Joseph Backes

Hello, Does anyone have a copy of the Eric Randich - Pat Grant study on the neutron activation analysis? I want the study as published in The Journal of Forensic Science, not a news report about it. Thanks.

PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT ON CLASSIFICATION REFORM At the request of the National Security Advisor, a public meeting has been scheduled for July 8 to solicit public comments and recommendations concerning proposed revisions to executive branch classification and declassification policies. The meeting was announced in a June 23 Federal Register notice. The Public Interest Declassification Board, which is hosting the July 8 meeting, will also launch a new blog next week to solicit public recommendations online. The blog will sequentially consider four areas: declassification policy, creation of a National Declassification Center, classification policy, and technology challenges and opportunities. Discussion of each topic will continue for three days, before moving to the next topic. Meanwhile, an experimental and somewhat erratic White House process for gathering public input on transparency and openness has entered its third phase, intended to draft "constructive proposals" for advancing open government. From the Fed Reg. [Federal Register: June 23, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 119)] [Notices] [Page 29729-29730] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Information Security Oversight Office Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB); Meeting AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration. ACTION: Notice of meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 1102 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which extended and modified the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) as established by the Public Interest [[Page 29730]] Declassification Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-567, title VII, December 27, 2000, 114 Stat. 2856), announcement is made for the following committee meeting: DATES: July 8, 2009. Time: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ADDRESSES: National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 105, Washington, DC 20408. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie A. Agurkis, PIDB Staff, Information Security Oversight Office, National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20408, telephone number (202) 357-5308. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To solicit public input concerning recommendations and proposed revisions to the classification and declassification policies found in Executive Order 12958, as amended, ``Classified National Security Information'' (the Order). This action is being taken at the request of the National Security Advisor and in support of the ongoing review of the Order directed by the President on May 27, 2009. This meeting will be open to the public. To ensure that the Board may hear from all interested parties, individuals interested in addressing the Board may be limited to 10 minutes. Due to space limitations and access procedures, the name and telephone number of individuals planning to attend must be submitted to the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) via e-mail, PIDB@nara.gov, no later than July 2, 2009. ISOO will provide additional instructions for gaining access to the location of the meeting. Dated: June 11, 2009. Mary Ann Hadyka, Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E9-14691 Filed 6-22-09; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7515-01-P

Charges against Cyril H. Wecht to be dismissed Tuesday, June 02, 2009 By Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced at a Tuesday morning press conference that her office is dropping prosectuion of former Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht. U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan this morning filed a motion to dismiss all of the charges against former Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril H. Wecht. In a news conference, the prosecutor said that a ruling by U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin last month suppressing crucial evidence in the case severely hampered any chance her office would have to move forward. Though the charges filed against Dr. Wecht more than three years ago have been dismissed, Ms. Buchanan said she still believes that a crime was committed. "However, in our society everyone is innocent until proven guilty," she said. "As we stand here today, he's still innocent. "If I could have a do-over, I'd still bring the case." Judge McLaughlin found in a 55-page opinion that search warrants filed in the case were too general. Specifically, the warrants related to boxes of private autopsy files that were found in Dr. Wecht's private offices, as well as a laptop computer used by his administrative assistant. Both were found to be deficient. The judge wrote in his opinion that had a supporting affidavit of probable cause been attached to the warrant applications, the problem would have been resolved. Ms. Buchanan admitted that a mistake was made by not attaching the paperwork, but she continued, it was left out so as not to reveal too much information about the ongoing investigation. "This is something I doubt will ever happen again in the Western District of Pennsylvania." Dr. Wecht was indicted in January 2006 on charges that he misused his public office for private gain. His trial ended in a hung jury last year. Read more: http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09153/974440...0HJOGtWFt&B

You may be referring to this: http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...=5018&st=30 Yes! Ray, where did you get this? Joe

It was in 2002.

Hello, A few years ago at a JFK Lancer conference Josiah Thompson spoke and rejected his own theory as detailed in his book "Six Seconds in Dallas." He based his new conclusions on a new mathmatical model that helped to better pinpoint the true position of JFK's head. Does anyone remember what year that was? Also, if it has been written up and/or posted online somewhere? Thanks. Joe Backes

