HSCA REQUESTS AND CIA RESPONSES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R001200120046-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 21, 2006
• Sequence Number: 46
• Publication Date: July 7, 1978
• Content Type: MFR

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7 July 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT : HSCA Requests and CIA Responses
1. The Chief Counsel and StafF Director of the
HSCA, Mr. Blakey, has set a deadline of 17 July for
the Agency's responses to its requests. As explained
by him, any requests submitted to the Agency prior
to that date and not fulfilled by us (accepting the
lead time for normal research) will be held as not "in
compliance" with HSCA requests. This gambit was a
follow-on to statements by us that we are now in a
state of high production, accompanied with reminders
that HSCA people are far behind in reviewing material
provided for the HSCA.
2. We have explained to Mr. Blakey that the
loosely stated requirements cause considerable
difficulty in researching in response to requests.
Requests come with first names "lnu" and last names
"fnu." In one instance a request was for information
concerning an unnamed organization in Dallas, Texas.
The problem appears to be the result of a decision
taken within the HSCA staff early in its inquiry, to
seek information on any reference that turned up,
regardless of relevance, on the long, long chance
that it might produce some useful lead. The principle
has been adhered to so unswervingly, that it can be
characterized as unthinking and indiscriminate. A
result has been to choke the system, so to speak,
with meaningless and irrelevant requests that are
difficult if not impossible to research. HSCA personnel
have been told of the difficulty in research on such
badly described informational desires, e.g., in IMS
some 40% of research is required for some 5% of the
requests. We have sought an assignment of priorities,
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and a review of earlier requests to see if there is still
interest in having them pursued. With the exception of
one investigator, there has been resistance to any
review of practice, of earlier requests, or assignment
of priorities. They will do nothing to refine or
facilitate the existing process.
3. While it is correct to say that the Agency could
have provided a higher priority to HSCA requests--at
least in the Directorate of Operations--the fact is that
research staffs have been cut, with other demanding
requirements also to be met (such as from the Secret
Service). To the extent that HSCA could have cooperated
in ordering its investigation and helping hold down
truly baseless requests, it has not done so. In a very
real sense, both organizations---CIA and HSCA--can assume
some of the fault for the present state. One thing that
does not ring true about HSCA protests on this score,
is its failure to take advantage of the extensive files
made available for its review. It has not reviewed
even half of that being held in the Agency for this
purpose. Given this background, there is some reason
for skepticism in the announcement that past requests
not fulfilled by 17 July will be considered as not in
compliance and., as stated orally by Mr. Blakey, not the
subject of further research. There is some basis,
given the HSCA track record on this, to see this as
an admission that much of the old requests (which they
have declined to winnow out when requested)are truly
not relevant to the investigation. Representations
by HSCA on this score are viewed as being somewhat
cynical and false.
4. Sensing some tactical maneuver on the part of
the HSCA staff, tied to the status of CIA responses to
HSCA requests, new emphasis has been put on providing
materials for review in response to requests. Fortunately,
this already had been given a new priority, and an increased
flow of materials had begun to arrive in the review area.
It is possible that our description of this development
to HSCA was a contributing factor to HSCA decisions to
set a deadline now. For the next few days--until the
17 July deadline--we are taking no so-called follow-on
requests for rp ocessing, although we are accepting
them. We are accepting requests on new areas of
inquiry, for handling along with those already under
process, although as a practical matter the turn-around
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time for normal processing cannot be shortened by less
than ten days. We will see how total production stands
by the deadline, and then just how many unanswered
requests there are from the past (not the current new
ones), and how important they are to Mr. Blakey.
5. However, the first finger-pointing time may be
upon us, and we should be prepared for it.
OLC/SDB/hfs
Distribution:
1 - SA/DDCI
1 - DDO
1 - DDA
IG
C/SE
C/CI
C/LA
D/Security
D/CPS
1 - OLC Chrono
Orig. OLC Subj.
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