Information Review & Release (Irr) News for 14- 18 April 2003

Approved for Release: 2019/03/27 C01247762
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Information Review & Release (IRR) News for 14 - 18 April 2003
Executive Summary
Immediate Calendar:
(U/in-I'U’6) 14 May 2003: Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP): Next Liaisons’ meeting
at Crystal City.
Future Planning Calendar:
(U//KTUO) 20 May 2003: Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP): Next Principals‘
meeting at EEOB in Washington, DC.
(U//7!rl-H-6)- 4-5 June 2003: Historical Review Panel: Next meeting at State Department and CIA Headquarters.
(U//A-I-U-Q) 31 December 2006: The Automatic Declassification Date per Executive Order 12958, as amended, for
unreviewed intelligence-related or multi-agency records.
Overview of IRR Activities Last Week:
(U//A'l'b‘O‘) FOIA Requests
(U/AA-I-H9) High School Students Seek Information about JFK Jr.
(U//Arl'b‘O')' Two female students from the DOD high school in Yokusuka, Japan, recently submitted a FOIA request
for CIA information regarding John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. The requesters indicate the material is needed for "a
course assignment for our Govemment class and our own curiosity and interest ..."
O CIA found 51 FBIS documents mentioning JFK Jr, which were forwarded to the students. The collection
included FBIS-monitored media reports from around the world about the subject's air disaster. CIA also
reminded the students, "... as you are probably learning in your Government class, the mission of the
Central Intelligence A ency is primarily concerned with the collection offoreign intelligence matters not
domestic matters”
(U//A-EH6) Frequent-Requester Complains About Perceived Abuse of FOIA Process
(U//A+H-6-) Stephen Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists, and one of CIA's most frequent FOIA
requesters, recently complained in his newsletter that, in his opinion, some people abuse the Freedom of
Information process, which causes agencies to have to divert their scarce FOIA resources from "legitimate"
requests. In the past, Aftergood has complained in his newsletter about UFO enthusiasts sapping FOIA resources.
In the 16 April 2003 edition of F AS‘ Secrecy News, Altergood complained about those searching for Noah's Ark,
describing their efforts as "the legal hijacking of the FOIA process to pursue a private obsession."
0 Since I 99 I , Stephen Aftergood has filed at least I9 requests with CIA for the release of various aspects of
the intelligence budget. He has appealed the CIA ’s denial of the information in I6 of the requests, and
filed a second appeal in seven. He has pursued his requests to federal court several times and to the
Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP) twice.
(U//ArI'U'O) National Security Archive Requests List of Ten Oldest Appeals -
(U//Arl~b‘O) The National Security Archive asks for "copies of the Central Intelligence Agency's ten oldest open or
pending Freedom of Information Act appeals currently being processed."
Approved for Release: 2019/03/27 C01247762
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