The CIA Is Closing the Office That Declassifies Historical Documents

Daniel_Stuckey writes "As a result of the sequester-induced budget cuts, the CIA is closing the Historical Collections Division office, which declassifies historical documents, and transferring the divisions responsibilities to the office that handles FOIA requests. The Historical Collections Division is described on its website as 'an important part of CIA's ongoing effort to be more open and to provide for more public accountability.' It is a 'voluntary declassification program that focuses on records of historical value,' including information on the Vietnam War, spy satellites, the Bay of Pigs and other historical scandals and operations."

Comments

Typical

[TubeSteak]

CIA officials said they closed the Historical Collections Division to accommodate federal budget cuts that the White House and Congress proposed last year to create pressure for a deficit reduction deal. No deal materialized, so across-the-board budget cuts known as the sequester were imposed.

The real problem isn't that they're rolling this into their FOIA office, it's that they'll undoubtedly not move the personnel too.
Institutional knowledge is incredibly important in any organization and even more so for a group that deals with history.

Not to mention the fact that FOIA requests are always backlogged, 30 day response requirements be damned.