THE CIA, UNDER PRODDING FROM CONGRESS, TODAY AGREED TO ESTABLISH A NEW PROGRAM TO DECLASSIFY HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100060006-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 18, 2011
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: October 4, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/01/18: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100060006-8
REUTERS
4 October 1983
WASHINGTON
DOCUMENTS
Ttie CIA, under prodding from Congress,. today agreed to establish a new
program to declassify historical documents.
Meanwhile, the Senate Intelligence Committee approved unanimously and sent to
the full Senate a bill designed to ease the burden on the CIA of public
requests for, access to intelligence papers and data.
The simultaneous actions represent related attempts to respond to CIA
complaints that public requests for documents under the Freedom of Information
Act were overwhelming and to congressional concerns that public access to
important CIA papers not be unduly restricted.
A spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the new CIA
declassification program for historical papers and expressed qualified support
for the committee-approved bill.
The organization, which lobbies on civil rights and free speech issues, still
had problems with the legislation but believed it reflected substantial progress
over earlier versions, an ACLU spokesman said.
CIA Director William Casey agreed to establish the new declassification
program at the urging of Minnesota Republican David Durenberger, a member of the
Senate Intelligence Committee.
"It would demonstrate your commitment to openness in the things that matter
while continuing to safeguard that which must remain secret," Durenberger told
Casey.
. Casey said the program would focus on 20-30 year old files.
Of the Senate bill, Kentucky Democrat Walter Huddleston said: "I am satisfied
it will serve both the CIA's operational interests and the public's right to
have as much information as possible about their government."
The ACLU was particularly pleased by an amendment to the bill ensuring that
people with evidence of the CIA's improperly classifyinq files could ask a
STATJrt to review the matter, a spokesman said.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/01/18: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100060006-8