LETTER TO STEPHEN J. SOLARZ FROM WILLIAM J. CASEY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2008
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: January 12, 1984
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Central lntdI ncc lV:nty
OLL 84-0138
Ref OLL 83-1754/B
11 JAN 1984
The Honorable Stephen J. Solarz, Chairman
Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs
Committee on Foreign Affairs
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
In your letter of 28 December 1983, you asked that I
reconsider my decision not to declassify the study on North
Korean society written by I have 25X1
looked into the matter again but believe my or i:91
decision should stand. The study, while containing much
interesting data, is quite bulky and was never developed by
into a form suitable for Central Intelligence 25X1
Agency (CIA) publication. As you are aware, we have already
devoted quite a lot of time and talent to preparing and
publishing a coherent summary of the study that effectively
captures its intelligence value.
The original study itself is being retained as a
resource document readily available to those with the proper
security clearances. Moreover, as I explained in my letter
of 9 August, the release of such unclassified CIA reports
creates political and other problems which are not balanced
by commensurate benefits to US interests or the general
public. On this point, I believe that the totalitarian
nature of the North Korean government is now fairly well
understood. Certainly after the Rangoon bombing there are
few, if any, lingering illusions, within the Third World and
even among other Communist states, about North Korea's
brutal and repressive nature.
The destruction of working files referred 25X1
to in your letter of 28 December occurred last October as
part of a routine and mandated periodic file reduction
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90BO1370R000300470011-6
 ` . Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
process. They actually were retained longer than usually is
the case with files of former employees. The files were
discarded only after my decision of last August not to issue
the study as an unclassified document. Incidentally, since
had keyed specific intelligence reports only to
broad areas of the study, her files would not have been all
that helpful in sanitizing it.
Sincerely,
William J. Casey
Director of Central Intelligence
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1-DCI
1 - DDCI
1 - EXDIR
1 - ER
1 - OGC
1 - NIO/EA
1 - ODDI
1 - D/OEA 1 - G/EA/DDO
1 - D/OLL
1 - DD/OLL
1 - C/OLL/LD
1 - OLL Record :-Copy
1 - OLL Chrono
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Iq
Next 2 Page(s) In Document Denied
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Office of East Asian Analysis
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
4 January 1984
NOTE FOR:
Legislative Liaison
Here is a suggested draft response
from the DCI to Solar "b Gates,
Dave Gries, and of the DDO
are all on board. Dave is a little uneasy
with the last paragraph in that he is
uncertain as to what Agency policy has
been in the past and what the legal
circumstances are. He suggests flying
this by OGC at an appropriate level.
I think that is a good idea but I also
think that a policy of letting former
employees publish under their name work
carried out during their official duty
here would be a catastrophe.
Given the fact that Solarz and
will certainly not be
satisfied with this response and in all
likelihood be coming back at us once
more, I think you ought to get
Cl
i
a
r George to focus on this
Attachment:
As stated
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Iq
Next 4 Page(s) In Document Denied
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
28 December 1983
NOTE FOR: D/OEA
with OLL yy^C You to check in
on this action. He feels
downgrading is a bad idea.
Thanks.
EA/ADDI
cc: D/OLL
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Iq
Next 2 Page(s) In Document Denied
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Central Intelligence Agency
f5- / 7 s' y/4
The Honorable Stephen J. Solarz
Chairman, Subcommittee on Asian
and Pacific Affairs
Committee on Foreign Affairs
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Solarz:
Thank you for your letter of 25 July and for your kind words on the study
on North Korean society written by I agree with you that 25X1
it is a fine piece of work that underscores the totalitarian nature of the
North Korean Government.
Unfortunately, however, declassifying that study could result in the loss
of sources of critical information. In addition to the risk to intelligence
sources and methods and liaison relationships, release of such reports creates
political, legal, and other problems which are not balanced by commensurate
benefit to US interests or the general public. We continue to make many of
our statistical reports available to the public and occasionally make
sanitized analytic reports available through other government agencies or
Congressional committees. In the case of Helen's paper, however, if we
deleted all of the portions of her report that needed continued protection, we
would be left without a very coherent study.
