'FACT OF' RECONNAISSANCE FROM SPACE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82M00591R000100060069-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 15, 2006
• Sequence Number: 69
• Publication Date: June 12, 1979
• Content Type: MF

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G0Ng"ID~NTIAT,T;'
NRO and NSC REVIEWS COMPLETED
12 JUN 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman, Security Committee
SUBJECT: "Fact of" Reconnaissance from Space
1. A meeting was called at the New Executive Office Building on the
afternoon of 11 July 1978 to discuss a Dr. Brzezinski requested review
of the implications of maintaining the "fact of" reconnaissance from
space at the confidential level. Attendees were:
Chairman Gus Weiss - OSD
- IC Staff
- SECOM
Alan Jones - ACDA
Rear.Adm. Ross Williams - OSD
Lt. Col. James Welch - OSD
Ron Konkel - OMB
Arnold Donohue - 0MB
Elaine Morton - State
Stephen Bond - State
Josh DeJong - OMB
David Williamson - NASA
Wilbur H. Eskite, Jr. - NOAA
2. The specific charge for review.is contained in an attached
letter from Art Morrisey of OSTP to Admiral Murphy. Mr. Weiss pointed
out that we. ha iintil 9 July 1978 to present an answer to the Review Task
Force. Captai stated that he was opposed to even reviewing the
question so soon a ter resolution, but that he believed IC would remain
unalterably opposed to declassifying the "fact of". Mr. Williamson said
we had an assignment to complete and that the matter had been addressed
ad nauseam over the years. He suggested that the pros and cons which
have already been expressed could be distilled into a straightforward
benefits/risks statement in a few pages.
3. Conversation then turned to the fact that it is widely believed
that Secretaries Brown and Vance had lunch with Mr. Brzezinski in mid-
June on the subject of declassification and that maybe the DCI had also
participated. Captain II said he was unaware of any participation on
MORI/CDF
C
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the part of the DCI (I later advised him of the DCI - Secretary Brown
15 June meeting). Some participants felt the issue to be foreordained.
Mr. Weiss said that findings were to be prepared only on sound reasoning.
4. Admiral Williams, Lt. Col. Welch, Mr. Williams and Miss Morton
were designated a working group of four to have a paper available by
Friday afternoon on the subject. This will be followed by another meet-
ing of all members on Monday afternoon.
cc: CIA Member, SECOM
;~ipN3 I.DENT IAI~;
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rMre'ECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRES('ENT
OFFIr,F of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
WA ,HINr,TOM D C ?U5,00
July 7, 1978
MEMSOAltDt>M FOR:
F ROM :
SUBJECT:
STATI NTL
/7n G'vtJ
AdmIra1 Daniel Murphy
,%rt M(,rrissey PI-Vi-
Roconiviissance from SI>.cc
Dr. Brzezinski requested that the Space Policy K('vie:.t Coa mi.t:tee analyze
the i.mpl.ications of mnint:tinir)g the "fact of" rc?rnr.n;alssancc from spare.
Policy opt Ions slac'uld lu' inclradc?d in the space polacyl paper dcre to the
}.'resident on Sept_emher I. This of fort should be wrapped cn.ader Task
Force VI as a sub--t as:k and shc_tld not di st rac?t from t;ie snit! a1 Task
Force VI assignments. `;i.nt e has d,?ne considerable :ao'ck on this lcsue
over the past SevernI 11c111Llas. So as not to duplicate' this effort, I
suggest that yen draw hc?:avi ly on the material State his developed.
i
The thrust of the effort should he to focus on the following issue: Is
a ch ange in current p c}l i,?v beyond NSC/PD-37 concerning utilization of
i_rlf.orrration derived f rags remote sensing systems in thy. atltimate national
Interest? If so, to ti;i~.tt c?:;t oat and In what manucr should such a chtan ;e
be made, beginning wit 1: t he acknowledgement of the "f,3ct of" reccnnais--
sr,nce? Determine whethc t II,c? benefits to lie derived in defense of our
foreign and dc fnir - I,c,l i, ic,., saaftIciently outweigh th potential risks.
Assure that a ch.'ani;e w111 not constitute an ult.im.ate threat to n.atiio:aa1
security. The an;a 1 y , I i;c cil d :address the needs for a careful irmple-
meentation p 1 an to ;as,:IIrn that potentially negative Impacts of such
action are solved. :u,rac? include: consultation with ~engress, Allies,
and the Soviets; intnnrn.at Ic,n:al legal consider;atir,ns; rand security plan
to assure that: public };c,v,erttr,,cnt exposure sloes not rr?;;,alt in a 1crc;';:.dc, rt
of existing sc curity } ,t, r:s.
Those agencies involved i n Task Force
in this sub-task.
t v.~ lJ 4 C11 (lsLu.- L-) ,,,
rya `! t c %t ;l r x,11
cc: Dave lei 1 l iam sun , NASA
Bill Eskite, Commerce
Robert Eddington, State.
Dan Taft, OMB
Alan Jones, ACDA
F P4'ir?r_ V
Vi, plait' ACDA, c!houid be involved
1
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