Bill Kelly's petition to release all the documents

[Magda Hassan]

http://www.change.org/petitions/office-o...on-records

Okay, I started a petition at Change.org to get the administration and National Archives and Records Administration to release the sealed JFK assassination records in 2013 rather than 2017 or never, and was advised to start a Facebook Group to support this effort. The petition has been linked to the email addresses of the Archivist and Cass Sunstein, the director of Information Policy at the White House. This is something we can do if we get some movement going and build up the same support we had in 1992 when the JFK Act was passed. Please sign the petition and pass the link on for others to sign it. Thank, and any and all ideas, tactics and strategies appreciated. - BK

[Peter Lemkin]

I signed it and urge all to go through the mostly empty exercise of doing so too....they won't pay any attention UNLESS there are rich or Congress /Governors/Former Presidents on the petition and/or over several million of us peons [in their eyes]. However, we must use all at hand. Personally, I'm in favor more of confrontation in the streets - it is the only message they 'hear' and react to. The fact a copy goes to Sunstein is chilling - as that will certainly put one on a list of those to whom cognitive dissonance should be used against. The war is engaged and long has been. I'm not big on working through the 'system', as it is rigged and broken/unresponsive. I go through the motions of going through the system sometimes, but urge all to make stronger statements by putting their bodies in the streets and 'on the line' in any way you can think of...time is short for this collapsing Empire. But, not short enough. :mexican: The system only reacts to pressure - find a way to exert it!!!! Don't play their games to placate and make one feel you are working within a legitimate system - you are not.

[Seamus Coogan]

Thanks for the post it was a good reminder Magda. It's good to know Pete mate that as cynical as you are about it, you still signed it. I think we all feel like that at one time or another.

[Bill Kelly]

Thanks to Maggie for posting this, and to all who signed the petition, and Peter for his comments. It is now over 400 and we are shooting for 2,000, and seeking media coverage. Here's a Media Advisory we would like to get out to any news media person you may know who could be interested in doing a story on this issue. We are building up momentum that could, if enough people join the fray, end with the release of the records now instead of years from now, or maybe never. We also want to make this a campaign issue, and every time either party asks for public comment on issues, please bring this up. Thanks again to all who contribute to this campaign. Help us keep it going by sending the petition link to all your email and facebook friends who you think might support it. - All the best, Bill Kelly [URL="http://jfkcountercoup.blogspot.com/2012/06/nara-continues-withholding-of-jfk.html"]

JFKcountercoup: NARA Continues Withholding of JFK Assassination Records[/URL]

MEDIA ADVISORY Effort to release remaining sealed JFKassassination records

This is to advise you of the growing public response to the decision by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to remove the records on the assassination of President Kennedy from the 2013 National Declassification Center review process.

Because of the tremendous public outcry over the sealing ofthe assassination records following the release of Oliver Stone's movie "JFK," Congress passed the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 creating the JFKAssassination Records Collection at the NARA and ordered all of the agencies of government to turn over their relevant assassination records and open them to the public.

President Obama's first action as president on December 29, 2009 was to initiate a policy of transparency and open government with Executive Order 13526, that requires the accelerated declassification of the backlog of secret government records by 2013, the 50[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of the assassination of the President.

The NARA originally said that because of the intense public interest in the issue, the JFK assassination records would be included in the process, but in a recent letter to James Lesar, the director of the Assassination Archives and Research Center in Washington D.C., the counsel to the NARA reversed their earlier decision and said, "Given this public interest, we have been consulting with the CIA to see if it would be possible to review and release any of these remaining documents in time for the 50[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of President Kennedy's assassinationin 2013. Although the CIA shares the NARA's interest in wanting to be responsive to your request, they have concluded there are substantial logistical requirements that must take place prior to the release of these remaining records and there is simply not sufficient time or resources to complete these tasks prior to 2017. Accordingly, we will not beable to accommodate your request."

In response, hundreds of historians, researchers and ordinary citizens, both conspiracy theorists and Warren Commission supporters alike, have protested this decision signing an on-line petition, which reads: "We the undersigned call for the release of still secret JFK assassination records at the National Archives before the 50th Anniversary of that tragedy in November 2013. The National Archives has reneged on a 2010 promise to the public to release thousands of secret JFK assassination records by the end of 2013, contrary to President Obama's commitment to have the most open administration in history. Honor President Obama's commitment by releasing these historic records by November 2013."

In 2006, the CIA made a preemptory release of all documents that were postponed until 2010, which shows that they do have the logistical ability to release such records, and thus, the remaining 1171 CIA documents that are scheduled for release in 2017, can and should be reviewed and released as part of the 2013 National Declassification Center process.

Petiton: http://www.change.org/petitions/office-o...on-records

Jefferson Morley wrote an article about it in Salon: http://www.salon.com/2012/06/14/national...singleton/

Bill Kelly has posted Lesar's letter and the NARAreponse at his blog:
http://jfkcountercoup.blogspot.com/2012/...f-jfk.html

Russ Baker Is The Government Holding Back CrucialDocuments?
http://whowhatwhy.com/2012/05/30/is-the-...documents/

For further information contact:
Jim Lesar, Esq. jhlesar@gmail.com
(202) 393-1921 (301)328-5920
John Judge (202) 583-5347 or (202) 277-1992
Bill Kelly (609) 425-6297

The Assassination Archives and Research Center (AARC) pressrelease: http://aarclibrary.org/

National Archives Decides to Withhold Records Related to theAssassination of President John F. Kennedy - Declines Request for 50[SUP]th[/SUP]Anniversary Declassification Project

The National Archives today refused the request of a Washington non-profit public interest group to declassify secret records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in time for the 50[SUP]th[/SUP]anniversary of that tragic event in 2013 (see attached 6/12/12 letter of Gary Stern, General Counsel of the National Archives). The Archives reversed a commitment by Assistant Archivist Michael Kurtz made at an Archives public forum in 2010 at which time he stated the remaining secret Kennedy assassination records would be released by the end of 2013. The Archives today says that Kurtz "misspoke" when he made that commitment to the public.