Seems my crystal ball is a bit cloudy these days, must be the Winter weather. I am glad that Caroline was rescued from the political arena. Maybe Governor Patterson saw that she deserves better. The New York Times February 21, 2009 Paterson Had Staff Deny Kennedy Was Top Choice By DANNY HAKIM and NICHOLAS CONFESSORE ALBANY — For the first time, Gov. David A. Paterson acknowledged Friday that he personally ordered his staff to contest Caroline Kennedy’s version of events in the hours after she withdrew from consideration to be United States senator. However, Mr. Paterson said that he was bewildered when his staffers subsequently unleashed harsh personal attacks against Ms. Kennedy, saying he merely wanted them to challenge the assertion from Ms. Kennedy’s camp that she had been his first choice to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton. “The things said about Caroline I found despicable and shocking and very painful,” the governor said in a telephone interview, adding, “I never would have imagined removing the idea that this is my first choice meant a character assassination.” The governor’s handling of the Senate selection process and his administration’s treatment of Ms. Kennedy drew intense criticism. Ms. Kennedy withdrew her name just after midnight Jan. 22, a development that embarrassed Mr. Paterson and set off fears in his inner circle that anyone he then selected would look like a second choice. That afternoon, members of the administration called reporters, and, under cloak of anonymity, claimed that serious tax problems and issues with a domestic worker had emerged during the vetting of Ms. Kennedy, helping to derail her candidacy. Those claims were highly exaggerated, all sides now acknowledge; no serious or disqualifying issues had arisen. The attack bewildered Democrats across the country, and Mr. Paterson’s poll numbers suffered significant declines in the subsequent weeks. Mr. Paterson stressed in the interview that he had been acting only out of a desire to rebut the specific point that Ms. Kennedy had been his first choice. He said he told his staff: “Let’s try to point out that we’re not indicating that anybody is the No. 1.” “I understood we’d be pushing back for that,” he said, adding, “How that turned into what happened is something I have to take responsibility for.” Mr. Paterson has not previously said he had any role in the matter. A few days after Ms. Kennedy withdrew, he was asked at a public appearance whether the anonymous attacks had come from inside his administration. “I’m denying it,” he said then, but later in the appearance equivocated, saying, “There have been leaks coming from my administration throughout this entire process of choosing a senator, of contradictory types of information.” He condemned those leaks. Mr. Paterson would not say whether he had apologized or spoken to Ms. Kennedy since she ended her Senate bid. “I’d rather not go into my private communications with her,” he said. The governor also said his top communications strategist, Judith Smith, no longer worked for him. After speaking to the governor on the morning of Jan. 22, Ms. Smith directed the attacks on Ms. Kennedy, according to advisers to the governor who were involved in the effort. “She hasn’t formally resigned,” the governor said Friday, but added, “She will.” In a statement, Ms. Smith confirmed that she had parted ways with Mr. Paterson, but declined to address other questions. “Last Sunday we informed the governor that our firm would no longer be providing him with services,” Ms. Smith said. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/nyregion/21paterson.html As I live in Albany, NY let's clear some things up. First, David Patterson was APPOINTED to the governorship of the State of New York in the wake of the Elliot Spitzer prostitute scandal. No one ever voted for David Patterson to be the governor. Caroline Kennedy was not "rescued," from the political arena. She was attacked! She was slimed! And slimed by a Bushie. Her character was assassinated by Judith Smith, a former Bush deputy press secretary. Judith Smith was on Patterson's staff. She was more than that, look at the line, "top communications strategist." TOP! Yet, for weeks local, state, and national media for some reason would not print or even mention her name. It was like there was this secret agreement not to name her. Paterson lied, and lied, and lied about the attacks on Caroline Kennedy. And he's still lying. Many Democrats are furious wondering why Patterson treated her like this and wondering what in the hell was a Bushie doing on Patterson's staff? And how many other Republicans are on his staff? Patterson does not like Caroline Kennedy one bit. It is reasonable to assume he felt the whole process was being usurped or taken away from him, and he was mad about it. He saw this as his decision, alone, and that no one should try to campaign for it. The information in the attacks could only have come from Paterson himself. Even a local right-wing reporter, Fred Dicker, admits this. Patterson threw her under the bus, and then got in the bus's driver seat, and backed up and ran over her again, and again, and again. There was a semi-popularity contest for the open senate seat between Caroline Kennedy and NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo ran for governor once before and lost in a primary to the then comptroller Carl McCall, who was very popular downstate, especially in the NYC area. Cuomo was then going through a rather public and messy divorce from RFK's daughter, and first cousin to Caroline, Kerry Kennedy. Cuomo, like his father, has some popularity within the Democratic party, but there is also a mean streak. McCall, the comptroller, oddly ran out of money and his campaign lost ground and basically ended before the election. He lost and George Pataki was re-elected. There is a lot of tension between Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Patterson. Cuomo was not consulted with at all about Patterson's choice for the open senate seat. (Nor, was Hillary Clinton.) It is taken as a given that Cuomo will primary Patterson for the governorship. Meanwhile, Paterson picks Kirsten Gillibrand. She is a largely unknown congresswoman in her second term. She won a congressional seat in a largely Republican district north of Albany. The Republican congressman, John Sweeney, turned out to be a mean drunk who beat his wife. Even with that knowledge President Bill Clinton in his few remaining days in office flew Air Force One into the district to help Gillibrand. How the Democrats will be able to retain that seat is an open question. At the press event where Patterson announced his pick standing right next to Gillibrand was former Republican senator Alphonse D'Amato. Every Democrat is wondering what the hell was he doing there! Now it comes out that Gillibrand has a 100% approval rating from the NRA. A congresswoman from the NYC area Rep. Carolyn McCarthy promises to primary her. McCarthy's husband was slain by deranged gunman, Colin Ferguson, who killed six and wounded 19 others on a Long Island commuter train on Dec 7, 1993. One of the wounded was McCarthy's son Kevin. Patterson has badly damaged himself in this process. He has also damaged the state Democratic party. And he has pissed off The Kennedy's, The Cuomo's, and The Clinton's, three of the most popular and powerful families in New York. Patterson was seen as a one termer before all of this. Now, stick a fork in him. He's done. You should see how he's handling the state budget. Joe

Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News has been advertising that he will have new JFK tapes on Monday night. I'm not quite sure what this is as I don't see anything about a new release on the JFK Library site. So, set your VCR's and DVD recorders, etc. From Brian William's Blog: I wanted to alert our viewers (as Tom Brokaw will on Meet the Press on Sunday) to something we have coming up Monday night: newly-discovered audio tape, of an un-guarded JFK, just months before becoming President -- just over 3-years before his assasination. He talks candidly about his life, politics and his own health. The tapes will air for the first time anywhere on our broadcast Monday night. I've listened to all of it -- and it is chilling, haunting and fascinating at the same time. Having read just about every book extant on the Kennedy family and his presidency, I already know there is material here that will be in the next printing of various textbooks. We'll hope to see you tonight. Have a good weekend (or try to) and we'll see you here Monday. Joe Backes

Yo! Joe, Did anybody get back to you? Are you going? Is anybody else? Bill Kelly Hello Bill, No, no responses. I would have liked to go but I can't. It's a long drive from where I live, and flights were too expensive. I would have liked to hear the thought on Shane O'Sullivan's work and the accoustical evidence in the RFK assassination. Joe

