</s>104-10143-10196 ministrative-internal-use-Use-Ony OLC RECORD COPY OLC/79-11992/2 4 April 1979 APPROVED FOR RELEASE 1993 MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM JERKACT SUBJECT: 30 March 1979 Letter From HSCA Staff Director JERKA 1. The following brief comments are offered on subject letter: RELEASE 1. G. A. Robert Blakey has apparently forgotten the agreement that the HSCA draft reports and our written comments on them are to be destroyed. They were not to constitute records as and as a result are not subject to FOJA procedure. No constitute records and as the result is not subjected to a congressional committee, we would assume that the arrangements protecting the papers from FOA proceedings are reinforced. This consideration does the papers of course, to the information that went into those comments on the process of course. To the information contained that those comments in any final comments that the Agency may wish to make on the report. b. It is not correct as shown may 2 have understood that Shackley had not been interviewed. Such an interview was not arranged through our staff, as required, and I last spoke with Shackley, he had not been approached by the Committee. However, I cited it when rellevant to the disagreement that we have on the central issue. In that case, knowledge concerning the so-called "AMALASH Operation" is currently relevant to the dissemination that we were on the Central issue. The Committee has been told that it has relied on the testimony of the person not competent was speech that it was related to the person who live who were aware it at that time we were interviewed. C. The question of their reading all of the records that were made available to them may be somewhat esoteric at this point. When I assumed my role of the Agency coordinator for the HSCa investigation in the second half May 1978 was considered temporary tension between the Committee and the Agency agency was responsible for the Agency to HSCSA requests. While I was the agency was not responsible for any of the agency's requests. that they had failed to read, at that point about 50% of the material made available. I have continued to remind them about the question available. If I failed to remind that they about when the question unreviewed material dropped to 40%, and 30% of it finally to about 20%, of the although the total volume of material made available increased, the only rellevance of that fact at this Point has not been available to recognize to that, we have stated that this point they were not with gratuitous implications to that. They have stated to them that they have done not to do not have a position to make that statement until they have read everything that was made available to them. They only need remove the gratuitous insult to obivate my challenge to their right to make it. <loc_407><loc_859>20292

Summary: The memorandum dated 4 April 1979 discusses internal HSCA (House Select Committee on Assassinations) and CIA interactions regarding the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination investigation. It references disputes over document handling, including the destruction of draft reports and comments by the CIA, which were not subject to FOIA procedures. The author notes that G.A. Blakey, a HSCA staff director, may have overlooked an agreement to destroy such materials. There is mention of Shackley not being interviewed by the committee, with the author clarifying that no formal interview was arranged through their staff. The document also addresses tensions between the HSCA and CIA over access to records, noting that only 20% of available material had been reviewed at one point. It critiques the investigative approach, highlighting aggressive behavior by some investigators and concerns about unbalanced criticism of the Agency’s work. The AMALASH Operation is referenced as a relevant topic in the context of the investigation.  

Key People: G.A. Blakey (HSCA staff director), Shackley (CIA official), S.D. Breckinridge (Principal Coordinator, HSCA)  
Key Locations: Not specified beyond administrative references  
Key Events: Disputes over document destruction and access, Shackley’s non-interview status, review of available records by the HSCA, AMALASH Operation reference  
Key Organizations: House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

MLK Declassified Files

00505170_30_march_1979_letter_from_104-10143-10196.pdf

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