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Thousands of John F. Kennedy assassination files released but others withheld on national security grounds

Television footage from November 22, 1963 shows President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the presidential limousine moments before he was assassinated  

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The United States government on Thursday released several thousand secret files on the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, but withheld others on national security grounds.

A statement released by the National Archives said on orders from President Donald Trump, it had released 2,891 records related to the November 22, 1963 assassination of JFK in Dallas, Texas.

Kennedy scholars have said the documents released are unlikely to contain any bombshell revelations or put to rest the rampant conspiracy theories about the assassination.

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In this July 26, 1963 file photo, U.S. President John F. Kennedy sits behind microphones at his desk in Washington after finishing his radio-television broadcast to the nation on the nuclear test ban agreement initialed by negotiators in Moscow.

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Mr. Trump said in a memorandum that he had agreed to hold back for further review some records relating to the killing.

“Executive departments and agencies have proposed to me that certain information should continue to be redacted because of national security, law enforcement, and foreign affairs concerns,” Mr. Trump said.

“I have no choice -- today -- but to accept those redactions rather than allow potentially irreversible harm to our nation’s security,” he said.

Administration officials who requested anonymity said the majority of those requests had come from the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Printable version | Oct 27, 2017 3:58:34 PM | http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/john-f-kennedy-assassination-files-released-online/article19930465.ece