From Pearl Harbor to Abu Ghraib: The Evolution of Classified National Security Information and

Declassification Policy and PracticeSociety of American Archivists, Chicago

Session 602: August 27, 2011

William C. CarpenterProgram Analyst, Information Security Oversight Office, National Archives and Records Administration

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Timeline, 1917-2009

1917: Espionage Act 1940: E.O. 8381 (Roosevelt) 1946: Atomic Energy Act 1961: E.O. 10964 (Kennedy) 1972: E.O. 11652 (Nixon) 1995: E.O. 12958 (Clinton) 2009: E.O. 13526 (Obama)

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Pearl Harbor “Magic” Volumes, 1977

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VENONA Documents: 1944

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Secret Writing Documents: WWI

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Exemption Categories

1. Intelligence Sources and Methods

2. Weapons of Mass Destruction

3. Cryptology

4. Weapons Technology

5. War Plans

6. Foreign Relations

7. Protection of the President

8. Emergency Planning

9. Treaty or Statute

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Declassification Milestones

At 25 years: all permanent records declassified, unless specifically exempted under an Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP)-approved exemption

At 50 years: all previously exempted records declassified, except for:• Identity of a human intelligence source• Design of weapons of mass destruction• Other “extraordinary cases,” as approved by the ISCAP

At 75 years: all previously exempted records declassified, except for specific information proposed by an agency head and approved by the ISCAP, with a specified future declassification date

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Taguba Report, 2004

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Sources and Contact Information Sources of sample documents:

• Pearl Harbor: The “Magic” Background of Pearl Harbor, vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977.

• VENONA: http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/declass/venona/index.shtml

• Secret Writing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/sets/72157626452036717/

• Taguba Report: http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/operation_and_plans/Detainee/taguba/

Contact Information: • William.Carpenter@nara.gov• Phone: 202-357-5466• www.archives.gov/isoo