I regret, therefore, that I cannot approve declassification of the recent
report on North Korea.
Sincerely,
William J. Casey
Director of Central Intelligence
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - DDCI
1 - EXDIR
1 - ER
1 - A/DDI
1 - D/OLL
1 - DD/OLL
I - O/LD/OLL
1 - OLL Subject
1 - OLL Chrono
1-D/OGI
O1,L:AE:Din Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90BO137OR000300470011-6 iF
5 January 1984
NOTE FOR: 25X1
Office of General Counsel
FROM: Deputy Director, Office of Legislative Liaison
SUBJECT: Request from Representative Solarz re Declassifying Study
on North Korean Society Written by Helen Louise Hunter
1, Hero is the material we talked Ahnut yesterday concerning
) L '' j ?l: 4111,ji! So',ir z ; dec 1.. l y~, pb -Ier d- Cnc
former emp'loyoc. DU['s draft reply 'ror the DCI's signature is
attached. I propose it go as I edited it. In my view, the last
paragraph in the draft letter must be deleted.
2. Please let me have your comments ASAP.
cc: OLIJ 25X1
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - D/OLL
1 - DD/OLL
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90BOl370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Vl .:03t h?an analysis
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENC}
4 January 1984
NOTE FOR:
Legislative Liaison
Pat,
Here is a suggested draft response
from the DCI to b Gates,
Dave Gries, and of the ODO
are all on boar , ave is a little uneasy
with the last paragraph in that he is
uncertain as to what Agency policy has
been in the past and what the legal
circumstances are. He suggests flying
this by OGC at an appropriate level.
I think that is a good idea but I also
think that a policy of letting former
employees publish under their name work
carried out during their official duty
here would be a catastrophe.
GivPn t" fact that Solarz and
satisfied with this response..anduin all
likelihood be coming back at us once
more, I think you ought to get
Clair George to focus on this.
Attachment:
As stated
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Iq
Next 1 Page(s) In Document Denied
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
LEE N HA . LTON, 080.
GUS YATRON. PA
? STEPHEN J. SOLARZ. N Y.
DON BONKER. WASH
GERRY E. STUDDS. MASS.
ANDY IRELAND, FLA.
DAN MICA. FLA.
MICHAEL 0. BARNES. MO.
HOWARD WOLPE. MICH
GEO W CROCKETT. JR.. MICH.
SAM GUDENSON. CONN.
MERVYN M. DYMALLY, CALIF.
TOM LANTOS. CALIF
PETER H KOSTMAYER, PA
ROBERT D. TORRICELLI. NJ.
LAWRENCE J. SMITH. FLA,
HOWARD L BERMAN. CALIF.
HARRY M. REIO. NEV.
MEL LEVINE. CALIF.
EDWARD P. FEIGINN. 0110
TED WEISS. N.Y.
ROBERT GARCIA, M.Y.
Hon. William Casey
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C.
JOHN J. BRADY. JIL
CHIEF OF STAFF
Dear Mr. Casey:
firms estimate is difficult to make. My staff checked with 25X1
agreed the study was a fine piece of work, declassifying it wouia
result in the loss of so many sources of critical information
that it would not be possible.
I was disappointed by this decision, and have had my staff
discuss the matter extensively with members of the Agency as well
as with Agency officials have said that removing 25X1
the sensitive material would leave large gaps in the study, and
that the remaining evidence would not support the major conclusions
of the study. However, believes that no more than 25X1
10 percent of the material would have to be deleted, while Agency
specialists estimate that about 20 percent would need to be deleted.
One problem the Agency is concerned about is that the full report
(not the shortened version published by as an Agency report in
classified form) is not sourced in the normal manner, and thus an
!ongre of the United ~5tatez
Committtt on jorc1 n a1Fairr
1OU3tof Rtprestntatiut$
9"h1n n 3D.C. w2O J
f J~J G.~.
December 28, 1983
On July 25, 1983 I wrote to you su estin that the study
of North Korean society by be declassified
and pi?hl.; sherl so as to make known widely t h- total_i.tarn a.n. nature
of f.hcc Py011jj'''aLilj regime You replied &-n , -L. 9 f
the ~ V0,11
when she resigned from the Agency.
