PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING RECORDS TRANSFERRED TO NARA UNDER THE CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP93B01194R000100090043-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 14, 2005
• Sequence Number: 43
• Publication Date: May 17, 2002
• Content Type: CONT

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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
AND THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SUBJECT: Procedures for Handling Records Transferred to NARA under the CIA
Historical Review Program
The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding between the National Archives
and Records Adminstration (NARA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is
to outline procedures for handling records that CIA transfers to NARA under
the Historical Review Program for release to the general public.
II. BACKGROUND
The CIA Information Act of October 1984 required the Director of Central
Intelligence (DCI) to consult with the Archivist of the United States, the
Librarian of Congress, and representative historians and report to four
congressional committees on the feasibility of conducting a program for the
systematic review, declassification and release to the public of CIA
information of historical value. After these consultations the DCI reported
to Congress in May 1985 that such a program was feasible, and that a
Historical Review Program had been established in accordance with the
recommendations of the consultants. Balancing the Agency's statutory duty to
protect intelligence sources and methods with legitimate public interest in
CIA records, this program aims to release inactive records, appraised as
permanently valuable, to the public through the National Archives without
risking damage to national security. To select material for review, permanent
records held by the Agency are searched chronologically, beginning with the
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earliest. Since the panel of consultants (which as Archivists of the United
States Or. Robert Warner convened in 1985 and Dr. Frank Burke in 1987),
concluded that the release of sanitized documents is preferable to withholding
whole documents, the program will release sanitized or redacted electrostatic
copies of documents along with fully declassified and unclassified records to
the public through the National Archives.
The National Archives and Records Administration and the Central Intelligence
Agency agree to the following:
A. In Record Group 263, Records of the Central Intelligence Agency, NARA will
establish a subgroup to accommodate the transfer of records from the CIA
Historical Review Program. Into this subgroup, the National Archives will
accession from the CIA Historical Review Program records from which
certain documents have been either withdrawn or sanitized to protect
sensitive intelligence sources or methods.
B. A document will only be sanitized if its essential significance can be
retained, and there is no distortion of its bibliographical identity,
including authorship and recipient, and use made of the record, even if
details of internal dissemination are excised. In such cases, CIA will
provide NARA with an electrostatic copy of the sanitized record in place
of the original record.
C. The National Archives will advise users of the Historical Review Program
subgroup of RG 263 that they may apply directly to CIA under the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act or the mandatory review
provisions of Executive Order 12356 to obtain review of withdrawn records
or withheld portions of sanitized records.
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D. As additional portions are declassified, CIA will provide NARA with a
current electrostatic copy to be accessioned into the RG 263 subgroup,
Records of the Historical Review Program. These items will be added to
the holdings but not substituted for previously accessioned sanitized
copies.
E. When all portions of a record are declassified, the original record will
be offered to the National Archives, to be accessioned into the subgroup
of RG 263 to which it belongs by provenance. The electrostatic copies,
however, will remain in the RG 263 subgroup for the Historical Review
Program. Any disposal of electrostatic copies will be in accordance with
the procedures for internal disposition of accessioned records.
F. For a withdrawn document, CIA will insert a withdrawal sheet clearly
marking the place where it has been withdrawn. If the sensitivity of the
withdrawn record decreases and sanitization becomes possible, an
electrostatic copy of the sanitized record will be offered to NARA. When
a withdrawn record is totally declassified, the original record will be
offered to NARA, to be accessioned into the subgroup of RG 263 to which it
belongs by provenance.
G. The procedures set forth in this Memorandum of Understanding will become
effective upon its execution by both NARA and CIA.
DON W. WILSON WILLIAM H. WEBSTER
Archivist of the United States Director of Central Intelligence
Date Date
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