WITHHOLDING OF STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01554R003400050005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: January 4, 2017
• Document Release Date: March 4, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 29, 1978
• Content Type: MF

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(lie Director of Central Intelligence
Washing on, D. C 20505
15 August 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR: Vice Admiral B. R. Inman, U.S. Navy
Director, National Security Agency
SUBJECT: Withholding of Strategic Intelligence information
1, Attached is a copy of a memorandum written by a staff
analyst on 10 March of this year. In it he makes the allegation
that NSA and NSC have long had a practice of withholding certain
sensitive intelligence information from the rest of the intelligence
community and even the DCI.
2. I have discussed this with you on the phone.. It is my
understanding that this allegation is unfounded. Specifically, I
understand that if any message has foreign i ntel I i gence content it
will be appropriately distributed, always including the DCI, though
there may be deletions of the names of or quotations from U.S.
personalities. It is further my understanding that only messages
.mentioning or quoting-U.S. personalities and which are not considered
to be foreign intelligence in content are given i irai Led d ; stri bu t ion,
including being withheld from the DCI_
3. I would appreciate your confirtration of the above so that I
can deal appropriately with this 10 March memorandum which has ;just
recently come to my attention.
STANSFIEt13 TURNER
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Withholding of Strategic Intellicence
Y ~n accurate intelligence analyses
I.: This memorandum has been prepared at your in-
s response bilxtzes and constra r~ qur a~il1 t)r to pro-
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.,;.,Ce~]r~?ta.i.n. sensitive -intercepts which may infringe on the
DC l'
Y to G .l_ .there are some grounds to believe that
':some, and perhaps many such intercepts were withheld even.
=from the DCI, and it is possible that this practice still_
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such embargoed .intercepts--termed
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.1973 and as recently as 1976. - Detailed examples can
_be; furnished if desired.
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Copy No.
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NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
Cy SERIES "B"
Serial; N1021
25 August 197x:
Cs
ti
MEMORANDUM FOR ADMIRAL STANSFIELD TURNER, U. S. NAVY
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
SUBJECT: Withholding of Strategic Intelligence Information.
1. With reference to your memorandum of 15 August 1978
and its attachment, I have again conducted a review of
historical data related to the dissemination of sensitive
intelligence information by the National Security Agency.
After a thorough review of data and interviews with
personnel who have handled such dissemination over the
past ten years, I have concluded with the highest level
of confidence that allegations of withholding of strategic
intelligence information from the rest of the intelligence
community by NSA are not true.
2. For a number of years a procedure existed at NSA,
referred to as a "series check", whereby intercepted
messages reflecting discussions with U.S. officials were
referred to the named officials for their review and
recommendations on limitations in distribution prior to
normal dissemination to all who had expressed interest in
the -topical or geographic coverage provided by the
intercepted intelligence. At no time did such prior review
involve topics or categories of intelligence requiring review.
Thus no series check would have been conducted about intercept
bearing on strategic arms control per se. However, intercept-
discussing views of U.S. officials conveyed in negotiations
on strategic arms control would have been subject to prior
review. I was able to find one intercept in this area where
the reviewing official requested no electrical dissemination.
of the product, and NSA proceeded to make distribution of the
product via hard copy (as opposed to message) to.a limited
number of officials in the Government, which included
intelligence officials at STATE and CIA.
3. The addition of minimization requirements by Attorney
General Levi following Congressional investigation of
retention of data on U. S. citizens produced some changes
in the'series check procedures, in that the name of U. S.
citizens were deleted from the product, even before review
by a specified official of the government-
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