ARRB & Declassification

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The Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB), established in 1994, played a crucial role in the ongoing declassification of records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Operating until 1998, the ARRB was mandated by the JFK Records Act to ensure the release of previously withheld government documents, significantly expanding public access to information from agencies like the CIA, FBI, and the Warren Commission. This effort marked a pivotal phase in the federal government's commitment to transparency regarding the assassination.

The collection includes a wide array of documents reflecting the ARRB's activities and its impact on declassification. Records detail the ARRB's requests to agencies, such as the CIA, for specific files, including those related to Lee Harvey Oswald, the Bay of Pigs, and various security files. These documents often bear notations indicating "ARRB REQUEST" or "ARRB RELEASE," highlighting the Board's direct involvement in their declassification. The collection also contains internal ARRB communications, such as "ARRB - JFK ACT" and "ARRB-CIA ISSUES: COMPLIANCE WITH JFK ACT," which shed light on the administrative and legal processes involved in their work.

Beyond the ARRB's direct actions, the collection illustrates the broader history of declassification. Documents from the HSCA (House Select Committee on Assassinations) in the late 1970s, alongside records from the 1990s and early 2000s, demonstrate a continuous, albeit sometimes incremental, process of releasing information. Many records, even after declassification, contain redactions, indicating ongoing security or privacy concerns. The presence of "UNIT INDEX" and "NOT BELIEVED RELEVANT (NBR)" notations further reveals the meticulous, and sometimes contentious, nature of reviewing and releasing these historically significant government files.