Under these circumstances, it should not have been difficult
to see whether or not declassifying the report was feasible. When
my -%taff made this point to Agency officials, they reported that those
files had recently been destroyed, a decision I find hard to
understand. Agency officials also stated that they estimate it
would take about 50 hours of work by someone who works on that
country to go through the study and source it from the master
files on North Korea.
WILLIAM S BROCMFIELD. MICH.
LARRY WINN. JR, KANS.
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, NY.
ROBERT J LAGOMARSINO, CALIF.
JOEL PRITCHARD, WASH.
JIM LEACH. IOWA
TOBY ROTH. WIS
OLYMPIA J SNOWS. MAINE
HENRY J. HYDE. ILL
GERALD B. H SOLOMON. N.Y.
DOUGLAS K BERSUTER. NEBR.
MARK D. SILEANDER. MICEL
ED ZSCHAU, CALIF,
and she said that a chapter by chapter list of citations 2`'1\1
had been left, along with the reports themselves, in the files
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
In the wake of the barbaric murder of senior ROK leaders in
Rangoon by North Korea, I urge you to reexamine this whole matter.
If after sourcing and declassifying the study the Agency felt there
were such important gaps that the non-classified evidence did not
support the conclusions, and 1isagreed, is there any 25X1
reason she could not publish it under her own name?
In view of the importance of bringing home to more people
around the world the repressive nature of the North Korean regime,
I urge that a serious effort be made to get as much of this material
as possible into the public domain. I think it would benefit
both the United States and South Korea to an extent that would
readily warrant the work involved. It would also be useful in
dealing with Third World countricz, some of 4rhom still have an
impression of North Korea as an egalitarian society rather than
one in which a person's class origins determine his or her
life-long position in society.
Chaff
Subcommittee on Asian
and Pacific Affairs
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Central Intdence A,Scncy
The Honorable Stephen J. Solarz
Chairman, Subcommittee on Asian
and Pacific Affairs
Committee on Foreign Affairs
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Solarz:
f-/ 75V~A
.0 9 AUG 1963
Thank you for your letter of 25 July ind words on the stud
on North Korean society written I agree with you that
it is a fine piece of work that un erscores e totalitarian nature of the
North Korean Government.
Unfortunately, however, declassifying that study could result in the loss
of sources of critical information. In addition to the risk to intelligence
sources and methods and liaison relationships, release of such reports creates
political, legal, and other problems which are not balanced by commensurate
benefit to US interests or the general public. We continue to make many of
our statistical reports available to the public and occasionally make
sanitized analytic reports available throu h of government agencies or
Congressional committees. In the case of paper, however, if we
deleted all of the portions of her report a needed continued protection, we
would be left without a very coherent study.
I regret, therefore, that I cannot approve declassification of the recent
report on North Korea.
Sincerely,
William J. Casey
Director of Central Intelligence
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - DDCI
1 - EXDIR
1-ER
1 - A/DDI
1 - D/OLL
1 - DD/OLL
1 - O/LD/OLL
1 - OLL Subject
1 - OLL Chrono
1-D/OGI
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
Iq
Next 11 Page(s) In Document Denied
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-6
 Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300470011-
5 January 1984
Office of General Counsel
FROM: Deputy Director, Office of Legislative Liaison
SUBJECT: Request from Representative Solarz re Declassifying
on. North Korean Society Written b
.1.. !!ere is the material k,e talked about yesterday concerning
tfl? recl Ast 1y (.i?fi!Jr~'Ssman $i7l ar'Z 0 declassify 4 palser CisriE` by a
former employee. DDI's draft reply or the DCI's signature is
attached. I propose it go as I edited it. In my view, the last
paragraph in the draft letter must be deleted.
2. Please let me have _your~comments ASAP.
Distribution:
Original - Addressee
1 - D/OLL
?- DD/OLL
1 - OLL
DD/QLL: mg Jan
25X1
Approved For Release 2008/11/17: CIA-RDP90B0l370R000300470011-6