Kurtz' promise to process the secret JFK related documents fulfilled President Obama's expressed desire that his administration be the most open in history. Today's reversal of release of these records defeats President Obama's pledge that his be the most open administration in history.

The National Archives states that it does not know the extent of secret files in its collection related to the Kennedy assassination, but that CIA is withholding 1, 171 classified documents related to the assassination. The Archive's acknowledges that in 2006 the CIA speeded up releases ofdocuments with releases dates through 2010, but that CIA declines to do so for the remaining documents due to "logistical requirements" even though, according to the National Archives, only 1, 171 CIA documents of undetermined volume remain to be declassified.

The request for release of the secret documents was made by the Assassination Archives and Research Center (AARC), a Washington, D.C. non-profit public interest group in a letter signed by several of its board members and attorneys Mark Zaid, Charles Sanders and Prof. G. Robert Blakey, who served as the chief counsel of the House Select Committee on Assassinations. The letter made the point that the 50[SUP]th[/SUP]anniversary of the Kennedy assassination in 2013 will result in widespread discussion and news coverage, and that the government documents related to the assassination should be made public in order for a fully informed discussion.

DC FOIA Attorney Dan Alcorn says:

"Researchers have started an online petition to obtain release of secret files related to the assassination of President Kennedy in1963. In 2010 Asst. Archivist of the United States Michael Kurtz promised researchers that the secret records would be processed by the end of 2013 aspart of the government's effort to declassify hundreds of millionsof secret files. Recently the Archives reversed Kurtz' commitment,claiming that he had misspoken, and instead the Archives has informedresearchers that the secret JFK files will not be processed for release until2017 at the earliest. It is possible the files will remain secretlyindefinitely."

"Researchers are seeking release ofKennedy assassination files before the 50th anniversary of that tragic event inNovember 2013. The JFK assassination has been the subject ofrepeated government investigations and books and other literary treatments thathave come to conflicting conclusions about the assassination. TheAmerican public by large majority believes the JFK assassination was the resultof a conspiracy, while the official Warren Commission report in 1964 assertedthat the assassination was the act of a lone gunman. Researchers believethat 50 years of government secrecy surrounding the topic is enough, and thatall the records should be released before the 50th anniversary. Researchers assert that the interests of the United States would be best served by fulltransparency on the topci in 2013 rather than have the anniversary occur amidcharges of secrecy and cover up. The issue is whether the governmenttoday can be open and transparent on the violent removal of a President in1963."

[Peter Lemkin]

Bill, try to get the Occupy Movement and other progressive movements involved. Try social media. Try to interest Al Jazeera EFF; NSA [National Security Archives], the Aftican American progressives who know that MLK was done in by the same forces; all progressive groups and even middle of the road civic groups; as well as the 'usual suspects'. The problem will [always] be that the MSM will not mention this and it will remain unknown the 'problem' even exists. Most American, of course, would back the release of all documents.....however, many might not be willing to sign a petition on the internet in the age of fear post DHS et al. They suspect the truth. The more there is a groundswell, the less fear to join in there will be...but you need numbers in the hundreds of thousands - not few thousands. I'd say aim for a million or forget it. You need to find someone such as Carter or some movie star [sadly] or even J. Ventura to get it on TV; while working the internet social media and progressive websites. It has to spread viral or it will die a silent death. You can be sure there are a team at CIA, NSA, DHS and other agencies actively working against you on this now!

[Bill Kelly]

Bill, try to get the Occupy Movement and other progressive movements involved. Try social media. Try to interest Al Jazeera EFF; NSA [National Security Archives], the Aftican American progressives who know that MLK was done in by the same forces; all progressive groups and even middle of the road civic groups; as well as the 'usual suspects'. The problem will [always] be that the MSM will not mention this and it will remain unknown the 'problem' even exists. Most American, of course, would back the release of all documents.....however, many might not be willing to sign a petition on the internet in the age of fear post DHS et al. They suspect the truth. The more there is a groundswell, the less fear to join in there will be...but you need numbers in the hundreds of thousands - not few thousands. I'd say aim for a million or forget it. You need to find someone such as Carter or some movie star [sadly] or even J. Ventura to get it on TV; while working the internet social media and progressive websites. It has to spread viral or it will die a silent death. You can be sure there are a team at CIA, NSA, DHS and other agencies actively working against you on this now!

I hear you Peter,

I have asked Dick Russell, who has signed the petition and co-authored a few books with Ventura, to get Ventura involved, and if you know Ollie Stone, know his email or phone number, please ask him to sign the petition and help finish something he started.

We might have to resort to an occupy type protest - and the place to do it would be on the steps of the original National Archives - but it is a matter of when, it must be timed in with a Congressional hearing or court case - or anniversary of something relevant.

I don't know anybody in the occupy movement, but we are reaching out to other organizations who support open government ideas.

In the meantime, it is up to everybody to do these things, not just me. If you are on Facebook, link up to our Facebook page, the link to which I don't have handy but will post when I can.

If you Twitter, and I don't, at least yet, maybe you can set up a link to the petition or a site that has a link to the petition, and begin to network it, it can only help.

People can write letters to their local newpapers or on line community sites explaining how the NARA and CIA are circumventing the release of the assassination records and direct people to the petition and our related web sites - AARC, COPA, Mary Ferrell, Deep Politics Forum, et al.

BK
JFKcountercoup