If so, where are folks staying? What hotel? Joe Backes

See - http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage From The Daily Advertiser Former KLFY broadcaster Jim Olivier dies at 57 Businessman also was Cajun music recording artist Herman Fuselier hfuselier@theadvertiser.com Jim Olivier, a retired broadcaster and well-known singer and businessman, died Sunday morning in Lafayette. Olivier was 57. The death was confirmed by Olivier's wife, Anna. Funeral arrangements are still pending. No other details were available. For 25 years, Olivier hosted the Passe Partout, an early-morning news and music program held weekdays on KLFY-TV10. The former country music DJ at KXKW promoted Cajun music and zydeco and reported news and weather in his native Cajun French. He also hosted the Meet Your Neighbor show each weekday at noon. In 1980, Olivier began a music recording career with Swallow Records of Ville Platte. Olivier's first 45-rpm single, Brasse le couche-couche, became an immediate hit. His follow-up hits included If You'll Give Me Another Chance, Comme Un Cadien (Just Like A Cajun), I Love My Saturday Night, Good Hearted Man and La Marriage a Pic et Poc. He eventually released five albums during his music career. Last year, Swallow Records released 20 of Olivier's songs on an Essential Collection CD. The disc contained a new song, Nothing New, Same Old Thing, a blues tune done in French. In 1995, Olivier left the Passe Partout morning show. Three years later, he partnered with his wife to start Jim Olivier's Home Improvement Co., a Lafayette-based business specializing in insulated vinyl siding and windows. Olivier was also known throughout the nation for his research on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He also helped organized reunions of retired professional wrestlers and announcers.

From Debra Conway: Jim Olivier, a retired broadcaster and well-known singer and businessman, died Sunday morning in Lafayette, Louisiana. Olivier was 57. Jim, a Louisiana-based television journalist, has been researching the assassination for more than 30 years. He has produced and hosted television and radio interviews with many well known researchers and authors such as Jim Garrison, David Lifton, Mark Lane, Mary Ferrell, Robert Mayheu, Joe West, David Belin, Jack Anderson, John Davis, John Newman, Dr. Charles Crenshaw, Penn Jones, Jr., and a host of Dealey Plaza eyewitnesses. His primary focus in the Kennedy assassination has been events in New Orleans and the Garrison investigation. Jim Olivier spoke at several November in Dallas Conferences, presenting interviews with individuals not formerly on record which confirm the presence of Lee Oswald in Clinton, La. with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie, as well as information confirming the pre-assassination remarks of Rose Cherimie as to a conspiracy to kill the President. In addition to being a frequent NID speaker, Jim was the long time Master of Ceremonies of the JFK Lancer Novemnber in Dallas Awards Banquets. With his quick wit and friendly manner, Jim entertained the conference attendees while keeping the program moving forward. Most JFK Lancer members are familiar with the smooth voice and easy smile of this gentle man, but may not be aware he was also a well known radio and television host. For 25 years, Olivier hosted Passe Partout, an early-morning news and music program held weekdays on KLFY-TV10. The former country music DJ at KXKW promoted Cajun music and zydeco and reported news and weather in his native Cajun French. He also hosted the Meet Your Neighbor show each weekday at noon. In 1980, Olivier began a music recording career with Swallow Records of Ville Platte. Olivier's first 45-rpm single, Brasse le couche-couche, began an immediate hit. His follow-up hits included If You'll Give Me Another Chance, Comme Un Cadien (Just Like A Cajun), I Love My Saturday Night, Good Hearted Man and La Marriage a Pic et Poc. He eventually released five albums during his music career. Last year, Swallow Records released 20 of Olivier's songs on an Essential Collection CD. The disc contained a new song, Nothing New, Same Old Thing, a blues tune done in French. In 1995, Olivier left the Passe Partout morning show. Three years later, he partnered with his wife Anna to start Jim Olivier's Home Improvement Co., a Lafayette-based business specializing in insulated vinyl siding and windows. Jim Olivier was an outstanding reseacher, but more importantly, he was a friend... and we shall miss him dearly. Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to his family and loved ones. Debra Conway and Sherry Fiester JFK Lancer Productions & Publications Forward email

Hello, What's the URL for Shane O'Sullivan's website? Thanks. Joe Backes

Hello folks, Forgive me for this cross posting, and/or if it's against the rules here to solicit money. On the JFK Lancer forum there's a posting about a friend of Debra Conway whose daughter has brain cancer. The girl is a teenager. Funds are being asked for so that her family can be with her. They live in Valdez, Alaska and the surgery is going ot be performed in Anchorage. I'm told they're seeking about $2,000 and a little less than $300 has been raised so far. I'm hoping that when people in our community are faced with such troubles that we will act like a community and help one another. - Joe Backes If you can help the fastest way is via Paypal. The email address is - nonalee77@hotmail.com. "Personal: We know this is unusual...." We know this is very unusual, but we have a personal friend who is need of prayers and financial support. Our friend, Nona a has a daughter who is scheduled for brain surgery in two weeks. She is desperately trying to raise funds to accompany her daughter to Anchorage where the surgery is being perormed. We are hoping you will make a donation to help this deserving family. Gwynevere Willis, 14 Year Old Cancer Vicitm Gwynevere Willis is like most teenagers: she loves music, has began to recognize within herself a writing talent, and has bright dreams of what her future might hold. But, unlike most teens, Gwynn is suffering from brain cancer. Now her dreams are simply of having family members near her as she battles the most deadly of diseases. Gwynn has been fighting brain tumors for the last eight months. The included graphic indicates the size and location of the first tumors removed in the summer of 2006. Sadly, surgery has been unable to completely eradicate the tumors and in late January 2007 the family received the devastating news that the tumors have returned. Subsequently, Gwynn is faced with more surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. If she lives, Gwynn will also require a great deal of therapy to regain lost skills. Gwynn will have to travel over 6 hours from Valdez to Anchorage, Alaska to receive the life saving surgery she needs. The family expended all their savings in obtaining the first surgery. So, although Gwynn can receive treatment in Anchorage, the family is without the funds to accompany her during this terrifying surgery scheduled for February 12, 2007. It would be a great blessing if the whole family could be with her; indeed, it may be the last time her siblings get to spend with her. Gwynn once had high hopes of a bright future. Her current hope is having her mother and siblings with her in Anchorage as she undergoes surgery and treatment. You can help make that hope a reality. There has been a donation account set up for Gwynn at Wells Fargo Bank in Valdez, Alaska. The bank telephone number is 907-835-4745, and the account number is 589-2133058. We have also made this appeal to the subscribers of our newsletter. In the newsletter there is a donation link you can use. Or, you can make a donation via PayPal by simply signing onto your paypal account and selecting to send money to email account nonalee77@hotmail.com. Your help and prayers will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time in reading this and please pass it on to everyone you think might help. God bless you all. Sincerely, Debra Conway and Sherry Gutierrez JFK Lancer Productions & Publications

