8 applying the proposed compromise guidelines _ If
we conclude that the Agency 8 equitieb can be protected
under thie compromise, the ARRB staff will present the
guidelines to the Board at the April meeting with the
recommendation that the be adopted_ The staff will describe
the new' guidelines a8 much preferable to the cabe-be-Cabe
approach which requires extengive research by the Agency
consume an inordinate amount of 8taff time
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