Archives Kept a Secrecy Secret

[MountainLaurel]

:argh: :grr: :banghead:

The National Archives helped keep secret a multi-year effort by the Air Force, the CIA and other federal agencies to withdraw thousands of historical documents from public access on Archives shelves, even though the records had been declassified.

In a 2002 memorandum, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request and released yesterday by the National Security Archive, a nonprofit research library housed at George Washington University, Archives officials agreed to help pull the materials for possible reclassification and conceal the identities of anyone participating in the effort. The Associated Press reported yesterday that it had requested a copy of the memo three years ago.

"t is in the interest of both and the National Archives and Records Administration to avoid the attention and researcher complaints that may arise from removing material that has already been available publicly from the open shelves for extended periods of time," the Archives memo read, in part.

Thomas S. Blanton, executive director of the National Security Archive, said the memo "shows that the National Archives basically aided and abetted a covert operation that whited out the nation's history by reclassifying previously released documents."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/11/AR2006041101475.html

[Virginia Dare]

1. I just wonder...

exactly what it is they are trying to hide/cover up? The article claims that they stepped up the operation just after 9/11. That makes me go 'hmmmmm'.

[MountainLaurel]

2. U.S. support of the Mujaheddin and Saddam

Would be my guess. It doesn't look so good when you're trying to wage a crusade against people who were your allies just a few years ago.