SSCI OVERVIEW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP93B01194R001100010004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2005
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 19, 1985
• Content Type: STUDY

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QUESTION AREA: General
QUESTION. Last year, Congress passed. and the President signed the CIA
Information Act providing the Agency relief from the requirement to
search and review certain operational files in Freedom of Information
Act cases. The DCI, in an earlier exchange of letters with Senator
Durenberger, had agreed to establish a new office to promote the
voluntary release of declassified files that were most likely to be
of interest to historians and others.
A. What steps have been taken to establish this new office?
ANSWER. In his letter of 4 October 1983 to Senator Durenb,rger, Director
Casey indicated that if the Congress was willing to provide the
resources he was prepared to institute a new program of selective
declassification review. In that same letter he expressed some
uncertainty as to where such a program would be placed organiza-
tionally within the Agency. Subsequently, it was determined that
there already existed in the Directorate of Administration's Office
of Information Services (OIS) the experience and capability to
conduct the program in collaboration with the Agency's Chief
Historian.
For your information, the Classification Review Division in OIS
cendu ed ke k xtensive systematic declassification review of OSS
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material from 1977-1.982. OIS has been working a with the
Chief Historian to develop not only the voluntary program discussed
in the exchange of correspondence between Sen. Durenberger and DCI
Casey but also to develop the report to the Congress due on 1 June
1 985 as required by the Central Intelligence Agency Information Act of
1984. In this connection, we have already had extensive conver-
sations withThe Archivist of the United States, who has selected
three historians to provide counsel &n4--a4v4-ee concerning the feasi-
bility of conducting systematic review for declassification and
V a K e
release of CIA information of hist ~al rew. The Archivist, the
three prominent historians and representatives of the Library of
Congress will. be meeting with CIA officials on 18 and 19 March 1985
for a comprehensive discussion on this
B. What guidelines have been provided to the new office?
ANSWER. Pending the consultative meeting of 18 and 19 March 1985
tentative procedures have been developed for conducting the
Historical Review Program. Tentatively, we expect to concentrate our
efforts on files of the greatest historical interest and are most
likely to result in the declassification of usefulAinformation. We
intend to begin with the Agency's oldest records not only because
they can be expected to produce the most releasable material but also
because we hope to conform as closely as feasible to the regular
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procedures followed throughout the U.S. Government for transferring
permanent records to the National Archives.
- ab
As a first step, in June 1984 the CIA andANational ArchivesARecords
Service (NARS) concluded a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the
transfer of some 2509ubic feet of World War II OSS records in CIA's
custody r.?(he transfer began,.apd on 11 June 1984 the National
Archivist opened for research the first 194 cubic feet increment of :46
OSS operational records y arch 1985 'we---h ve~ ready transferred
600 cubic feet of OSS files,lut we have found that the Agency can
review, prepare and transfer these files faster than NAR$has been
able to receive, process and op A them to the public. Our two agencies are cooperating closely to maintain the transfer pace.
may neve-rtheless be late 1986 before all theca OSS records are open
Our next oldest records are those of CIA's post war predecessor
Seavie.ec (5L)' Ccn1'2 a ThT~tl; Qhce
orgnaizations,,1Strategic Fievii Unit and the 6Grou covering the w z X
.~period 1 October 1945 to 18 September 1947. We have already taken
steps for the review of these records so that in due course we can
transfer those that are declassified to the National Archives. As we
next move to select records from the files of CIA proper, since 1947.,
we hope to release historically significant documents that will make
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J
Dep~r+-~efi+ r^ -available up to the 1960's.
Our procedures will ensure participatfii by an coordination with
thos`e,Gomp=en.ts whose records are involved.\ We anticipate that the
consultants will support the chronological approach described above.
We expect them also to make additional suggestions on topics which
will be of value to the historical community.
C. What FY 1986 funds are take spent on this, and at what strength
will the new office operate?
of non-personal services funds and
positions from the 1985 budget have been committed to this new
program. No funds have been requested for non personal expenses in
the 1986 budget but personal services monies to support the
0
positions are included. positions have been assigned
to the Historical Staff? o the Office of Information Services.
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The Office of Information Services has been working with the Chief
Historian to develop the Agency's new Historical Review Program, which
responds not only to the commitments DCI Casey made in his 4 October 1983
letter to Senator Durenberger, but also to the related concerns on which the
1984 CIA Information Act requires him to report to Congress by 1 June 1985.
In this connection, we have already had extensive conversations with the
Archivist of the United States, Dr. Robert M. Warner, who has selected three
distinguished historians to consult with the Agency, as required by the CIA
Information Act, "on the feasibility of conducting systematic review for
declassification and release of Central Intelligence Agency information of
historical value." We shall attach biographical data for the three
consulting historians, Professors John Lewis Gaddis, Richard W. Leopold and
Gaddis Smith, who will join the Archivist and the Assistant Librarian of
Congress for Research Services, Dr. John C. Broderick, in meeting with us
(and at lunch with Mr. Casey) to discuss CIA's new Historical Review Program,
on 18 and 19 March 1985.
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As a first step, in June 1984 CIA and the National Archives and Records
Service (NARS) concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (copy attached)
concerning the transfer of some 2500 cubic feet of World War II Office of
Strategic Service (OSS) records in CIA's custody. The transfer began on 11
June 1984, when the National Archives opened for research the first 194 cubic
feet increment of these OSS operational records. By March 1985 NARS had
accessioned approximately 600 cubic feet of OSS files from CIA. The transfer
of a collection of this size is a large undertaking for both CIA and NARS,
and the two agencies are cooperating closely to maintain the transfer pace.
The pressure has probably been heavier on NARS, since an OIS team at CIA had
already spent some four years reviewing these records for declassification
before this transfer began. It may be late 1986 before all 2500 cubic feet
of these OSS records are open to researchers.
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