Tonight @ 9:00 p.m. EST Saturday's show Sharon Stone and William H. Macy in "Bobby." Hear from eyewitnesses to Robert. F. Kennedy's assassination. Plus, stars of the new movie take us inside the drama. Sharon Stone, Emilio Estevez, Harry Belafonte and more. Tune in Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.

AP: Feds rate travelers for terrorism By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 45 minutes ago Without notifying the public, federal agents for the past four years have assigned millions of international travelers, including Americans, computer-generated scores rating the risk they pose of being terrorists or criminals. The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk assessments, which the government intends to keep on file for 40 years. The scores are assigned to people entering and leaving the United States after computers assess their travel records, including where they are from, how they paid for tickets, their motor vehicle records, past one-way travel, seating preference and what kind of meal they ordered. The program's existence was quietly disclosed earlier in November when the government put an announcement detailing the Automated Targeting System, or ATS, for the first time in the Federal Register, a fine-print compendium of federal rules. Privacy and civil liberties lawyers, congressional aides and even law enforcement officers said they thought this system had been applied only to cargo. The Homeland Security Department notice called its program "one of the most advanced targeting systems in the world." The department said the nation's ability to spot criminals and other security threats "would be critically impaired without access to this data." Still, privacy advocates view ATS with alarm. "It's probably the most invasive system the government has yet deployed in terms of the number of people affected," David Sobel, a lawyer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group devoted to electronic data issues, said in an interview. Government officials could not say whether ATS has apprehended any terrorists. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Bill Anthony said agents refuse entry to about 45 foreign criminals every day based on all the information they have. He could not say how many were spotted by ATS. A similar Homeland Security data-mining project, for domestic air travelers — now known as Secure Flight — caused a furor two years ago in Congress. Lawmakers barred its implementation until it can pass 10 tests for accuracy and privacy protection. In comments to the Homeland Security Department about ATS, Sobel said, "Some individuals will be denied the right to travel and many the right to travel free of unwarranted interference as a result of the maintenance of such material." Sobel said in the interview the government notice also raises the possibility that faulty risk assessments could cost innocent people jobs in shipping or travel, government contracts, licenses or other benefits. The government notice says ATS data may be shared with state, local and foreign governments for use in hiring decisions and in granting licenses, security clearances, contracts or other benefits. In some cases, the data may be shared with courts, Congress and even private contractors. "Everybody else can see it, but you can't," Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration lawyer who teaches at Cornell Law school, said in an interview. But Jayson P. Ahern, an assistant commissioner of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection agency, said the ATS ratings simply allow agents at the border to pick out people not previously identified by law enforcement as potential terrorists or criminals and send them for additional searches and interviews. "It does not replace the judgments of officers," Ahern said in an interview Thursday. This targeting system goes beyond traditional border watch lists, Ahern said. Border agents compare arrival names with watch lists separately from the ATS analysis. In a privacy impact assessment posted on its Web site this week, Homeland Security said ATS is aimed at discovering high-risk individuals who "may not have been previously associated with a law enforcement action or otherwise be noted as a person of concern to law enforcement." Ahern said ATS does this by applying rules derived from the government's knowledge of terrorists and criminals to the passenger's travel patterns and records. For security reasons, Ahern declined to disclose any of the rules, but a Homeland Security document on data-mining gave an innocuous example of a risk assessment rule: "If an individual sponsors more than one fiancee for immigration at the same time, there is likelihood of immigration fraud." In the Federal Register, the department exempted ATS from many provisions of the Privacy Act designed to protect people from secret, possibly inaccurate government dossiers. As a result, it said travelers cannot learn whether the system has assessed them. Nor can they see the records "for the purpose of contesting the content." Toby Levin, senior adviser in Homeland Security's Privacy Office, noted that the department pledged to review the exemptions over the next 90 days based on the public comment received. As of Thursday, all 15 public comments received opposed the system outright or criticized its redress procedures. The Homeland Security privacy impact statement added that "an individual might not be aware of the reason additional scrutiny is taking place, nor should he or she" because that might compromise the ATS' methods. Nevertheless, Ahern said any traveler who objected to additional searches or interviews could ask to speak to a supervisor to complain. Homeland Security's privacy impact statement said that if asked, border agents would hand complaining passengers a one-page document that describes some, but not all, of the records that agents check and refers complaints to Custom and Border Protection's Customer Satisfaction Unit. Homeland Security's statement said travelers can use this office to obtain corrections to the underlying data sources that the risk assessment is based on. "There is no procedure to correct the risk assessment and associated rules stored in ATS as the assessment ... will change when the data from the source system(s) is amended." "I don't buy that at all," said Jim Malmberg, executive director of American Consumer Credit Education Support Services, a private credit education group. Malmberg noted how hard it has been for citizens, including members of Congress and even infants, to stop being misidentified as terrorists because their names match those on anti-terrorism watch lists. Homeland Security, however, is nearing an announcement of a new effort to improve redress programs and the public's awareness of them, according to a department privacy official, who requested anonymity because the formal announcement has not been made. The department says that 87 million people a year enter the country by air and 309 million enter by land or sea. The government gets advance passenger and crew lists for all flights and ships entering and leaving and all those names are entered into the system for an ATS analysis, Ahern said. He also said the names of vehicle drivers and passengers are entered when they cross the border and Amtrak is voluntarily supplying passenger data for trains to and from Canada. Ahern said that border agents concentrate on arrivals more than on departures because their resources are limited. "If this catches one potential terrorist, this is a success," Ahern said. ___ On the Net: DHS privacy impact statement: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy...pia_cbp_ats.pdf ___ Associated Press writer Leslie Miller contributed to this report. Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Questions or Comments Privacy Policy -Terms of Service [Federal Register: November 2, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 212)] [Notices] [Page 64543-64546] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr02no06-51] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of the Secretary [DHS-2006-0060] Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records AGENCY: Privacy Office, Department of Homeland Security. ACTION: Notice of Privacy Act system of records. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: To provide expanded notice and transparency to the public, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection gives notice regarding the Automated Targeting System, which is the enforcement screening module associated with the Treasury Enforcement Communications System and was previously covered by the Treasury Enforcement Communications System ``System of Records Notice.'' This system of records is subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a). The Treasury Enforcement Communications System is established as an overarching law enforcement information collection, targeting, and sharing environment. This environment is comprised of several modules designed to collect, maintain, and screen data, conduct targeting, and share information. Among these modules, the Automated Targeting System performs screening of both inbound and outbound cargo, travelers, and conveyances. As part of this screening function, the Automated Targeting System compares information obtained from the public with a set series of queries designed to permit targeting of conveyances, goods, cargo, or persons to facilitate DHS's border enforcement mission. The risk assessment and links to information upon which the assessment is based, which are stored in the Automated Targeting System, are created from existing information in a number of sources, including, but not limited to: the trade community through the Automated Commercial System or its successor; the Automated Commercial Environment system; the traveling public through information submitted by their carrier to the Advance Passenger Information System; persons crossing the United States land border by automobile or on foot; the Treasury Enforcement Communications System, or its successor; or law enforcement information maintained in other parts of the Treasury Enforcement Communications System that pertain to persons, goods, or conveyances. As part of the information it accesses for screening, Passenger Name Record (PNR) information, which is currently collected pursuant to an existing CBP regulation (19 CFR 122.49d) from both inbound and outbound travelers through the carrier upon which travel occurs, is stored in the Automated Targeting System. PNR is comprised of data which carriers collect as a matter of their usual business practice in negotiating and arranging the travel transaction. As noted above, this system of records notice does not identify or create any new collection of information, rather DHS is providing additional notice and transparency of the functionality of these systems. DATES: The new system of records will be effective December 4, 2006, unless comments are received that result in a contrary determination. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number, by one of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments via docket number DH6- 2006-0060. Fax: 202-572-8727. Mail: Comments by mail are to be addressed to the Border Security Regulations Branch, Office of Regulations and Rulings, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. (Mint Annex), Washington, DC 20229. Comments by mail may also be submitted to Hugo Teufel III, Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security, 601 S. 12th Street, Arlington, VA 22202-4220. Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received go to http://www.regulations.gov. Submitted comments may also be inspected during regular business days between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Regulations Branch, Office of Regulations and Rulings, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, 799 9th Street, NW., 5th Floor, Washington, DC. Arrangements to inspect submitted comments should be made in advance by calling Mr. Joseph Clark at (202) 572-8768. [[Page 64544]] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions please contact: Laurence E. Castelli (202-572-8790), Chief, Privacy Act Policy and Procedures Branch, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Office of Regulations & Rulings, Mint Annex, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20229. For privacy issues please contact: Hugo Teufel III (571-227-3813), Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has traditionally relied on computerized cargo screening processes to aid the CBP inspection workforce in the cargo release process. Separately, CBP has used the advance submission of traveler information to aid in screening travelers to facilitate its border enforcement mission. The Automated Targeting System (ATS) associates information obtained from CBP's cargo, travelers, and border enforcement systems with a level of risk posed by each item and person as determined through the rule based query of the cargo or personal information accessed by ATS. The Privacy Act embodies fair information principles in a statutory framework governing the means by which the United States Government collects, maintains, uses, and disseminates personally identifiable information. The Privacy Act applies to information that is maintained in a ``system of records.'' A ``system of records'' is a group of any records under the control of an agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual. In the Privacy Act, an individual is defined to encompass United States citizens and legal permanent residents. ATS involves the collection and creation of information that is maintained in a system of records. Previously, this information was covered by the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS) system of records notice, as ATS is a functional module associated with the environment of TECS. ATS is employed as an analytical tool to enhance CBP screening and targeting capabilities by permitting query-based comparisons of different data modules associated with the TECS system, as well as comparisons with data sets from sources outside of TECS. As part of DHS's updating of its system of records notices and in an effort to provide more detailed information to the traveling public and trade community, CBP has determined that ATS should be noticed as a separate system of records, giving greater visibility into its targeting and screening efforts. The Privacy Act requires each agency to publish in the Federal Register a description denoting the type and character of each system of records that the agency maintains, and the routine uses that are contained in each system in order to make agency recordkeeping practices transparent, to notify individuals regarding the uses to which personally identifiable information is put, and to assist the individual to more easily find such files within the agency. DHS is hereby publishing a description of the system of records referred to as the Automated Targeting System. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a®, a report concerning this record system has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget and to the Congress. DHS/CBP-006 SYSTEM NAME: Automated Targeting System (ATS)--DHS/CBP. SYSTEM LOCATION: This computer database is located at the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) National Data Center in Washington, DC. Computer terminals are located at customhouses, border ports of entry, airport inspection facilities under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other locations at which DHS authorized personnel may be posted to facilitate DHS's mission. CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM: A. Persons seeking to enter or exit the United States; B. Persons who engage in any form of trade or other commercial transaction related to the importation or exportation of merchandise; C. Persons who are employed in any capacity related to the transit of merchandise intended to cross the United States border; and D. Persons who serve as operators, crew, or passengers on any vessel, vehicle, aircraft, or train who enters or exits the United States. CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM: ATS builds a risk assessment for cargo, conveyances, and travelers based on criteria and rules developed by CBP. ATS maintains the resulting assessment together with a record of which rules were used to develop the assessment. With the exception of PNR information, discussed below, ATS maintains a pointer or reference to the underlying records from other systems that resulted in a particular assessment. This assessment and related rules history associated with developing a risk assessment for an individual are maintained for up to forty years to support ongoing targeting requirements. ATS--P (Automated Targeting System--Passenger), a component of ATS, maintains the PNR information obtained from commercial carriers for purposes of assessing the risk of international travelers. PNR may include such items as: PNR record locator code, Date of reservation, Date(s) of intended travel, Name, Other names on PNR, Number of travelers on PNR, Seat information, Address, All forms of payment information, Billing address, Contact telephone numbers, All travel itinerary for specific PNR, Frequent flyer information, Travel agency, Travel agent, Code share PNR information, Travel status of passenger, Split/Divided PNR information, Identifiers for free tickets, One-way tickets, E-mail address, Ticketing field information, Automated Ticketing Fare Quote (ATFQ) fields, General remarks, Ticket number, Seat number, Date of ticket issuance, Any collected APIS information, No show history, Number of bags, Bag tag numbers, Go show information, Number of bags on each segment, Other Supplementary information (OSI), Special Services information (SSI), Special Services Request (SSR), Voluntary/involuntary upgrades, Received from information, and All historical changes to the PNR Not all carriers maintain the same sets of information for PNR. AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM: 19 U.S.C. 482, 1461, 1496, and 1581-1582, 8 U.S.C. 1357, Title VII of Public Law 104-208, and 49 U.S.C. 44909. Purpose(s): (a) To perform targeting of individuals, including passengers and [[Page 64545]] crew, focusing CBP resources by identifying persons who may pose a risk to border security, may be a terrorist or suspected terrorist, or may otherwise be engaged in activity in violation of U.S. law; ( To perform targeting of conveyances and cargo to focus CBP's resources for inspection and examination and enhance CBP's ability to identify potential violations of U.S. law, possible terrorist threats, and other threats to border security; and © To assist in the enforcement of the laws enforced or administered by DHS, including those related to counterterrorism. ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES: In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a( of the Privacy Act, all or a portion of the records or information contained in this system may be disclosed outside DHS as a routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a((3) as follows: A. To appropriate Federal, state, local, tribal, or foreign governmental agencies or multilateral governmental organizations responsible for investigating or prosecuting the violations of, or for enforcing or implementing, a statute, rule, regulation, order, or license, where CBP believes the information would assist enforcement of civil or criminal laws; B. To appropriate Federal, state, local, tribal, or foreign governmental agencies maintaining civil, criminal, or other relevant enforcement information or other pertinent information, which has requested information relevant or necessary to the requesting agency's hiring or retention of an individual, or issuance of a security clearance, license, contract, grant, or other benefit and disclosure is appropriate to the proper performance of the official duties of the person making the disclosure; C. To a court, magistrate, or administrative tribunal in the course of presenting evidence, including disclosures to opposing counsel or witnesses in the course of civil discovery, litigation, or settlement negotiations, or in response to a subpoena, or in connection with criminal law proceedings; D. To third parties during the course of a law enforcement investigation to the extent necessary to obtain information pertinent to the investigation, provided disclosure is appropriate to the proper performance of the official duties of the officer making the disclosure; E. To an agency, organization, or individual for the purposes of performing audit or oversight operations as authorized by law; F. To a Congressional office, for the record of an individual in response to an inquiry from that Congressional office made at the request of the individual to whom the record pertains; G. To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, students, and others performing or working on a contract, service, grant, cooperative agreement, or other assignment for the Federal government, when necessary to accomplish an agency function related to this system of records, in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended; H. To an organization or individual in either the public or private sector, either foreign or domestic, where there is a reason to believe that the recipient is or could become the target of a particular terrorist activity or conspiracy, to the extent the information is relevant to the protection of life or property and disclosure is appropriate to the proper performance of the official duties of the person making the disclosure; I. To the United States Department of Justice (including United States Attorney offices) or other Federal agency conducting litigation or in proceedings before any court, adjudicative or administrative body, when it is necessary to the litigation and one of the following is a party to the litigation or has an interest in such litigation: (a) DHS, or ( any employee of DHS in his/her official capacity, or © any employee of DHS in his/her individual capacity where DOJ or DHS has agreed to represent said employee, or (d) the United States or any agency thereof; J. To the National Archives and Records Administration or other Federal government agencies pursuant to records management inspections being conducted under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906; K. To appropriate Federal, state, local, tribal, or foreign governmental agencies, if necessary to obtain information relevant to a DHS decision concerning the hiring or retention of an employee, the issuance of a security clearance, the reporting of an investigation of an employee, the letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant or other benefit and disclosure is appropriate to the proper performance of the official duties of the individual making the disclosure; L. To appropriate Federal, State, local, tribal, or foreign governmental agencies or multilateral governmental organizations, for purposes of assisting such agencies or organizations in preventing exposure to or transmission of a communicable or quarantinable disease or for combatting other significant public health threats; M. To Federal and foreign government intelligence or counterterrorism agencies or components where CBP becomes aware of an indication of a threat or potential threat to national or international security, or where such use is to assist in anti-terrorism efforts and disclosure is appropriate to the proper performance of the official duties of the person making the disclosure; N. To appropriate Federal, State, local, tribal, or foreign governmental agencies or multilateral governmental organizations where CBP is aware of a need to utilize relevant data for purposes of testing new technology and systems designed to enhance border security or identify other violations of law; O. