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104-10145-10141 JFK Assassination Records Archives 1 (06/19/1978)

handle is hein.jfk/jfkarch73414 and id is 1 raw text is: 104-10145-10141 2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992


                                                                                1 9 JUNt 197



                                    Possible Downstream Problems With HSCA


                           1.  To date the problems with HSCA have not been major, but
                    some  of the difficulties to date may assume increased importance in
                    the  remaining period of the investigation.  This memorandum under-
                    takes  to consider some of them.

                          2.   HSCA Requests and CIA Response.  HSCA appears to be follow-
                    ing a leave-no-stone-unturned approach  to the investigation.  Just about
                    every name or reference of the files reviewed  becomes the subject of
                    a request.  Frequently the names are incomplete and  identifying material
                    so limited that research becomes tremendously time-consuming.   If HSCA
                    has additional information it has appeared on occasion reluctant  to
                    provide it, possibly because it will reveal the direction of the  in-
                    vestigation.  Two things characterize the present status of HSCA and
                    CIA responses.  There are a number of requests that have no't yet been
                    answered, and the larger portion of material made available for review
                    has not yet been reviewed by HSCA investigators.  CIA recently has made
                    arrangements to improve its responses to requests, but the basic problem
                    will remain.  We feel HSCA is falling behind and that it will be critical
                    of the Agency for its own failures in this respect.

                          3.  Access.  The FBI reportedly has provided no direct access
                   to  its files for HSCA investigators.  CIA is providing direct access
                   to  its files with very limited sanitization.  The result is the in-
                   vestigators  have had access to a lot of sources-and-methods material.
                   The criticism  that HSCA investigators can make is not in our restrictions,
                   but the effectiveness of  our responses. As  noted above, steps have been
                   taken to remedy this.

                         4.  Access to Agents.  In contrast to very full access to Agency
                   files and documents the line has been drawn on access  to agents.  One
                   agent was interviewed over CIA objections, following the failure  to
                   notify CIA of the intention to interview him as provided for  in the
                   working agreements.  In one other case of which we are aware we  have
                   objected to an agent being interviewed and, in the absence of CIA
                   assistance, he was not contacted nor interviewed.  This is the subject
                   of a formal protest by the HSCA chairman.  The DDCI has offered a
                   method, alternative to direct access to the agent, for obtaining the
                   answers desired.

                         5.  Defectors.  As a result of the dramatic presentations in the
                   Epstein Book Legend the HSCA has focussed on this issue.  Staff members
                   have stated recently that they consider this to be one of the two most


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