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I refer to your letter of February 25, 1999 to the Department of Commerce, requesting the release of certain material under the Freedom of Information Act (Title 5 USC Section 552). Twenty-nine of the relevant documents retrieved in response to your request originated wiLh the Department of State and have been referred to us for appropriate action.
We have determined that 11 may be released, 15 may be released with excisions, and three may net be released.
The material in the excised portions of the 13 documents released in part and in the three documents withheld in full is currently and properly classified under Executive Order 12958 in the interest of national defense or foreign relations. As such, it is exempt from release under subsection (b)(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
The material in the excised portions of one of the documents released in part and in two of the documents withheld in full also constitutes trade secrets or commercial or financial information obtained from a person and is privileged or confidential. As such, it is exempt from release under subsection (b)(4) of the Freedom of Information Act.
In the case of a document released in part, all non-exempt material that is reasonably segregable from the exempt material has been released.
With respect to material we have withheld under the Freedom of Information Act, you have the right to appeal our determination within 60 days. Appeals should be addressed to the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, c/o Appeals Office, IPS/PP/IA, Room 6001, SA-2, Department of State, Washington, D. C. 20522-6001. The letter of appeal should refer to the case control number shown above.
Sincerely,
Margaret P. Grafeld
Director
Office of IRM Programs and Services
Enclosures:
As stated.
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