Kennedy Library to release 7 boxes of Robert Kennedy papers.

[Bernice Moore]

Kennedy Library in Dorchester to release seven boxes of Robert Kennedy papers on Cuban missile crisis

See - http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/10/10/kennedy-library-dorchester-release-seven-boxes-robert-kennedy-papers-cuban-missile-crisis/LlZOVhjcGiKuFBevGRrTnJ/story.html

WASHINGTON -- After years of difficult negotiations with Robert F. Kennedy’s heirs – and growing pressure from researchers – the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum has been granted approval to declassify and release seven boxes of the former attorney general’s papers on Cuba.

The papers, amounting to more than 2,700 pages, will be made available to researchers at the Kennedy Library in Dorchester on Thursday and will be posted on line.

The decision coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis, in which the president’s younger brother played a prominent role in defusing the most dangerous flashpoint of the Cold War, when Russia deployed medium-range nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island, just 90 miles from American shores.

“Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy played a crucial role in the peaceful resolution of the crisis, and researchers and the public are keenly interested in the information and insights contained in these documents,” said David Ferriero, head of the National Archives and Records Administration, which oversees the presidential library.

The papers, part of a larger collection of RFK’s personal and government papers that remain hidden more than four decades after his assassination, could also shed light on covert government efforts to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro – activities overseen for a time by RFK.

In a statement, the National Archives described the forthcoming files as “documents accumulated by Robert F. Kennedy in his capacity as both attorney general and adviser to President Kennedy. The files relate chiefly to matters that ordinarily do not come under the jurisdiction of the attorney general or the Justice Department, and include memos, correspondence, reports, notes from Executive Committee meetings, as well as CIA and State Department telegrams and cables chiefly related to the United States relationship with Cuba during the years 1961 to 1963 – a time which included the Cuban missile crisis and the Bay of Pigs invasion.”

It added: “While the majority of these materials will be opened in full, some will remain restricted because of classified material: no documents are closed due to restrictions related to personal privacy concerns.”

The Boston Globe, in a series of articles in the past few years, has reported on the growing frustration of historians and researchers eager to study what they contend is a key missing chapter of the Kennedy administration and the Cold War. But until now RFK’s widow, Ethel Skakel Kennedy, and their children have been reluctant to grant permission to declassify the documents – totaling as many as 62 boxes -- and make them public.

At issue has been an unusual agreement reached decades ago between the National Archives and the Kennedy family, granting them authority to release the files. But as the Globe reported earlier this year, an index of the remaining RFK papers shows that many of the unreleased files are government documents, as opposed to personal materials, that the family should never have been given control over.

In a statement Wednesday, the Kennedy family maintained it is committed to making additional papers available, insisting that it is the declassification process that has been responsible for the delay, not their foot-dragging.

“The Robert F. Kennedy Family is committed to ensuring the public’s continued access to the RFK Collection,” the statement said.

But library officials and internal correspondence with the family over the years highlight the library’s difficulty in getting the family’s go-ahead to process the papers for release.

In the statement, the family also acknowledged that of the remaining 55 boxes, some information could still be withheld. “At the conclusion of the process of federal review of the remaining 55 boxes, those 55 boxes will also be made available to the public, subject only to national security and personal privacy considerations.”

Reached by phone, Tom Putnam, the director of the JFK Library, declined to comment on the family’s statement, saying he is pleased that the library is making progress after years of seeking to make the RFK collection fully available.

Asked about the family’s contention that it has not been responsible for the delay on processing, Putnam declined to comment.

[William Kelly]

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Search - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

I've put the titles plus descriptions on one pge here for quick brousing -

JFKCountercoup2: DOCS FROM RFK PAPERS

Here's some interesting people - including news reports by Mockingbird agents - like Virginia Prewett.

6-11: Cuba: Citizens Committee for a Free Cuba - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Here's list of most people with their orgs

6-6: Cuba: Counter Revolutionary Handbook - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

News Release

National Archives to Open Robert F. Kennedy Records

http://www.jfklibrar... Papers|1|,N:16

For Immediate Release: October 11, 2012

National Archives to Open Robert F. Kennedy Records Relating to the Cuban Missile Crisis

WHAT: The National Archives and Records Administration and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library are releasing an additional seven boxes of material (more than 2,700 pages) from the Robert F. Kennedy Papers, housed at the Kennedy Library in Boston, including documents relating primarily to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

WHERE: The records will be available both online at www.jfklibrary.org and in the Research Room at the Kennedy Library in Boston.

WHEN: The records will be available at 8:30 A.M. EST on Thursday, October 11, 2012, both online and in the Kennedy Library Research Room.

“The National Archives is pleased to open these materials as the nation and the world mark the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis,” said David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States. “Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy played a crucial role in the peaceful resolution of the crisis, and researchers and the public are keenly interested in the information and insights contained in these documents.”

Background

The materials included in this opening consist of documents accumulated by Robert F. Kennedy in his capacity as both Attorney General and advisor to President Kennedy. The files relate chiefly to matters that ordinarily do not come under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General or the Justice Department, and include memos, correspondence, reports, notes from Executive Committee meetings, as well as CIA and State Department telegrams and cables chiefly related to the United States relationship with Cuba during the years 1961 to 1963 – a time which included the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs invasion.

While the majority of these materials will be opened in full, some will remain restricted because of classified material: no documents are closed due to restrictions related to personal privacy concerns.

For press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5326.

For background on Robert F. Kennedy, see

http://www.jfklibrar...-F-Kennedy.aspx.

For a statement from the Robert F. Kennedy family, see

http://www.archives....8875-v1-rfk.pdf.

For information on 50th anniversary exhibit “To the Brink: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis,” see

http://www.archives....2/nr12-146.html.

To learn more about the Cuban Missile Crisis, see

http://microsites.jfklibrary.org/cmc.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated to the memory of our nation's 35th president and to all those who through the art of politics seek a new and better world. Located on a 10-acre park, overlooking the sea that he loved and the city that launched him to greatness, the Library stands as a vibrant tribute to the life and times of John F. Kennedy. The Museum which portrays the life, leadership, and legacy of President Kennedy, conveys his enthusiasm for politics and public service, and illustrates the nature of the office of the President. Students and scholars can also arrange to conduct research using our collection of historical materials chronicling mid-20th century politics and the life and administration of John F. Kennedy.

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries, and online at www.archives.gov.

http://www.jfklibrar...rs|1|,Ro:0,N:16

Series Description: The materials in this series were removed from the Department of Justice files after Robert Kennedy resigned as Attorney General and were sent to the National Archives to be incorporated with his other papers. This series contains correspondence, memos, and reports, accumulated by Robert Kennedy in his capacity as both Attorney General and Chief Assistant to President John F. Kennedy. Topics covered mainly include foreign policy matters, and the Attorney General's working relationship with other federal agencies such as the CIA, State Department, and Department of Defense. The materials are arranged based on an internal filing system used within the Attorney General’s office. The majority of this series remains closed.

Use Restriction Note:Some of the archival materials in this collection may be subject to copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish.

Copyright Notice: Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Some of the archival materials in this collection may be subject to copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Users of these materials are advised to determine the copyright status of any document from which they wish to publish. The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research."

If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form

Edited October 12, 2012 by William Kelly

[Greg Parker]

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