</s>204-10337-10014 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 KILLASE IN FULL 2000 24 November, 1998 Memo for the Record Subject: JFK Records Review - Lessons Learned The CIA's JFK Records Review is made up primarily of records pulled together for the Warren Commission, House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) and the Assassinations Records Review Board (ARBB) It contains a assassination Records Record Board (HRBB) and contains a material. The current index is flawed and contains gaps. Release standards were liberal, basically only sources identities, information and legal agents, activities were identified. The information and name of the agents, and activities were redacted. There is no evidence in the Collection and indicate that the Warren Commission conclusions were wrong. I. The JFK Act Mandated review and declassification projects can be two-edged swords. The JFK Act forced the Agency to review records that should have been opened years ago. The legal required to preserve release, backed up by an independent requirement to preserve releases, backed by the independent would not have been released under other programs. However, the Act and the Review Board created by the Act imposed un- the Act was not the first amendment to the Constitution. which elastic deadlines, flexible standards and procedures and had an over-all negative effect on the Agency's release program. Unrealistic Deadlines: Act did not take into account the start-up time up to costs (searching) not take account the first time up and the project of this magnitudes, nor the time it would take take a project by this page review and sanitation of the classification documents. For example, initial indexing of the collection was done on a examples, no time it could take a piece of paper, or flawed database. The revising, re-indexing and updating of that database took several thousand re-hours and continues today. Mandated Procedures: NARA's and ARRB's interpretation of the law created a time-consuming, labor-time interpretation procedure that the agency and its associates are aware of time-time review both the Agency and Board mandate on issue were spent by marginal to the story and to processing decisions by the Board. For example: a. Under the JFK Act every piece of paperwork in the collection was considered a "unique" assassination record. The result is a staggering amount of chaff and duplication.

Summary  
The document details the U.S. government's declassification process of records related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination under the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act (ARC) of 1992, highlighting procedural challenges, legal frameworks, and agency coordination. Key issues included statutory mandates requiring review of all potentially relevant documents regardless of significance, leading to resource-intensive processes with duplicated materials, extensive redaction, and delays due to appeals to the President. The Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) played a central role in determining relevance and final release decisions, often prioritizing conspiracy theories over operational secrecy. Agencies such as the CIA, FBI, and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) faced demands for transparency while balancing national security concerns. Specific files reviewed included Oswald’s "201" file, security records, Mexico City station materials, and audio tapes. The process spanned several years, with ongoing disputes over sensitive operational details like telpataps, crypts, and foreign intelligence coordination. Examples of delayed releases include documents involving the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) withheld until 2017 due to national security risks. The experience influenced future policies, emphasizing streamlined processes, early oversight coordination, and experienced personnel to avoid reputational damage from inconsistent disclosures.  

Key People  
- John F. Kennedy (President assassinated in 1963)  
- Lee Harvey Oswald (assassin; central figure in the investigation)  
- James Angleton (CIA director during relevant period)  
- Charles A. Briggs (author of the memorandum)  
- Barry Harrelson (HPR/JFK Project Officer)  
- Members of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB)  
- House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO)  

Key Locations  
- Washington, D.C. (headquarters for agencies involved)  
- Mexico City (location of CIA station referenced in documents)  
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)  
- Canberra, Australia (site of ASIO interactions and document disputes)  
- Berlin (mentioned in context of KOSTIKOV KOSMOS document)  

Key Events  
- 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy  
- Formation of the Warren Commission (1963) and subsequent HSCA (1975)  
- Enactment of the JFK Records Review Act of 1992 and its implementation leading to a seven-year declassification process  
- Review and release of Oswald’s "201" file, security records, and Mexico City station materials  
- Disputes over disclosure of sensitive operational details (e.g., telpataps, crypts)  
- Postponement of ASIO-related documents until 2017 due to national security concerns  
- Legal review in 1994 clarifying DCI authority over intelligence sources/methods in JFK records  
- 1999 secret attachment detailing CIA and ASIO coordination, including withheld documents referencing Australian security services  

Key Organizations  
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)  
- Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB)  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)  
- Office of Information Management (OIM)  
- Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO)  
- British Security Service (BSS)  
- Dutch National Security Service  
- Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)

JFK Declassified Files

104-10337-10014.pdf

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