LETTER TO MR. WILLIAM REHNQUIST FROM WILLIAM D. BLAIR, JR.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00780R004300060030-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 28, 2003
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: September 21, 1971
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-00780R004300060030-8
. LIMITED OFFICIAL USE September 21, 1971
Enclosed as requested is a redraft
of our paper on releasing the record on
certain postwar international crises, along
the lines discussed with you and Tom Latimer
on Friday.
Sincerely,
William D. Blair, Jr.
Acting Assistant Secretary
for Public Affairs
Mr. William Rehnquist,
Assistant Attorney General,
Office of Legal Counsel,
Department of Justice.
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
. Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-00780R00A3000600
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-00780R004300060030-8
L:LMIT1?:D 0F]':i_CIAL USE
DECLASSIFICATION AND RELEASE OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD
OF MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS SINCE 1945
1. The purpose of this paper is to respond to
the President's request, made orally to the Inter-agency
Security Committee on July 1, 1971, and elaborated orally
for recommend. ti.ons
by his staff since that time,/on means o expediting. the
declassification and release of documents on major events
in U.S. foreign policy since World War 11. We under:; L ,,Ii1
the President considers the Korean War, the Lebanon
ings, the Bay of Pigs, and the Cuban Missile Crisis of
particular importance in this context.
2. It is assumed that the opening of entire file-,;
.for so recent a period is not feasible. The records must
therefore be s elected by historian declassified by the
appropriate officers, and made available to the public.
3. The traditional mechanism for releasing the
most important documents on United States foreign policy
is publication in the annual documentary vblumcs entitled
"Foreign Relations of the United States."
published by the State Department and monil:iored by a
distinguished advisory council of historians, and
includes Presidential documents and paperslof all the
foreign affairs agencies as required to tcJ.1 the policy
story. At one time the "Foreign Relationsl' series
? I
Approved For Release 2003/05/?7.:~-F~pQ$4-Qp 7g0~~pp -8
'1300060030
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060030-8
published documents only fifteen years after the evein't
but it has slipped backwards since World War II, and the
documents now being published are those of 1946. Scholars
have been increasingly insistent on the need to reduce
this 25-year lag to 20 years or less.
hecorm ohdati_on: That the Prosident sign the -
attached dircctives (Tab A) instructing the State Depart-
ment to in stiL.ute a program to reduce the publication 1-11:I
of the "Foreign Relations" series to 20 years within the
next five years and directing other' agencies to cooperate
in carrying out this program.
Cost: '1'lie estimated cost of such a program is on i he
order of $18S,000 a year, for additional staff and pr i_)1tie
4. If tl e Foreicl_7 lte.l t.i.o]ls series is speeded 11'),
as recommended above, and priority given to the Far East,
the documents on the Korean War, ending in 1953, would
be -published comprehensively within about t:hree years.
5. The other events mentioned by the President
?
(Lebanon, 11958; Bay of Pigs, 1961; Cuban Missile Crisis,
1962) , would not be reached by the expedited Foreic;n
Relations series for -f-i.-vc, years at the earliest (for
Lebanon) , and substantially longer for the
two Cuban cr:i.:se.es
In addition, we assume that the responsible; policy officers
L
would not at this time agree to the declan, q i-f ication and
jl
release of al.l.? the. important documentation on those rela-
Approy O 05,R & es-I 9Q3(fl51127 AAjRPPi8e~1;k978_ fF OD4Q006A0,310. rca-, r~1ur.;1
]:Ci~1:f. a.1_ Li
USE
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060030-8
?.I. .i. la ~.~ ill' i? S i,' JJ lJ~7i':
interesting documentaf.ion on these subjects undoubtedly
can be declassified now.
1ZCC('~11U1iC1)C1.1'~:'LC)17 That the President sign the attechec
directives (Tab B) instructing the State Department to
collect the papers of historical significance on the
Lebanon Landings, the Bay of Pigs, and the Cuban Missile
Crisis, and to make available for reporting and study by
the the ;.;chol.;o. s and t11c public all. of talosc~ X11.; L
can be declassified. Priority should be given to the
Lebanon Landings. Care should be taken in any public
statement to avoid the claim that the documents being
declassified now cons ti.tnte the full recor(l, s ncc
could expose the Government to :revere criticism.
