US reveals unclassified files on JFK’s assassination

By Safvan Allahverdi

WASHINGTON (AA) - The National Archives, Thursday evening, released thousands of censored files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on demand from President Donald Trump.

"The President has demanded unprecedented transparency from the agencies and directed them to minimize redactions without delay," according to a statement released by the White House. "The National Archives will therefore release more records, with redactions only in the rarest of circumstances, by the deadline of April 26, 2018."

According to the 1992 law, which requires all the censored files to be relased after 25 years, 2,891 of at least 3,140 representing hundreds of thousands of pages have been published.

However, roughly 300 files remained classified due to concerns for U.S. national security.

Trump directed national security agencies to re-review their reasons for keeping the records secret within 180 days, adding that rest of the records would be released "on a rolling basis in the coming weeks."

"The American public expects -- and deserves -- its Government to provide as much access as possible to the President John F. Kennedy assassination records so that the people may finally be fully informed about all aspects of this pivotal event," Trump wrote in a memorandum Thursday.

"Therefore, I am ordering today that the veil finally be lifted. At the same time, executive departments and agencies have proposed to me that certain information should continue to be redacted due to national security and other concerns," the President added.

"I have no choice -- today -- but to accept those redactions rather than allow potentially irreversible harm to our Nation's security."

Kennedy, who served as the 35th President of the U.S. was assasinated on his open air limousine near by Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.

Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the crime, but he was never prosecuted due to his murder by Jack Ruby two days later. The FBI and the Warren Commission officially concluded that Oswald was the lone assassin, but various groups believed that Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy.