</s>104-10332-10023 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 THE DIRECTOR OF EILE COPY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505 23 16 September 1998 Mr. John R. Funheim Chair, Assassination Records Review Board 600 E Street, NW Washington, DC 205030 Re: JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 Dear Mr. Tuneheim: This will respond to your 14 September 1998 letter regarding Central Intelligence Agency Compliance with the "JFK Act." This will not respond to you to your14 September 1998 Letter regarding I have no doubt whatsoever that the CIA has fully met its obligations to locate, review, and release -assassination obligation to locate. Review, and Release -assessment records as defined in the JFK Act. The Agency's 2 September 1998 Declaration of Compliance-signed, as you note, by CIA's Director of Information Management, Edmund Cohen-confirms my judgement. I have full confidence in the scope of the Agency's search. As I have Full Confidence, I am not interested in the selection of the agency's As Director of Information Manager, for Cohen's directly responsible for CIA's records system and for the following: adequacy of CIA's search, review and release of documents under the JFK Act, Cohen signed the agency for declaration of compliance because he was the most senior Agency official with directors. Because he was no more appropriate signature. complete. I worked here was no longer appropriate signature." Have worked diligently to locate and disclose to the JFK Board have worked diligently in the appropriate CIA staff officers all relevant records to locate the agency's possession and that they do not believe any other relevant records are being withheld from the Board. Mr. Cohen's declaration confirms my understanding. I trust that this will meet your requirements. Sincerely, George J. Tenet

**Summary**  
The declassified documents detail CIA compliance with the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, including declarations by Frederick C. Wickham (JFK Focal Point Officer) and Teresa P. Wilcox (Directorate of Science and Technology). Key activities include searches for records related to Lee Harvey Oswald, defectors, and Cuban operations (e.g., the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion), as well as administrative updates on record management, destruction schedules, and declassification efforts. The documents reference the HSCA sequestered collection, the Warren Commission investigation, and the transfer of sensitive materials to the National Archives. Topics include Oswald’s defection to the USSR (1959), his return to the U.S., and ongoing surveillance by U.S. agencies. Some files were destroyed per Records Control Schedules (e.g., Garrison, Pawley, Hemming), while others were released or retained classified until 2017. The Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) coordinated requests for specific documents, such as organizational charts, cable traffic, and historical records, with some materials withheld due to sensitivity.  

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**Key People**  
- **Lee Harvey Oswald**: Central figure; defected to USSR in 1959, returned to the U.S., and was under surveillance by U.S. agencies.  
- **Marguerite D. Stevens**: Officer responsible for managing Oswald’s file, with her initials on multiple documents.  
- **Frederick C. Wickham**: JFK Focal Point Officer for CIA’s Directorate of Operations (DO), overseeing record reviews and interactions with the ARRB.  
- **Teresa P. Wilcox**: Information Review Officer for CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology (DSET), reviewing records related to JFK assassination inquiries.  
- **Leo Cherne, Lucien Conein, David Ferrie, Frank Sturgis, Loren Hall, Priscilla Johnson, Marvin Kantor, Jack Martin, Sylvia Odio, Robert Webster, Mitchell Werbell**: Individuals listed in AIN records, some linked to JFK investigations or cross-referenced.  
- **James Garrison, William Pawley, Gerald Hemming**: Names of individuals whose Security Files were destroyed per Records Control Schedules.  

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**Key Locations**  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Headquarters for CIA and OPS; site of record-keeping systems and administrative processes.  
- **Moscow, Russia**: Site of Oswald’s defection; referenced in State Department telegrams and CIA monitoring.  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Location of the assassination and FBI investigations (e.g., 1961 Dallas-based report).  
- **Mexico City**: Cited in cables and reports related to CIA operations and Oswald’s activities.  
- **National Archives**: Repository for declassified materials, including portions of CIA histories and released records.  