Cost: To do ,this work without retarding later
publication of the comprehensive record in "Foreign
Relations" would require one additional historian plus
funds for. the reproduction of the documents -- perhaps
$20,000 for a year.
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060030-8
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060030-8
MEMORANDUM FOR 'J EE SECRE'T'ARY OF STATE
Subject: Earlier publication of the "Foreign
Li17, U .;I:
Relations" Series
I understand that publication of the official
documentary of the Uni.Led
States" has been slipping chronologically, and that
these volumes are now being issued twenty-five years
after the events they record. I think that the
American people have a right to see the record of
United States diplomacy more prom )L-ly than that.
Accordingly T a _ k that you institute a program to reduce
this lag to 20 years by 1976.
view of the great interest in the development
of United States policy toward the Far Last, including
the diplomacy of the Korean War, I believe that the
volumes concerning this area should be given' priority
within the series in the immediate future..
I expect the comprehensive nature of tho historical
record as pull:ished in "Forci(In Rciat_i.ons"i to be fully
maintained in expediting its pulb.I.icati.on, and I am
instructing the National Security Council Staff, the
Department of Defensee and the Central into iligencc Agency
'to cooperate 1. 1~
Approved For Release 2db3/b'5' G' ib=> dgi4=bb'B-o 0043000600 0-8
R:i chard Nixon
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060030-8
MEMORANDUM I?OR: THE hAC"A'.CARY OF DEJ"ENSI,,
I'II1 1i 'I.iZi;C'L'O1 OF -`i`I-fi';"CENTRAL
:I:N`.['];f,f 1GENCL -AGI,-NC'Y-
t'IIi, ASSISTANT FOR NATIONAL SECUI< L'1'l'
AFFAIRS
Subject: Earlierpubi:i.c~: tion of the "Foreign
Relations" Series
I am sending you herewith a copy of an instruction
on this subject which I have sent today to the Sccrei_.ary
of State. I ask that you lactruct all affected officwc: _.
under your jurisdiction to cooperate .with the Dcl rtme i c
of State in this intensive procjram to advance the publi-
cation of the oftici-al_ forei cln policy record in this way.
I expect that all officers declassifying documents for
this project will exercise th0 greatest liberality
commensurate with national security.
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060030-8
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060030-8
0,1"P :C:f_ 1IL USE
MEMORANDUM FOIZ I'I:L SECRETARY OF STATE
Subject': Declassification and Release of Docuiilcnt:;
I am convinced that much documentation pertaining
to United States foreign policy is hei.ncj held in a
classified status much longer than necessary for the
maintenance of our national security.
In addition to advancing the comprehensive publi-
cation of the record in "Foreign Relation:; of the Uni toJi
states," I believe that much of the ciocume:ni:.at,ioli ci(u
be declassified and made available to the public earl. ie~_ .
As a beginning, please assemble the historical record
of the Lebanon Landings (1958) , the Lay of Pigs (1961)
and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1'962). All: documents .on
these subjects which can be declassified now should be
reproduced and made available p:co'mptly to the public.
As a test run I should like to have priority given
to the Lebanon Land i.ny ; . Please report tcI mc: on the
status of this project within two months.:
IRichard Nixon
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060039-8
USI?,
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR004300060030-8
.i :CN:1:`.1.'I:I) C)1?F:fC':1:11'C 11SI-;
MEMORANDUM FOR: '11.1F, OF
'I'1113 D:i:i :C`.l.'O1Z Ui.., Til:. CT.'N'.1'1ZAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
THE ASSISTANT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
AFFAIRS
Subject: Declassification and Release of Documents
I am sending you herewith a copy of a memorandum
which I am sending today -to the Secretary of State, regarding
the declassification and release of documents on certain
international crises of the postwar period. 1?lsasc
instruct your staffs to cooperate with the State Depart?--
mont in collecting this documentation and
it to the fullest extent commensurate with the requirements
of our national security.
Richard Nixon
Attachment:
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-00780R004300060030-8
111'1'1 D 07' ':,:C:::!L US