John F Kennedy assassination: Donald Trump releases thousands of secret files, holds back others citing security reasons

Washington: The US government on Thursday released several thousand secret files on the assassination of president John F Kennedy, but withheld others on national security grounds. [caption id=“attachment_1648369” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of President John F Kennedy. AFP[/caption] In a statement the National Archives said that on orders from President Donald Trump it had released 2,891 records related to the 22 November, 1963 slaying of JFK in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy scholars have said the documents released Thursday are unlikely to contain any bombshell revelations or put to rest the rampant conspiracy theories about the assassination. Trump said in a memorandum 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,” 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.