National Archives To Review Removal of Declassified Documents

-- Library Journal, 03/08/2006

Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein has initiated strong measures in response to complaints from historians that, since 1999, more than 55,000 declassified documents have been removed from public access areas in the National Archives by government intelligence and security agencies. He imposed a moratorium on removal of any declassified records until an audit currently underway by the Archives's Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) is completed.

Weinstein soon will convene a summit of the agencies involved in document withdrawals "to ensure the proper balance" of agency authority and archival obligations. He also called upon the agencies to quickly restore as many documents as possible while protecting sensitive material. Weinstein called for a review of National Archives classification/declassification processes, "to ensure that the National Archives is a catalyst for timely access." He likewise directed the ISOO to develop, in conjunction with affected agencies, "a standardized guidance" for withdrawal of records, to be implemented before any further records are removed.