LETTER TO LOUIS B. FREEH FROM JOHN DEUTCH RE IN JULY 1995 WE DECLASSIFIED THE FIRST OF THE "VENONA" TRANSLATIONS OF SOVIET INTELLIGENCE CABLE FROM THE 1940S

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005444801
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: June 23, 2015
• Document Release Date: September 21, 2009
• Case Number: F-2009-01670
• Publication Date: March 25, 1996

I I M R 29 '99 02:32PM
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The Honorable Louis B. Fresh
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Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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Washington, D.C. 20535
In July 1995 we declassified the first of the "Venona?
translations of Soviet intelligence cables from the 1940s.
As I stated at the public ceremony at CIA Headquarters last
July, the intelligence Community does not "own" national
security secrets, but rather holds them in trust for the
American people. I am sure you will agree that the National
Security Agency's latest release of Venona cables is the
most exciting yet, and should help dispel misunderstandings
about a controversial era of American history.
NSA and CIA are now organizing the scholarly conference
on Venona that I promised to sponsor at our ceremony last
July. The CIA`s Center for the Study of-Intellige-Mce (CC=)
has taken the lead in planning the upcoming conference, and
is receiving the most extensive and cordial cooperation from
NSA in preparing a volume of declassified Venona documents
to be released at that event.
I am relating this to you because I am sure that you
want the outstanding work of the Bureau's agents and leaders
in the Venona program to receive the credit that it so
richly deserves. Venona was a success for the entire
Intelligence Community, but it would not have been possible
without the hard work of the FBI. Although I can assure you
that the NSA and CIA experts preparing the declassified
Venona volume and the upcoming conference are doing their
best to tell the whole story of the Venona program, you and
I know that only the Bureau can do full justice to its
crucial role.
/ CentralInWlomce '9'
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APPROVED FOR
RELEASE^DATE:
18-Sep-2009
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The Honorable Louis B. Freeh
It might be helpful at this point for you to designate
a contact for Brian Latell at CSI. Brian could then discuss
with your representative the best way in which the Bureau
could participate in preparing the Venona conference and
volume. As always, I would be happy to discuss with you any
questions or concerns that you might have about the project.
Sincerely,
John Dautch
Director of Central Intelligence