MODIFICATION OF SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01048A000800210004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 4, 2004
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: August 30, 1974
• Content Type: MF

Approved F;g Release 2004/10/ 2: CIA-RDP8OM01 8A00080021000 -9
i-i D C t ~!INTE LIG-NCE
2n -
il:dv.3A
~O? `i7U'I FO T :e Honorable I` sz-
~ ssis c -i no
a o?? ecu ity Affairs
SUBJECT :to i ^.~=
o__ Security Classification
rERLNL.r C Your
..r Subject: -fOOl F~Cat1Qn o
he j.?.~i:r? for ~?ie Products u=
y - of
Photographic Zecon.na? ssanca Sate ~ ? ites J
dated 23 Nove nber 1973
The referenced nemorandur contains the President's
aDproval of. modiflcati O s of some of the special security
controls related to the U. S. pi orographic satellite recon-
naissance program. One of these changes provided that
thenceforth:
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"The fact that the Un .teC States Co :'ernmer! t co^ : t.S
a photographic Satellite reconnaissance program -or
foreign intelligence collection be classified SECRET"
2 The purpose of t 1is ?^e" Grandam is to seek
1i str~uuct' ons as to :1- etner f:1='. rbo'ie pro is 031 snail De
continued'or changed to provide' that the "fact of" the progra-at
be unclassi Pied. There is a hi t fete _ce of op? _ ion .. ithin
intelligence Co=nun- -y a ?~ l =par tie f f ec
1:. 1..5 _.r _~'T_~? 'N' Lam.
respect =o is 'ueS t-On .
3. The tact that she -U-.
S S. Governme V act a
r c satellite e ' 3'_SS.3rr'=. orc a:_! is C
equ ?_nt'ly
Ret tt-O'1 Of the ' 3SS~ c~ _G 1 ~l?c_ ?` O-11"ial -L 2aing
easo ably eLi e I~ in Si us jo 13 wi 7 ?JCo g? ss,
press, and the puo _ J!J~tj :e J
-n:~ esol ucior , S'.;a-- i t .h. L.'' G`
L a s d , but _ e s e . _ 1 _. n I. ' _ ' U - d - _ ~
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cor^_ u~ !cations i ~~lli c nnc :Dr:c_)gra.,3 re_. in cl assitied
Soite u=icLassified (a: a s_atu o..~:/) r 2coy?i t' o n that the
csn^'._'Cts co_ un1Cat_O s intilliq:~ace opeL'a t? YS is _ De
_- as>;i_ -= 7T the tr act of" - he r am o1d ai'so Goer: the
r _or o r! _C ie~ease C'n _ _ - -aS v c_aS'Sec aS3ec 3
ure nott r:_'vealed, oerm-itting as:e'_ it it i C U I .erSa r6' O=
nun-aber o'ff important_ politico o_ mil-.J_tary -atte_s_ The
3 --oneouS disclosure of the U-2 hotograp y oae Cub? in 19.52 .
t5 T,41?le .n con-vlnci ti-e L.`=la of tia oral"ericC there
oL_ensi17 e !it3 ssiles , was a =amytlc examsmp e o_= CCtent~.aI
..'se of such material. Final_"v, , _',: _s almost - ooss ale to
stify the retention of a class- ?cation _ar `.13e "fa c- of"
'!e program under Executive Oder. 11652 standards for
class i ication.
4. Objection to the declass--f1-cation of the "Tact of
the program rests on two :,-,a j or ar'quIiient-s . The first 3s the
possibility that official admission by the U. S. o' s
Programs could produce difficult fps i n our relationships with
certai of the nations photograph ed . The Giaes Gi on could
become an issue in the United Nations over ,' unauthorized
surveillance" of national territories, and the Soviet Union
could be narticular_!'
.. v _c y-+r_ t`
u-35 ',' .Jed by public recoa__
'i3 t LCD of
trlis capah~ lity, `,P'_1ic it has veiled under the~eupher i sit of
` na iona l technical means of verification" in the Strategic
S Limitation Agreements. The E;econc. reason is that de-
classification o _ the "fact of r" the program, could l OOse.'n the
disciplinary tradition which has crrow~'n up wvit i the Intel-r
1? gence Community and its customers around thi s grogram a s a
_ole . `! he Lear 1s that `_ is could t en result in the
Ot sure off. d ta? ? S and re? 3f.ed a pests Uf t e nog am which
o ? t1nue to -ecT,ai re - g '_est c1.assi flcati on s e . g s S1`77-,T
f I t e reconnaissance __so I 7 y C. = t# is vie
o assif c3tjo of ~: e rr_ Ct JS11 :.;c ___ e ~-t o _age
.1110 -scussio? o_ _-ead toAan
_. ,?;osi of
security standards - ~Z = e a?_ _-_-Z. iLt. 3riec~a
_c t o r , i;.1^ = . _ . _ - ? -
-
2. n. J 0 -1
V e a-- I a -.e "1 L. _ w 1 N - T "'1 - -
t_- ._ lJ
1 - `-3 1 W, -__-_- ~`..~. i.e S"_~U "'.
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6. I reco mend that tale q; lF :;tiOn be d ti sues ad c:_ t1~e
-- unc ~
_ _'t 2C0_ ing meeting O- t_^_e ova i o'cia L Se rl r i ty Co
to i ligenee Committee _ iI_j O. P. -Q o~?mentea Wi on ? c o t~ ~Ciaa~;=
er ~aot of'r photo _ ^ -I- c cater 1: =O ra e L a_s5an b i hem
relieve ~-11i s snoul i be C ._ as =olio,Ie -
a. The President be a:;i;71sed Jfthe ar-'T ~'1e:,-I-at-on
- T~
above and issue a decision that i.h'la fact ` ,at t U U. S S.
Gov? e r en conducts a ^ lO-Ographlc satellite recC'n-
oreig f iateliic e 1Ce co e t~ Oil
3?ais s, nce program for
will be unclassified.
b. The change be irplamented siMpl- by changing
the appropriate security regulations-
c_ There be no official public announcement of the
charge, and an effort be made to minimize publicity
about it.
d. All other aseects of the U. 5 _ satelli e
reconnaissance program for the collection of foreign
intelligence remain classified in accordance with
existing regulations.
W. E. Colby
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 Approved Fir Release 2004/10/12: CIA-RDP80M01048A000800210004-9
9 August 1974
The Honorable James R. Schlesinger
The Secretary of Defense
Washington, D. C.
.Dear Jim:
As I promised, herewith a copy of a draft
of the ` fact of" question. I would like to raise
this at the NSCIC meeting -next week, but I will
not sign it without hearing from you. Would
appreciate your thoughts.
Sinc- rely",
/ s / Bill
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 a DCI
1 - ER
1 - D/DCI/IC
W. E_ Colby
Director
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