INFORMATION REVIEW & RELEASE (IRR) NEWS FOR 17 - 21 NOVEMBER 2003 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05578130
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: April 2, 2019
• Case Number: F-2010-01471
• Publication Date: November 21, 2003

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Information Review & Release (IRR) News for 17- 21 November 2003
Executive Summary
Future Planninz Calendar
(U11144130) 3-5 December 2003: Historical Review Panel: Next semi-annual meeting.
(W/A11/(1) 10 December 2003: Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP): Next Liaisons'
meeting at Crystal City.
(Uffic1r0) 16 December 2003: Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP): Next Principals'
meeting at EEOB in Washington, DC.
(UHMLIO) 31 December 2006: The Automatic Declassification Date per Executive Order 12958, as amended.
Overview of IRR Activities--Last Week
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(Ill/Ffii440) ERWG Meets at
(U//F431449) The External Referral Working Group (ERWG) met a n 19 November 2003. ERWG's Information
Security Oversight Office (IS00) representative reminded the 40 attendees (from 18 federal agencies) that there will
be no further extensions to the amended E. 0. 12958 . Federal agencies must review records 25 years or older by 31
December 2006 to avoid automatic declassification. To assist them, the 'SOO intends to increase its staff and
assign an analyst to each agency. It has asked the CIA and the State and Defense departments to participate in
developing a model for standardizing interagency equity referrals by year's end. Also, the 1800 wishes to review
ERWG member 'declassification plans' for meeting the 2006 EO deadline./
(U/AALLID) FOIA Requests
(U//A44544) Terrorism and Video Games
(Hi/A:1444) The publishing company 'Deviation' requests "information or records on the importation and exact
utilization of video game systems (e.g., Sony PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, or Nintendo GameCube) by the
following governments/organizations: Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Taliban and al'Qaida." The requester wants to know
"if any of the three primary video game systems [cited] have been utilized for military purposes, or, in the case of
al-Qaida, if video game systems are utilized by that organization."
(134244430) POW Internments in Psychiatric Hospital? �
(UllItli:NE4)-An author in Levittown, New York, is requesting records on "World War II prisoners of war that were
kept at Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital in Brentwood, NY." She states, "I saw a newspaper article that claims
both German and Japanese POWs were kept in the facility." The author is planning to write a book on the history of
the hospital.
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� Because the requester seeks World War II era records the FOIA case manager will refer the requester to
NARA, where records of the OSS are held.
(U/IUD) Invasion of Grenada Sparks Interest
(U/Mtlej-An attorney from Duluth, Minnesota seeks a copy of the "Assessment Report prepared and/or completed
on or about 30 October 1983 by several Executive Branch agencies (including CIA, DOD and DOS) regarding the
invasion of Grenada."
(UHAVIO) CDC Declassification Center
(UHAttiff) From the Archives:
(11//A445144) Communicating Over the 'Hot Line'
(U//,414514) In August 1963, the Director of Communications sent a memorandum to DCI Dulles responding to his
request for information on the so-called "Hot Line" from Washington to Moscow. The Geneva agreement to create
such a mechanism involved two separate circuits, each having the capability to transmit and receive messages
simultaneously. "The primary circuit which is a land line and under water cable, extends from Washington to
London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and to Moscow. The second circuit, which is essentially by radio,
extends from Washington to New York (land line) and from New York to Moscow via Tangier [Morocco]... The
Tangier relay was deemed necessary to provide backup communications" and for technical coordination. "For
transmissions from the United States to Moscow, the English language will be used, and United States-provided
teletype equipment will be employed at both terminals. For transmission from Moscow to the United States, Russian
language will be used, and Soviet-provided teletype equipment will be employed at both terminals. The United
States provided the cryptographic equipment." There will be no exchange of personnel and "there will be a
translation capability at all times at both terminals. The circuit should be in operation not later than 1 September
1963."
� The Cuban missile crisis, and subsequent Cold War tensions, underscored the need for such a communications
link Note that the circuit was basically a Teletype arrangement�rather than a voice circuit as sometimes
depicted in movies of that era.
(UMET177) The Agency Is 'Out of the Woods'
(U/444.1.1:1) From the daily journal of CIA's Office of Legislative Counsel (5 June 1973): "Senator Symington said
he thought the Agency was 'pretty well out of the woods' so far as the Watergate matter was concerned, but we could
expect various legislative proposals designed to restrict our freedom of action and protect us from political pressures
so as to ensure that we do not stray from the straight and narrow path in the future. He expressed a personal view
that it would be best for the Agency, and the Administration, if we avoided all covert action and paramilitary
operations and devoted our energy exclusively to intelligence collection and analysis."
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