Enigma (NSA via NARA with love)
Tracking # |
NARA-NGC-2018-000669, RD 60406 NARA-NGC-2018-000669 |
Submitted | June 19, 2018 |
Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Emma North-Best
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
Copies of the following documents, released by the NSA to NARA in April 2011 (see attached):
Miscellaneous Papers Pertaining to the Enigma, dated December 31, 1950 Accession Number 2884
Reports on Experiments in Connection with the Enigma Machine, dated March 8, 1946 Accession number 5650
Enigma Machines to 1945, dated April 1, 1946, Accession number 6261
Instructions for Care, Cleaning and Trouble Shooting on German Enigma, dated June 19, 1944 Accession number 6269
Report of Former German Manufacturers of the Enigma Machine, dated February 3, 1948, Accession number 7414
Theoretical Research on the Enigma Type Cipher Machine, dated July 1, 1950, Accession number 7727
Enciphering Process and Details of Enigma Machines, dated August 1, 1950, Accession number 7728
As well as copies of the following documents (Item #, Box #, Accession #, Date YYYYMMDD, Title):
NR 373, CBBB52, 10870A, 19400400, INSTRUCTION BOOKS FOR ENIGMA CIPHER MACHINE
NR 908, CBCB43, 8510A, 19410930, GERMAN NAVAL ENIGMA MACHINE
NR 964, CBCB55, 9024A, 19390000, TURING'S TREATISE ON THE ENIGMA
NR 1406, CBKG76, 11254A, 19450326, MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ENIGMA
NR 1538, CBKH68, 24966A, 19450518, STEPPING PATTERNS OF T-WHEELS IN ENIGMA MOTION, 1945
NR 1570, CBKI13, 3399A, 19450530, DESCRIPTION AND PHOTOS OF GERMAN CRYPTOGRAPHIC DEVICE (ENIGMA)
NR 1679, CBKJ21, 7751A, 19400800, ENIGMA GENERAL PROCEDURE
NR 2737, CBMI33, 2494A, 19430218, ENIGMA REPLICAS, PROJECT 1015
NR 3178, CBNM78, 11890A, 19450307, MACHINE ATTACK ON THE ENIGMA
NR 3814, ZEMA10, 17790A, 19450615, DECODING GERMAN ENIGMA MACHINE MESSAGES
NR 4757, ZEMA51, 41176A, 19400000, PHOTOGRAPH: EQUIPMENT - ENIGMA "E" MACHINE
I am a member of the news media and request classification as such. I have previously written about the government and its activities, with some reaching over 100,000 readers. As such, as I have a reasonable expectation of publication and my editorial and writing skills are well established. In addition, I discuss and comment on the files online and make them available through non-profits such as the Internet Archive and MuckRock, disseminating them to a large audience. While my research is not limited to this, a great deal of it, including this, focuses on the activities and attitudes of the government itself. As such, it is not necessary for me to demonstrate the relevance of this particular subject in advance.
Additionally, case law states that “proof of the ability to disseminate the released information to a broad cross- section of the public is not required.” Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Dep’t of Justice, 365 F.3d 1108, 1126 (D.C. Cir. 2004); see Carney v. U.S. Dep’t of Justice, 19 F.3d 807, 814-15 (2d Cir. 1994). Further, courts have held that "qualified because it also had “firm” plans to “publish a number of . . . ‘document sets’” concerning United States foreign and national security policy." Under this criteria, as well, I qualify as a member of the news media.
Additionally, courts have held that the news media status "focuses on the nature of the requester, not its request. The provision requires that the request be “made by” a representative of the news media. Id. § 552(a)(4)(A)(ii)(II). A newspaper reporter, for example, is a representative of the news media regardless of how much interest there is in the story for which he or she is requesting information." As such, the details of the request itself are moot for the purposes of determining the appropriate fee category.
As my primary purpose is to inform about government activities by reporting on it and making the raw data available, I request that fees be waived.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Emma Best
From: National Archives and Records Administration
This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://foiaonline.regulations.gov:443/foia/action/public/view/request?objectId=090004d28199c8da)
* Tracking Number: NARA-NGC-2018-000669
* Requester Name: Emma Best
* Date Submitted: 06/25/2018
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description: Copies of the following documents, released by the NSA to NARA in April 2011 (see attached): Miscellaneous Papers Pertaining to the Enigma, dated December 31, 1950 Accession Number 2884 Reports on Experiments in Connection with the Enigma Machine, dated March 8, 1946 Accession number 5650 Enigma Machines to 1945, dated April 1, 1946, Accession number 6261 Instructions for Care, Cleaning and Trouble Shooting on German Enigma, dated June 19, 1944 Accession number 6269 Report of Former German Manufacturers of the Enigma Machine, dated February 3, 1948, Accession number 7414 Theoretical Research on the Enigma Type Cipher Machine, dated July 1, 1950, Accession number 7727 Enciphering Process and Details of Enigma Machines, dated August 1, 1950, Accession number 7728 As well as copies of the following documents (Item #, Box #, Accession #, Date YYYYMMDD, Title): NR 373, CBBB52, 10870A, 19400400, INSTRUCTION BOOKS FOR ENIGMA CIPHER MACHINE NR 908, CBCB43, 8510A, 19410930, GERMAN NAVAL ENIGMA MACHINE NR 964, CBCB55, 9024A, 19390000, TURING'S TREATISE ON THE ENIGMA NR 1406, CBKG76, 11254A, 19450326, MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ENIGMA NR 1538, CBKH68, 24966A, 19450518, STEPPING PATTERNS OF T-WHEELS IN ENIGMA MOTION, 1945 NR 1570, CBKI13, 3399A, 19450530, DESCRIPTION AND PHOTOS OF GERMAN CRYPTOGRAPHIC DEVICE (ENIGMA) NR 1679, CBKJ21, 7751A, 19400800, ENIGMA GENERAL PROCEDURE NR 2737, CBMI33, 2494A, 19430218, ENIGMA REPLICAS, PROJECT 1015 NR 3178, CBNM78, 11890A, 19450307, MACHINE ATTACK ON THE ENIGMA NR 3814, ZEMA10, 17790A, 19450615, DECODING GERMAN ENIGMA MACHINE MESSAGES NR 4757, ZEMA51, 41176A, 19400000, PHOTOGRAPH: EQUIPMENT - ENIGMA "E" MACHINE
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 19, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #NARA-NGC-2018-000669.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 19, 2018. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #NARA-NGC-2018-000669.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is closed to normal
operations due to a lack of appropriations. I will be out of the
office until authorized to return and will respond to your inquiry at
that time.
