LETTER TO THE HONORABLE JOHN L. MCCLELLAN FROM W.E. COLBY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000100050064-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2006
• Sequence Number: 64
• Publication Date: August 3, 1973
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2006/09125 : CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100050~1;4=~_
Honorable John L. McClellan
Chairman, Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington D C. 2051
You asked for my views on the disclosure in the Committee's
report of budget figures for the National. Intelligence Program
which I presented , to the Committee on. 11 July 1973. Disclosure of
the total fly in the Committee's report: would not in my view present
a security problem at this time. it would, however,. 'set a precedent
for disclosure of this figure annually. If this were to occur , the annual
fluctuations in our total intelligence effort would be revealed. I do
not believe. it would be in the national interest to disclose this kind
of information to- foreign nations.
The public disclosure of budget totals for DIA and State/INR have
not presented security problems. Public disclosure of total figures
for all the programs, however, would reveal, a good deal about the
distribution of our intelligence resources among different types of
intelligence activity, such as clandestine collection, signals intercept,
and overhead reconnaissance. More Importantly, an annual up-date
of such figures would provide insights into the changes and trends
in our intelligence programs which could be damaging to intelligence
sources and methods.
In a more general sense, I am concerned that public disclosure
of total.intelligence figures will lead to pressures for further public
explanations of the programs for which the monies were appropriated.
Any scrutiny of the substance of the programs by other than those
authorized could, in my view, be damaging to intelligence sources
and methods.
Approved For Release 2006/0
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I understand, however, your wish that selected members of
the Senate not now privy to such information be advised. of the
breakdown of figures for national intelligence activities into CIA,
.IA, LISA, Army, Navy, Air Force and State Department, I
have no objection on security grounds to the dIsolosure of this
breakdown orally to such members on a classified basis.
I aware, Mr. Chsi , that there are many considerations
in determining. the optimum position on the public disclosure of
Intelligence budget figures. The views I have expressed above
address iy those nsiderations for which I am primarily res-
ponsible under the National, Security Act of 1947 - the protection
of Intelligence sources and meth. The final determination of
what should or should not publicly disclosed Is, in my view,
the proper Rion of the Congress.
25X1A
DCI/IC../CCG
(8/3/73)
Orig. & 1 - Addressee
ER
1 - D/DCI/IC
1 - OLC
" 2 - IC Registry
1 - IC/CCG subj
- IC/CCG reading
- JMC hold/destroy
- JHL chrono
W. E. Colby
Approved For Release 2006/09/25 : CIA-RDP75B0038OR000100050064-0