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**Key Events**  
- **Oswald’s Defection to USSR (1959)**: Tracked by U.S. agencies, including State Department reports and CIA monitoring.  
- **Creation of a Dedicated Oswald File (1960s)**: Separated from the "Defectors File" due to increased documentation.  
- **Destruction of Security Files**: Records for individuals like Garrison, Pawley, and Hemming were destroyed between 1994–1995 per Records Control Schedules.  
- **ARRB Requests**: The ARRB sought specific documents (e.g., organizational charts, cable traffic) with some materials released and others withheld due to sensitivity.  
- **Declassification of Historical Documents**: Portions of CIA histories, such as the "Bay of Pigs" declaration project, were released to the National Archives.  
- **1993–1998 Searches for JFK-Related Records**: Includes declassification of 74,000 pages and microfilm; challenges in locating documents due to destruction or sensitivity.  

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**Key Organizations**  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Maintained files on Oswald and others; involved in counterintelligence efforts.  
- **Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB)**: Requested access to classified documents and historical records related to JFK’s assassination, interacting with CIA officials like Wickham.  
- **National Archives**: Repository for declassified materials, including portions of CIA histories and released records.  
- **Directorate of Operations (DO)**: Conducted searches for operational records and managed sensitive information during investigations.  
- **Directorate of Science and Technology (DSET)**: Responsible for reviewing and managing records related to JFK assassination inquiries.  
- **Office of Personnel Security (OPS)**: Conducted searches for individuals linked to the JFK assassination, including Edward Epstein and Harold Weisberg.  

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**Note**: No social security numbers were present in the documents, though [SSN REDACTED] placeholders were noted where such data might have appeared in original records.

Summary: The document details Frederick C. Wickham Jr.'s declaration regarding CIA records review requests tied to the JFK assassination investigation. It references internal CIA reports (CIA-IR-18 to CIA-RR-37) focusing on defector files, individuals linked to Cuban exile groups, and operational records. Key topics include trace searches for names such as A. Leo Cherne, Hunter Leake, John McVickar, Andy Anderson, Byron B. Morton Jr., Marie Cheatham, Paul A. Garber, Verna Deane Brown, George Stanley Brown, Howard Geubler, Gordon Duane Novel, Ed Butler, and INCA (Information Council of the Americas). It also addresses "Monster Plot NBR" files, AMWORLD operation details supporting Cuban exile groups under Manuel Artime, and Oswald Lewinter's alleged activities. Notes on CIA procedures for handling 1963 cables, file management practices, and responses to ARRB inquiries about post-assassination intelligence gathering are included.  

Key People: Frederick C. Wickham Jr., A. Leo Cherne (Leopold Chernetsky), Hunter Leake, John McVickar, Andy Anderson, Byron B. Morton Jr., Marie Cheatham, Paul A. Garber, Verna Deane Brown, George Stanley Brown, Howard Geubler, Gordon Duane Novel, Ed Butler, INCA members, Clay Shaw, Jim Garrison, Oswald Lewinter (George Mariah), Manuel Artime, William Pawley  

Key Locations: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cuba, Langley, Virginia, Washington D.C., Paris, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Helsinki Station, Ottawa Station, Rangoon Station, Phnom Penh Station, Bukavu Base, Lagos Station, Khartoum Station, Melbourne Station, and other international locations  

Key Events: Review of defector files by ARRB, trace searches for JFK-related individuals, AMWORLD operation to support Cuban exile groups, planning for the Bay of Pigs invasion, post-assassination cable directives (DIR 84600, DIR 85133), handling of Oswald Lewinter's records, CIA file management procedures, documentation of the 1963 Vietnamese coup by Saigon Station, and discussions about destruction of HTLINGUAL files linked to JFK investigations  

Key Organizations: CIA Directorate of Operations (DO), ARRB (Assassination Records Review Board), IMS/ESG/HCS, DDP/DC, INCA (Information Council of the Americas), Cuban exile groups, AMWORLD program, CIA History Staff, Pike Committee, Church Committees

JFK Declassified Files

104-10332-10023.pdf

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