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (1) it is suspected or confirmed that the security or confidentiality of information in the system of records has been compromised; (2) CBP has determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this system or other systems or programs (whether maintained by CBP or another agency or entity) that rely upon the compromised information; and (3) the disclosure is made to such agencies, entities, and persons when reasonably necessary to assist in connection with the CBP's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm. POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM: STORAGE: The data is stored electronically at the National Data Center for current data and offsite at an alternative data storage facility for historical logs and system backups. RETRIEVABILITY: The data is retrievable by name or personal identifier from an electronic database. SAFEGUARDS: All records are protected from unauthorized access through appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. These safeguards include all of the following: restricting access to those with a ``need to know''; using locks, alarm devices, [[Page 64546]] and passwords; compartmentalizing databases; auditing software; and encrypting data communications. ATS also monitors source systems for changes to the source data. The system manager, in addition, has the capability to maintain system back-ups for the purpose of supporting continuity of operations and the discrete need to isolate and copy specific data access transactions for the purpose of conducting security incident investigations. ATS information is secured in full compliance with the requirements of the DHS IT Security Program Handbook. This handbook establishes a comprehensive information security program. Access to the risk assessment results and related rules is restricted to a limited number of authorized government personnel who have gone through extensive training on the appropriate use of this information and CBP policies, including for security and privacy. These individuals are trained to review the risk assessments and background information to identify individuals who may likely pose a risk. To ensure that ATS is being accessed and used appropriately, audit logs are created and reviewed routinely by CBP's Office of Internal Affairs. RETENTION AND DISPOSAL: The information initially collected in ATS is used for entry screening purposes. Records in this system will be retained and disposed of in accordance with a records schedule to be approved by the National Archives and Records Administration. ATS both collects information directly, and derives other information from various systems. To the extent information is collected from other systems, data is retained in accordance with the record retention requirements of those systems. The retention period for data specifically maintained in ATS will not exceed forty years at which time it will be deleted from ATS. Up to forty years of data retention may be required to cover the potentially active lifespan of individuals associated with terrorism or other criminal activities. The touchstone for data retention, however, is its relevance and utility. Accordingly, CBP will regularly review the data maintained in ATS to ensure its continued relevance and usefulness. If no longer relevant and useful, CBP will delete the information. All risk assessments need to be maintained because the risk assessment for individuals who are deemed low risk will be relevant if their risk profile changes in the future, for example, if terrorist associations are identified. Additionally, certain data collected directly by ATS may be subject to shorter retention limitations pursuant to separate arrangements. The adoption of shorter retention periods may not be publicly disclosed if DHS concludes that disclosure would affect operational security, for example by giving terrorism suspects the certainty that their past travel patterns would no longer be known to U.S. authorities. SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS: Executive Director, National Targeting and Security, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Ronald Reagan Building and Director, Targeting and Analysis, Systems Program Office, Office of Information Technology, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE: Generally, this system of records may not be accessed for purposes of determining if the system is a record pertaining to a particular individual. (See 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)(G) and (f)(1)). General inquiries regarding ATS may be directed to the Customer Satisfaction Unit, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Room 5.5-C, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20229 (phone: (202) 344-1850 and fax: (202) 344-2791). RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES: Generally, this system of records may not be accessed under the Privacy Act for the purpose of inspection. The majority of this system is exempted from this requirement pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) and (k)(2). General inquiries regarding ATS may be directed to the Customer Satisfaction Unit, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Room 5.5-C, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20229. Requests should conform to the requirements of 6 CFR Part 5, Subpart B, which provides the rules for requesting access to Privacy Act records maintained by DHS. The envelope and letter should be clearly marked ``Privacy Act Access Request.'' The request should include a general description of the records sought and must include the requester's full name, current address, and date and place of birth. The request must be signed and either notarized or submitted under penalty of perjury. CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES: Since this system of records may not be accessed, generally, for purposes of determining if the system contains a record pertaining to a particular individual and those records, if any, cannot be inspected, the system may not be accessed under the Privacy Act for the purpose of contesting the content of the record. RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES: The system contains information derived from other law enforcement systems operated by DHS and other government agencies, which collected the underlying data from individuals and public entities directly. In addition, the system contains information collected from carriers that operate vessels, vehicles, aircraft, and/or trains that enter or exit the United States. EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM: Pursuant to 31 CFR 1.36 pertaining to the Treasury Enforcement Communications System, the Automated Targeting System, which was previously covered by the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS) system of records notice and associated with the below exemptions, records and information in this system are exempt from 5 U.S.C. 552a©(3), (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3), (d)(4), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H), and (I), and (f) of the Privacy Act pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) and (k)(2). DHS intends to review these exemptions and, if warranted, issue a new set of exemptions specific to ATS within ninety (90) days of the publication of this notice. Dated: October 27, 2006. Hugo Teufel III, Chief Privacy Officer. [FR Doc. 06-9026 Filed 10-30-06; 3:31 pm] BILLING CODE 4410-10-P

