Washington D.C., 19 April 2006 - Monday,
Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein released a declassified
Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with the Central Intelligence
Agency, signed in October 2001, and a background
paper that shed more light on the recently exposed
reclassification of open files at the National Archives and Records
Administration. After the secret MOU came to Weinstein's attention
last Thursday, he sought its immediate declassification. In his
announcement,
Weinstein declared that there would be no more secret agreements
such as the MOUs with the CIA and Air
Force (disclosed the week before last): "There
can never be a classified aspect to our mission. Classified agreements
are the antithesis of our reason for being."
The National Security Archive applauds Mr. Weinstein's statement
and his decision, in what may have been record time, to reach
a speedy agreement with the CIA to declassify the MOU. This action
demonstrates Mr. Weinstein's commitment to resolve one of the
most controversial episodes in NARA's twenty-year history as an
independent agency.
NARA's Interagency Security Oversight Office (ISOO) is completing
its preliminary audit of the formerly open archival documents
that CIA, Air Force and other agencies began reclassifying in
the late 1990s, and is scheduled to release the report on Wednesday
April 26. The audit was prompted by National Security Archive
visiting fellow Matthew Aid's exposure in February of the surreptitious
reclassification program, which also led Mr. Weinstein to impose
a moratorium on this activity.
The ISOO audit involves a careful review of declassification
standards for the review of historical documents; it may also
unveil new standards to expedite declassification. Archive Senior
Analyst Dr. William Burr commented, "Success in convincing
intelligence and military agencies to accept reasonable declassification
and reclassification standards for historical documents would
be an extraordinary accomplishment. Recent developments highlight
the need for a National Declassification Initiative that facilitates
the opening of the backlog of classified historical agency records,
especially those of the Defense Department."
Mr. Weinstein has asked the recently constituted Public Interest
Declassification Board (PIDB) to independently assess the reclassification
controversy. The PIDB reportedly will hold open hearings on the
reclassification activities on May 9, 2006.