LETTER TO HONORABLE JOHN C. STENNIS FROM STANSFIELD TURNER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R003200100005-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 6, 2004
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 28, 1978
• Content Type: LETTER

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 28 September 1978
Honorable John C. Stennis, Chairman
Committee on Armed Services
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
This is to inform you that the President has decided to declassify
the "fact of" the existence of photographic reconnaissance satellites.
The means by which the President will place this information into the
public domain may well be in a speech at Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral, Florida on 1 October 1978. However, this date is indefinite
and until The President makes his statement, the "fact of" is still
classified.
This step of declassifying the "fact of", which has been classified
collateral Secret for the past four and one half years, is an official
confirmation of what is already generally known by the informed public
and has been referred to rather freely during the past few years by the
American and foreign press. It is a decision that was arrived at only
after lengthy study and painstaking review which has been over two years
in the making.
It is realized that taking this step may engender considerable public
interest in overhead reconnaissance, its capabilities, targets, forms
and methods, and its overall effectiveness. The declassification action,
however, extends only to the "fact of" an overhead photo reconnaissance
capability, but will not include details about that program, imagery,
or imagery derived products collected by that program, nor to the "fact
of" any SIGINT satellite capability, all of which shall remain classified.
Copy / of
It is important that all Members and staff who have access to
25X1 and intelligence understand that the following points
pertain to this impending major policy change:
a. The only information being declassified is the "fact of"
overhead photographic reconnaissance by the U.S. Government.
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 channels at the Top Secret level. The "fact of" SIGINT satellites
also remains classified.
c. No "facts about" photographic reconnaissance collection,
actual imagery or imagery derived information will be declassified
by this action. Therefore, cleared staff personnel will continue
to be bound by their secrecy agreements and there is not to be
public discussion or public acknowledgement of overhead reconnaissance
programs or of access to any information about overhead reconnaissance
or its product.
No change in the classification of "facts about" photo satellite
programs is envisioned by virtue of this planned disclosure. The only
means by which we will be able to maintain continued security discipline
and protection of our valuable collection programs and their unique
products is through the continued diligence and cooperation of all
persons who are given access.
It is recognized that the timing of this notification is very
short. However, it is imperative that notification be made prior
to the President's speech rather than afterwards to prevent erroneous
conclusions being drawn that our photographic systems are being
declassified and that discussions regarding these systems can now
take place outside the classified compartmented area.
it is requested that Members of your Committee and cleared staff
personnel of the Committee be briefed on the contents of this letter.
We are separately notifying other Committees and Members of concern.
I have asked Mr. Frederick P. Hitz, my Legislative Counsel, to make
members of his staff available to assist in the briefings as required.
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b. No declassification will be made regarding the facts
about U.S. Government SIGINT satellite surveillance which will
continue to be controlled within
Yours sincerely,
STANSFIELD TURNER
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MEMORANDUM
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