INFORMATION REVIEW & RELEASE (IRR) NEWS FOR 15-26 DECEMBER 2003

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01247768
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: April 2, 2019
• Case Number: F-2010-01471
• Publication Date: December 26, 2003

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Information Review & Release (IRR) News for 15-26 December 2003
Executive Summary
Future Planning Calendar
(U/h4142143) 8 January 2004: Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP): Next Liaisons'
meeting at Crystal City.
(U/Mr1110) 27 January 2004: Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP): Next Principals'
meeting at EEOB in Washington, DC.
(U//244430) 31 December 2006: The Automatic Declassification Date per Executive Order 12958, as amended.
Overview of IRR Activities--Last Week
(UH4Rt0) CREST Briefing For CIA History Staff Personnel
(U/M-firJ45) The CIA Declassification Center (CDC) recently briefed CIA's History Staff personnel on the CDC
CREST System. CREST�CIA Records Search Tool�is the system used for providing public access to released
records under the 25-Year Program. CREST is located at the National Archives Records Administration's (NARA)
main facility at College Park, Maryland. Currently, the system contains about 8.7 million declassified pages of
records released under the 25-Year Program. Four workstations are available to CREST users at NARA. It is
anticipated that CREST users at NARA will print almost 200,000 pages of CREST records during FY 2004.
(U// MO) FOIA Requests
(U//A+148) Request For All Records on 1980 Iranian Coup Attempt
(U//AltFe) The National Security Archive seeks records on an attempted coup in July 1980 against the
revolutionary Islamic government under Ayatollah Khomeini.
� The CIA accepted the request
(UllAttlt) Information Sought on Helicopter Crash in Iraq
(U//AIU0) A requester from Oklahoma wants a copy of the "Official Investigation of an UH-60 Blackhawk
helicopter crash near Kabala, Iraq on 02 APR 03." She provided the names of the crew on the flight.
� The FOIA case manager informed the requester that such information would fall under the purview of the
Department of Defense -- not this Agency. The case manager encouraged the requester to write directly to the
(b)(3)
(b)(5)
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DoD, and provided the appropriate mailing address.
(UHAIU0) Interest in India's CBW Programs
(U/4414630)�A research assistant at the National Security Archive seeks "studies generated by the Central
Intelligence Agency from 1965 to 1985 concerning chemical and biological weapons programs in India."
(b)(3)
(b)(5)
(U//44440) CDC Declassification Center
(UHAtuu) From The Archives:
(IJUAI.110) DI's Informative Briefing Book for President Johnson
(U//A444eerAmong the items in a February 1964 briefing book prepared by the Directorate of Intelligence for DCI
McCone's use with President Johnson is an explanation of the origin of the CRITIC system, and the National
Intelligence Survey (NIS) and National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) process. The range and depth of issues covered
in this one DI briefing is both interesting and curious. By February 1964, President Johnson had been President for
less than four months, but had served as Vice President for nearly three years�presumably, enjoying ready access to
the CIA and the Intelligence Community. This one document does not, of course, reveal why CIA prepared the
briefing, whether Johnson requested it, whether it was delivered, or whether this was the final format. The level of
effort in preparing such a background book, however, might be yet another indicator that there is a world of
difference between being Vice President of the United States and being President. The CIA has a long tradition of
going to whatever lengths are necessary to provide support to our premier customer. Sample items explained in a
briefing book for President Johnson follow:
(b)(3)
(UM/kJ-tiff) Origin of the CRITIC
(U//A.W,9) The CRITIC system was established as a result of "difficulties encountered in getting critical
intelligence to Washington during the Turkish-Syrian crisis in late 1957" [emphasis added]. In response, the
Intelligence Community devised a special handling and communications system for the transmission of all critical (b)(3)
intelligence to Washington. All information that might need the immediate attention of the President was to be in
the hands of "responsible analysts" within 10 minutes of preparation of the original report. "As a result of this new
system, approximately 61 percent of such messages transmitted during FY 63 were received in Washington in the
specified 10 minutes or less, and nearly all of the remaining 39 percent originated at reporting posts that did not
have immediate access to the net supporting the critic system." The brief added that the system had rarely
misused in five years It was used nearly exclusively for the transmission of the highest priority, messages.
(UHAItten National Intelligence Survey (NIS)
(U//AIU ) Also among the included items is an explanation of the National Intelligence Survey. The briefing
recounts that "World War II involved [a] painful experience with critical gaps, frequent disagreement or duplication
in basic, factual information about foreign countries�military geography, transportation and data on
telecommunications, sociological, political, economic, scientific, and military features. In view of these
deficiencies, one of the first National Security Council Directives (NSCID 3, 1948) established the NIS to provide
coordinated, comprehensive intelligence on the relatively unchanging characteristics of foreign areas,
worldwide.. ..Primary responsibility for processing and publishing this series rests with CIA's Office of Basic
Intelligence....Production of the NIS utilizes the specialized know-how and production capabilities of Government
components.. .such as Agriculture, Commerce, HEW, Interior, and Labor. Some 40 individual components are
involved in production of NIS topics." The brief states that, as of February 1964, more than 6,500 NIS units were
published, and over 2,800,000 copies published�and that in addition to completed NISs held by users, master copies
of all printed NIS-content and supporting maps, and other graphic materials, are held in protected storage for
emergency printing at a remote plant which is under contingency contract." The brief further states that at the time
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of the 1958 Lebanon landings, the NIS was "a principal source for initial operational requirements for the forces in
the Mediterranean."
� For the Intelligence Community (IC) basic intelligence continues to be critical. Although the NIS is no longer
produced per se, the concept lives on in various forms such as the detailed country studies produced and
updated each year by individual IC components, and compilations such as CIA's World Fact Book. The NIS
also lives on in the permanent records of many IC agencies. Also, NISs are being shared with the American
public as a result of the IC's declassification efforts
(Ullititill) National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) Process
(U//Aluu) In addition, we find in the February 1964 briefing book an explanation of the National Intelligence
Estimate process. According to the brief, "NIEs present the views on the big questions... .These estimates are brief
documents, having as their essence judgments about unknown or unknowable aspects of present situations and
future trends. They are not detailed reports or factual studies in depth. They seek to take up where hard and clear
facts leave off. The subject matter.. .is selective, depending on national policy needs. In a normal year, between
fifty and eighty NIEs are undertaken and approved by the United States Intelligence Board. Most are scheduled
well in advance but, when required, special national intelligence estimates can be (and have been) called for and
completed in a matter of a few hours. The Director's executive agent for preparing NIEs is the Board of National
Estimates. The Board is supported by a small staff, which together with the Board make up the Office of National
Estimates. The Office has been in existence since 1950, when it was established by DCI Smith. It has subsequently
presided over preparation of more than 700 NIEs."
� Many view the NIEs as the premier product of the Intelligence Community, because these documents contain
the coordinated views of the Community as a whole on issues deemed to be of highest interest to senior US
policymakers. Like the NISs, many early NIEs today are being declassified and shared with the American
public.
CC:
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