From: National Archives and Records Administration
Dear Ms. Best,
You requested a status update on a FOIA request you submitted to our office
via *FOIAonline *on June 19, 2018 [FOIAonline NARA-NGC-2018-000669].
This office handles FOIA and Privacy Act requests for the National Archives
and Records Administration's *operational* records (records created by this
agency). Because your *FOIAOnline* request asked for National Security
Agency records that may be *archival* records that may have been
transferred to the legal custody of NARA, we have forwarded it to our *Office
of Research Services, Special Access and FOIA* staff who handle FOIA
requests for archival records.
Since the *Office of Research Services, Special Access and FOIA* does not
process FOIA requests through *FOIAOnline*, your request was removed from
the *FOIAOnline* website. The *FOIAonline *tracking number is no longer a
valid number for tracking purposes. *Special Access and FOIA* has assigned
your request a new tracking number, *RD **60406*. There was a technical
problem transferring your request to their office in June, 2018. That has
been corrected, and they started work on your request this week.
For any future updates, please contact *Special Access and FOIA *by mail
or email at the addresses below, and cite tracking number *RD **60406:*
Special Access and FOIA Staff (RD-F)
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500
College Park, MD 20740
By phone: 301-837-3190
By fax: 301-837-1864
By email: specialaccess_foia@nara.gov
Thank you for contacting the National Archives.
Sincerely,
Susan Gillett
Government Information Specialist
Office of General Counsel
National Archives and Records Administration
College Park, MD 20740-6001
301-837-3409
susan.gillett@nara.gov
From: National Archives and Records Administration
*[19-19409]Freedom of Information Act Request # RD 60406*
*4 March 2019*
*Emma Best*
*MuckRock News DEPT MR 56470 411A Highland Ave. Somerville, MA 02144-2516*
*E-Mail **requests@muckrock.com
<requests@muckrock.com>*
*Dear Ms. Best,*
*This is in response to your recent Freedom of Information Act request #RD
60406 for records of the National Security Agency which was forwarded to
the Textual Reference Services for reply. We received your request on 15
February 2019.*
*The records listed in your request from the Series: Historic Cryptographic
Records, 1949-1981 <https://catalog.archives.gov/id/2765793>[entry **A1
9032] **and Archival and Historian's Source Files, 1952?-ca. 2007
<https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6004182> [entry P 11] (Record Group 457:
Records of the National Security Agency/Central Security Service, 1917 -
1998 <https://catalog.archives.gov/id/734>) are open and available for
research.*
We make reasonable efforts to assist researchers with their work. As a
matter of policy, the National Archives is staffed to assist researchers
with their work, including but not limited to pointing researchers to
helpful finding aids to begin their research. However, given the
limitations on staff resources, we do not generally conduct substantive
research in response to requests filed under the Freedom of Information
Act, except in circumstances where documents are easily locatable.
We will be pleased to make the finding aids to these records available to
you or your representative in our research room at the National Archives in
College Park, MD. The Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RDT2) is
located at 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, near the University of
Maryland--College Park campus.
--Textual Research Room (Room 2000) hours are 8:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday
through Friday, except legal holidays.
--Our consultation room hours are 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through
Friday, except legal holidays. No appointment is necessary.
--Records are retrieved Monday through Friday for use in the Textual
Research Room at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.,
and 3:00 p.m. We do not pull in advance.
--Prior to your visit, please consult our web site at
*https://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/
<https://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/>*,
*https://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/self-service-copying.html
<https://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/self-service-copying.html>*, and
*https://www.archives.gov/research/start/getting-started.pdf
<https://www.archives.gov/research/start/getting-started.pdf>*.
*If you are unable to come to the National Archives, you may hire a private
researcher to do research for you. The history departments at some of the
local universities may be able to help you. Several possibilities are
history departments at Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057; George
Washington University, Washington, DC 20052; George Mason University,
Fairfax, VA 22030; and the University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740.
*
*A list of private researchers who are familiar with National Archives
facilities is available on our web site at
https://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help/index.html
<http://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help/index.html>. We hope you find
this information useful.*
*Our current fee for electrostatic (paper) or digital (on disk) copies is
$0.80 per page with a minimum mail order fee of $20.00.*
*We do not consider this response a denial under the Freedom of Information
Act. However, if you are not satisfied with our action on this request,
your options for appeal and dispute resolution are outlined in the attached
enclosure.*
*This concludes processing for your request.*
*Sincerely,*
*Mr. R. E. Cookson*
*Textual Reference, Military section National Archives at College Park, MD*
*Attachment*
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