CIA and National Archives withheld Allen Dulles papers on JFK assassination

[Ed Jewett]

CIA and National Archives withheld Allen Dulles papers on JFK assassination
publication date: Jul 12, 2011

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http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20110712

[Ed Jewett]

July 12-13, 2011 -- CIA and National Archives withheld Allen Dulles papers on JFK assassination

An undated CIA memorandum from the agency's archives describe the problems the CIA had in transferring the papers of the late Allen Dulles, the former director of the CIA and member of the Warren Commission. Dulles died in January 1969 and the CIA memorandum, titled "The Allen W. Dulles Papers: Problems and Procedures," describes the sensitivity of parts of Dulles's private papers and their final disposition after his death.

The CIA memo states that "a few items" from a box of Dulles's Warren Commission papers were examined by the National Archives "were retained" with the remainder of the papers sent to Princeton University, where the CIA maintained a close relationship with the university's Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS).

In September 1961, President Kennedy fired Dulles as CIA director after the disastrous CIA-led invasion of Cuba in the Bay of Pigs operation. After Kennedy's assassination in 1963, Dulles was appointed to the Warren Commission charged with issuing an official report on the assassination.

The author of the CIA memo expressed concern that a German history professor, attached to the IAS, was able to look through some of Dulles's papers at his house in Georgetown and wanted to examine the papers after their transfer to Princeton. The thought of the general public having access to the Dulles papers prompted the author of the memo to write: No doubt other persons -- ranging from scholars to cranks to subversives -- will want to see the papers once their whereabouts becomes generally known."

The memo's author adds, "A fair number of items were found concerning which I had doubts as to their suitability for unrestricted use at this time; these were withdrawn from the proposed donation." The author also states that some of the Dulles papers contained "references to alcoholics." Generally, the release of all of the Dulles papers was opposed on the grounds that some pointed out details of "former intelligence activities."

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20110712