There is no such thing as a "Bill Kurtis investigation." What this person is referring to is a TV program on American cable television that was narrated by Bill Kurtis, an anchorman from Chicago, who's star is on the decline. (If anyone remembers the first South Park think of the line, "Hey Ike, do your impression of David Caruso's career!" Mind you, that was well before CSI.) He's narrated many programs on A & E (that's the Arts and Entertainment Channel) which is a kind of commercial/cable TV version of PBS. (Hint for you Brits, ask an American what a "pledge week," is.) A lot of BBC imports and god awful documentaries, such as the case with this one. The poster is talking about the treatment Sandy Serrano received by a retired CIA goofball the LAPD brought in to brow beat Serano into refuting her own story, one Enrique Hernandez. Bill Kurtis is the voice narrating the "Mew Who Killed Kennedy," five part series first aired in the U.S. in 1991. The poster is not, repeat not, referring to or addressing anything presented by Shane O'Sullivan Joe Backes

Please note it only covers a period from December of 1962 through late July of 1963. News Release "Diary" by JFK's National Security Advisory McGeorge Bundy Reveals New Details on Trip to Germany For Immediate Release: November 21, 2006 Further information: Brent R. Carney (617) 514-1662, Brent.Carney@JFKLFoundation.org Maura Porter (617) 514-1609, mfporter@nara.gov Boston, MA – The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library today announced that it has declassified and made available for research a typewritten “diary” by President Kennedy’s National Security Advisor, McGeorge Bundy . The “diary” consists of individual documents often typed on a daily basis with the working title of “Memoranda for the Record”. Bundy’s “diary” descriptions offer an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the Kennedy White House and glimpses of the President from one of his closest advisors. The speech writing process, the political decisions of the day, the DC social scene, the President’s attention to detail and the President’s humor are all depicted through Bundy’s eyes. One entry is particularly insightful: a 28-page overview of President Kennedy’s trip to Europe in the summer of 1963, a trip that included the now famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” address. Bundy’s account reads like a day journal with information on travel, social events and speech preparations. From Bundy’s narrative, the speech preparations were complicated with draft upon draft being worked on simultaneously between Bundy, Theodore Sorensen and the President. Despite the work by many hands, it was the President himself who conceived the idea of using German phrases in his address. As Bundy wrote: On the way up to Berlin in the airplane in the morning the President kept right on working both at his arrival statement and still more at the Rathaus speech. It was on this trip that he conceived the idea of talking about civis Romanus sum and Ich bin ein Berliner … Indeed, now that I think about it, I think those two or three German lessons were what gave him both the idea of Ich bin ein Berliner and the courage, in the end, to use the phrase himself. President Kennedy’s speech in Berlin is now considered a benchmark in Presidential history and certainly one of the best remembered addresses of President Kennedy. But what this “diary” offers is a perspective of the event from the inside, from the members of the President’s own staff, which seemed, according to Bundy, to be as responsive as the crowd in Berlin. Bundy writes: There have been so many accounts of the day in Berlin that one more is not necessary for the visible events. Nevertheless it is important to remember that everything that happened in that day occurred within the framework of the most intense atmosphere of joy that I at least have ever seen. And joy is the right word. I was struck throughout the day by the fact that the crowds were more happy than intense … the millions in Berlin, led by a few dozen of their own leaders and a few dozen visitors, held a colossal celebration in honor of the homecoming of the man who is most important to the lives of all Berliners. The “diary” was donated to the Kennedy Library by the estate of McGeorge Bundy, and covers a period from December of 1962 through late July of 1963. Today’s opening is part of the White House Subject Files of the Personal Papers of McGeorge Bundy. The White House Subject Files series contain personal correspondence, memoranda, photographs, printed materials, and textual as well as audiovisual material relating to McGeorge Bundy’s service under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Several “diary” entries are still pending declassification review and will be made available as soon as the review is completed. Materials housed at the John F. Kennedy Library have come to the Library through two routes. First, as Federal records which come from executive departments, commissions and committees of the Federal government. Access to these materials is controlled by the originating agency. In addition, many of these materials contain national security classified information, which under laws and executive orders must be reviewed by the appropriate agency for possible declassification. Some of the materials, such as civil rights cases or litigation, also have privacy restrictions. Second, as personal papers, which come from individuals under deeds of gift and deposit agreements negotiated between the National Archives and the donor or his/her heirs. These materials, called “donated historical materials”, comprise the bulk of the Library’s holdings. Deeds of gift and deposit agreements cover the administration of the collections as well as the title, literary rights, and any restrictions requested by the donor or necessitated by the nature of the materials. Many donors retain literary rights and/or restrict personal financial or medical information. A review of personal papers for national security classified information also sometimes occurs depending upon the nature of the papers themselves. The Library’s holdings currently include 246 personal papers collections, of which 175 are open fully or in part for research use. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library’s Archives include 48 million pages of documents from the collections of 340 individuals, organizations, or government agencies; oral history interviews with 1,300 people; and more than 30,000 books. The Audiovisual Archives administers collections of more than 400,000 still photographs, 7,550,000 feet of motion picture film, 1,200 hours of video recordings, over 9,000 hours of audio recordings and 500 original editorial cartoons. The Research Room is open 8:30 am – 4:30 pm each weekday, and is closed on weekends and Federal Holidays. Appointments may be made by calling (617) 514-1629. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and supported, in part, by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, a non-profit organization. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the Kennedy Library Foundation seek to promote, through scholarship, educational and community programs, a greater appreciation and understanding of American politics, history, and culture, the process of governing and the importance of public service. The Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Library is located in the Dorchester section of Boston, off Morrissey Boulevard, next to the campus of the University of Massachusetts/Boston. Parking is free. There is free shuttle-service from the JFK/UMass T Stop on the Red Line. The Museum is fully handicapped accessible. For more information, call (866) JFK-1960.

John, I posted on the Lancer site some scans from "Deadly Secrets," which is an updated version of "The Fish is Red," that pertain to Gordon Campbell. In the days ahead I will look through the documents that I have, and encourage some friends to look through their stuff too, looking for anything on Gordon Campbell. Joe

Joseph Backes entered the field of JFK research in the 1990's and distinguished himself following the activities of the Assassination Records Review Board. He has written extensively about them and kept the research community advised of their activities. Joe has also written reviews of documents the ARRB released, often typing them out word for word. These ARRB batch reviews got up to 12 or 13 batches which covered several thousand documents. Joe also followed the MLK case and the attempts to get James Earl Ray a trial. Joe's work is online on JFKLancer's site and Fair Play. One of Joe's best works is a transcript of a John Newman presentation about Lee Harvey Oswald in Mexico City given at a JFK Lancer conference. It is available on the Lancer site complete with scans of many of the documents Mr. Newman referred to.