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Approved For Release 2008/11/06: CIA-RDP04M01816R000502010009-4 15 Interviews with former high level officials within the Kennedy and Johnson Administratons, however, disclose that Presidents Kennedy and Johnson were briefed on a regular basis by CIA officials about sensitive CIA operations. One former Cabinet official in both the Kennedy and Johnson Admin- istrations stated that he wa_s aware that mail openings were being conducted in the United States, although he did not know details of particular projects or their scope. The Cabinet officer stated that he believed Presidents Kennedy and J~hnson were generally aware that the CIA was engaging in operations similar to the East Coast Project. Interviews of individuals who served as members of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB) during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations indicate that these individuals were aware of domestic mail openings by the CIA and FBI. PFIAB had the responsibility to review and assess the activities of the CIA and other agencies with foreign intelligence responsibilities and to advise the President on such matters. One PFIAB member, who served until 1968, stated that the PFIAB gave detailed briefings to the President; more- over, he stated his belief that the President would "have to be in a fog" to be unaware of the fact that techniques such as mail openings were being used. Again, however, the practice of "pl~usible deniability" was frequently raised by A roved For Release 2008/11/06: CIA-RDP04M01816R000502010009-4