LETTER TO ARLEN SPECTER FROM JOANNE O. ISHAM RE COMPLETED ITS DECENNIAL REVIEW

Created: 5/11/1995

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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The Honorable Arlen Specter Chairman

Select Committee on Intelligence United States Senate Washington,. 5

Re: Decennial Review of CIA Operational File Exemptions Dear Mr. Chairman:

This ia to notify you that CIA has completed its decennial review of operational file designations as required by the CIA Information Act..

The CIA information Act authorizes operational files from certain CIA components (the Directorate of Operationshe Directorate of Science and. Technologynd the Directorate of Administration, Office of Security incw the Office of Personnel Security IOPS) and the Office of Securityo be designated by the Director of Central Intelligence IDCI) as exempt from the search and review requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Act also requires that not. less thar. once everyears, the DCI review the exemptions then in force to determine whether such exemptions could be removed frcm any category of exempted files or any portion of those files.

The Act specifically requires that the DCX'a decennial review include consideration of the historical value or other public Interest in the subject matter of the particular category of files or portions thereof and the potential forignificant part of the information contained therein. Federal courts, moreover, are authorized to review whether CIA has, ir. fact, performed the decennial review and, in doing so. considered tbeae criteria.

CIA conducted the foil swing four-step review process ir. full compliance with the Act:

a. In order to ccr.sider the historicalublic interest in CIA files designated under the Act. the Agencyotice in the Federalon Ajgustrs of the public to submitwritten views. Fifteenepor.dents unanimouslyhethat current

APPROVED FOP RELEASE DATB: 6

Honorable Arlen Specter

exemption standards exempt record groups which, dueime and changing events, no longer endanger national security. They suggested that research scholars need comprehensive records to evaluate the role ot intelligence-gathering and analysis in the conduct of foreign policy.

order to better understand the historicalinterest in CIA files designated under the Act.invited public interest, historical, andto CIA Headquarters onheir views with us. Mine representatives fromthenvited groups attended and explained Their comments paralleled those in theand focused on the need to recognize thatof time reduces the sensitivity of documentsthe Agency should consider removing older recordsoperational file exemption.

substantive review of exempted files wasthe DO, DSfcT. and ops in consultation with theStaff to determine whether the files couldfrom the exempted category in whole or ir. part. OPS and History Staff representativeseeting to hear firat-hand the commentspublic and historical interest groups, and theycopies of all written comments received iootice. These public andhave been taken into account as part of the review

process.

decennial review group consistingfrom th* Office of th*for Administration/Information Services,of General Counsel and Congressional Affairs,Affairs Staff, the thrae concerned Directorates,Chief. History Staff, was formed to reviewfile designations. In additioneviewcategories in general ar.d. more specifically,changes, the groupandom sampleand DStT documents to:

ensure that the existing category and subcategory designations fell squarely within the boundaries of the Act;

satisfy itself that the records within th* fil' categories were the appropriateo have been file; there; and

Original document.

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