JFK files: Names of living people need to be removed before release – Trump
US President Donald Trump says he is prepared to release all additional John F. Kennedy assassination files, but clarified that documentation of the names and addresses of people still living will not be made public.
Thousands of previously unseen documents regarding the death of President Kennedy – who was shot dead while visiting Dallas, Texas in 1963 – were released last week.
CIA plots & missile strike fears: Key revelations in the #JFK docs https://t.co/GPgxglTgpCpic.twitter.com/2dvGmVMh4i
— RT (@RT_com) October 27, 2017
The documents were released online under the 1992 John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, which determined that the US National Archives should publish the withheld assassination information within a 25-year timeframe. But some records remain securely locked away over fears they could threaten national security.
READ MORE: JFK assassination: What was Lee Harvey Oswald doing in the USSR?
After consulting US intelligence, Trump said Saturday that he is ready to see “all” the JFK archive files put out in the public domain. However, he said he would not release the names of people still living who are mentioned in the documents.
After strict consultation with General Kelly, the CIA and other Agencies, I will be releasing ALL #JFKFiles other than the names and...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2017
...in order to put any and all conspiracy theories to rest.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2017
On Thursday, the White House issued a statement saying some documents not published in this round of releases will be disclosed by April 26, 2018. It said redactions will only occur in the “rarest of circumstances.”
Meanwhile, WikiLeaks challenged Trump’s assertion on Twitter that he released the cache of secret files “long ahead of schedule.”
This is false. The date was set 25 years ago -- and most of the remaining fully withheld files were not released. https://t.co/O3TCdfb5GY
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 29, 2017
Tweeting on Sunday, the whistleblowing organization pointed out that the deadline was set 25 years ago, during the George H. W. Bush administration. The outlet, headed by Julian Assange, has also offered a $100k reward for the withheld JFK files.
WikiLeaks issues a $100,000 reward for the withheld JFK documents should they show violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error. pic.twitter.com/SiQ6GUVNLz
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 27, 2017