HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP93B01194R001700170002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 4, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: June 18, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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Central Intelligence Agency
Washington.D.C.20505
18 June 1985
MEMORANDUM FOR ALL EMPLOYEES
SUBJECT: Historical Review Program
1. In October 1983, when the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
took up a bill to permit the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to
exempt certain CIA files from search under the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA), Senator David Durenberger wrote to me about an issue highlighted by
the Agency's work with the Committee. This issue was the need to make more
declassified Agency materials available to historians. "As historians write
the definitive works on the post-World War II era," Senator Durenberger
wrote, "it is terribly important that their studies be based on as full a
record as possible, consistent with the need to protect our national
security." He therefore urged me to establish procedures for reviewing and
declassifying some of the material in files not covered by the bill's
exemptions. Recognizing that such a program would be a burden for the
Agency, he offered to lead the effort to provide budgetary support for new
positions to be devoted to this project.
2. I share Senator Durenberger's views on the need for an accurate
historical record, ancLon 4 October 1983 I wrote him stating, "If Congress
is willing to provide the resources, I am prepared to institute a new
program of selective declassification review of those materials we believe
would be of greatest historical interest and most likely to result in
declassification of useful information."
3. The agreement by this exchange of letters envisioned an Agency
Historical Review Program organized after the passage of the prospective
CIA Information Act and using additional resources Congress would provide
for this purpose. I had already asked the Chief of the History Staff,
however, to explore a program to release historical materials from the
World War II period. As a result of this initiative, the Agency took steps
to transfer to the National Archives its entire holdings of declassified
World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS) permanent records, a large
collection of major historical importance. This transfer began a year ago
and up to now the National Archives has received and opened to public
research approximately 800 cubic feet of these declassified OSS records.
As I wrote to Senator Durenberger in June 1984, this transfer constitutes
"an important first step in implementing the selective declassification
program I promised to initiate last October."
4. In October 1984 Congress passed the CIA Information Act, which
?relieves the Agency from the burden of searching certain designated files
in response to FOIA requests. The Agency's commitment to a Historical
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Review Program and its release of OSS records played an important role in
the passage of this new Act by reassuring Congress and the public that, in
night of the Act's FOIA exemptions, the Agency will undertake new efforts
to declassify and transfer to the National Archives historically significant
CIA records. Continuing Congressional interest in historians having access
to CIA records is evident in the-Act's requirement that the DCI, after
consulting with the Archivist of the United States, the Librarian of
Congress, and representative historians, submit a report to four
Congressional committees by 1 June 1985 on the feasibility of conducting a
program for the systematic review, declassification, and release to the
public of CIA information of historical value.
5. In my report to Congress of 29 May 1985 on the Historical Review
Program, I stated that this kind of review is feasible, and described the
program that we have established to carry it out. The Agency's consulta-
tions with those officials and historians specified by the CIA Information
Act proved extraordinarily helpful, and their findings are appended to my
report to Congress. Balancing the Agency's statutory duty to protect
intelligence sources and methods with legitimate public interest in CIA
records, this new program is designed to make significant historical
information available without risking damage to national security. As I
reported to Congress, this program has my strong support and we are
determined to make it succeed.
6. As Senator Durenberger promised, Congress has provided CIA with
ten additional positions to support the Historical Review Program which
will be described in a forthcoming headquarters regulation. I have assigned
principal responsibility for the program to the Office of Information
Services (OIS) in the Directorate of Administration, with advice and support
from the History Staff in the Office of the DCI. The Classification Review
Division of OIS will coordinate closely with Agency components in reviewing
documents of historical significance in order to declassify those that no
longer require protection. The program is beginning with the review of the
Agency's oldest records, which with the transfer of our declassified OSS
records are those of CIA's postwar predecessor organizations, namely, the
Strategic Services Unit (SSU) of 1945-1946 and the Central Intelligence
Group (CIG) of 1946-1947.
7. Although some time will be needed to find out how well the
Historical Review Program will work in practice, I believe that it has been
et'++
established c-,1 a sound footing. I am hopeful that this program will make
possible a more accurate record and fuller understanding of our Nation's
history since World War II.
DISTRIBUTION: ALL EMPLOYEES (1-6)
am J. Case
Director of Central In Y igence
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CLASSIFICATION REVIEW DIVISION
GUIDELINES FOR
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETINS, 1950-1960
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum lays out the guidelines that CRD is applying to its
initial review, under the CIA Historical Review Program, of CIBs of the
1950-1960 period. The guidelines have been developed through (1) internal
discussions of HRB/CRD reviewers who have long experience in DI and DO work,
(2) consultations with Chief, Special Security Center, and (3) a seminar of
HRB reviewers with declassification specialists from the Department of State.
As they stand in this memorandum, the guidelines are not meant to be
immutable or binding on the Directorate IROs who will coordinate CRD's
recommendations on whether to release specific items of intelligence
information. Instead, the guidelines should (1LAIelp new reviewers at CRD to
apply the same standards as the established reviewers, and (2) to explain to
the Directorate IR0s, in cases where they disagree with CRD, CRD's rationale
for each recommendation.
No set of guidelines, unless impractically detailed, can provide for every
problem that could arise. However, judging by the experience from reviewing
the first six feet of CIBs our guidelines will likely cover more than 90% of
any problems that will be encountered. CRD welcomes comments, suggestions, or
criticism regarding these guidelines.
PROTECTION OF SOURCES
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