The Schlesinger Memo: JFK v CIA - Addendum
by James DiEugenio
Addendum A - Highlights of PFIAB Meeting Notes
Researcher David Denton uncovered a sheaf of documents that show why Kennedy wanted to reform the CIA.
The documents are sourced from the PFIAB. Though this advisory board has changed names over the years, Wikipedia describes it as ‘an advisory body to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. According to its self-description, it "provides advice to the President concerning the quality and adequacy of intelligence collection, of analysis and estimates, of counterintelligence, and of other intelligence activities." ’ (link to the Wikipedia PFIAB page).
See the next addendum for the entire file.
This first highlighted section gives voice rather dramatically about his frustration at not knowing what the Agency was doing most of the time.
Denton also uncovered another group which shows how those close advisors around him are also frustrated with their lack of knowledge of Agency activities and the CIA's apparent reluctance to let them know about them.
Addendum B - Raw PFIAB Meeting Notes
The entire raw PFIAB document may be found here or in the same file with highlighting (starting at page 7) from Addendum A here.
Addendum C - Schlesinger Memo
Thanks to attorney Andrew Iler, please view the rarely seen 1993 5-page CIA version of the Schlesinger memo that shows desired redactions here and the 15-page White House redacted version here. The unredacted version may be found here. The first version above shows just how strongly the CIA did not want this document out there in full, unredacted form.
It took the ARRB to get it in that form. Why? Because it would show just what JFK was upset about: how the CIA was controlling policy. And how their policy in Cuba at the Bay of Pigs--one of direct intervention--opposed his. Secondly, although the memo is admirable, Schlesinger makes an error on page one. He assumes there was no CIA involvement in the attempts to overthrow de Gaulle over Algeria, and to aid the rebel group, the OAS in doing so. In the book JFK Revisited, Oliver Stone and I found several sources that indicate otherwise. (pp. 72,73) This information was found in American, French, and British sources. According to David Talbot, Kennedy told the French ambassador that he had nothing to do with the attempted overthrow but he could not be sure if the CIA was involved. (The Devil's Chessboard, pp. 412-419).
As Iler points out, multiple entities submitted different copies of the memo to the ARRB, this is why there are different RIF#s and different Originating Agencies listed. The two Originating Agencies for the documents linked above are (1) The White House and (2) The CIA. The RIF for the White House version does not appear to be a typical ARRB RIF sheet. Iler also notes that on both RIFs that there are no Opening Criteria pursuant to section 6 of the JFK Records Act. This is atypical.
The documents may also be viewed at the Mary Ferrel Foundation:
The White House Version (15 pages)
RIF#: 176-10033-10145
The CIA Version (5 pages)
RIF#: 157-10002-10056
