LETTER TO (REQUESTER) FROM KATHRYN I. DYER RE ACKNOWLDGES RECEIPT

• Document Type: FOIA
• Keywords: USAMA BIN LADEN
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0001500662
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: June 22, 2015
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2008
• Case Number: F-2006-00548
• Publication Date: May 23, 2002

Cenncal Intelligence Agency (b) (6)
23 May 2002
Reference: F-2002-00594
This acknowledges receipt, on 25 April 2002, of your 8 January 2002
letter requesting records under the provisions of the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA). Specifically, your request is for. records pertaining to:
Usama Bin Ladin
For identification purposes we have assigned your request the number
referenced above. Please refer to this number in future correspondence.
As you may know, the discovery of anthrax in a letter mailed to the
United States Senate on 15 October 2001 led to a series of escalating safety
concerns about opening, handling, and even being in the proximity of mail,
especially in government offices in Washington, D.C. These concerns, in turn,
led to disruptions in, and then total curtailments of, mail delivery service, to
include Freedom of Information Act-related correspondence, at many federal
agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency.
Under such extraordinary circumstances, the administration of the
Freedom of Information Act has inevitably been delayed at all affected federal
agencies. As a matter of both common sense and legal precedent, when mail
delivery is delayed, so is the commencement of the process of FOIA
administration, regardless of the time at which a FOIA request is placed into
the mail by the requester or postmarked thereafter. Simply put, the FOIA
process cannot begin until the personnel of an agency FOIA office are able to
open any belatedly delivered item of mail.
 Concerning your request, we have determined that the information you
are asking for must be denied to you, since it is properly classified under the
provisions of Executive Order 12958. The information also relates directly to
intelligence sources and methods which, in accordance with Subsection
103(c)(6) of the National Security Act of 1947 and Section 6 of the CIA Act of
1949, the Director of Central Intelligence has the legal responsibility and
authority to protect from unauthorized disclosure. Exemptions (b)(1), (b)(3)
and (b)(7)(A) of the FOIA apply. An explanation of these exemptions is
enclosed.
The CIA official responsible for this denial is Kathryn I. Dyer,
Information and Privacy Coordinator. You may appeal this decision by
addressing your appeal to the Agency Release Panel within 45 days from the
date of this letter, in my care. Should you choose to do this, please explain the
basis of your appeal.
We regret we are unable to assist you in this matter.
Sincerely,
Kathryn yer
Information and Privacy Coordinator