ATTACHED NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000100070029-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 6, 2012
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: June 2, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/06: CIA-RDP90B01390R000100070029-1 I
NOTE TO: Deputy Director for Intelligence
Director of Congressional Affairs
FROM: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: Attached New York Times Article
Executive
86. 2425
OCA FP E
Kew' u
RECP
2 June 1986
1. This is the article that Secretary Weinberger raised at Friday's
breakfast. I think on too many occasions we respond to questions from
the Hill in total ignorance of the fact we may be tiptoeing through a
mine field where there are grave policy disputes and issues at stake to
which we are totally oblivious. Accordingly, when we answer a straight
forward question, we inadvertently, like a dim?witted dinosaur, set off
explosions all over town.
2. Surely, there must be some way when we get Congressional
inquiries of this sort, that we can check around and find out a little
background from the policy agencies to see if we are being set up -- that
is, in our innocence and ignorance being used. If we found that the
issue involved is indeed controversial, either within the Executive
Branch or between the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch, we
could still go ahead and prepare an intelligence assessment but consult
with the policy agency both to forewarn them and perhaps, through
consultation, minimize the damage without sacrificing our objectivity.
Let me know your views.
Robert 3 Gates
Attachment:
N.Y. Times, 29May86 Article
(CIA Disputes White House on Soviet Antimissile Gains)
DENT IAL
Cl By Signer
DECL OADR
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ONNTr4GLAarg IgWMY:119T8I6MES
C.I.A. Disputes White House
On Soviet Antimissile Gains
By WILLIAM I. BROAD
In a sharp contradiction to
legation. a central Inte Unice
kgs=report releasederdav save
ett Union ,ffit tn reutilize%
jurther uncle nuclear tests be-
fore it could an laser, an
a
assessment is baselon se
-
information and was
0V ?
? ..?..
e. It imp es t the Soviet
ofilh-ray laser research is not so
advanced as the Administration had
portrayed it earlier this year.
The Department of Energy, respond-
ing to questions raised by a Congres-
sional panel studying a comprehensive
test ban treaty with the Soviet Union,
reported recently that it did "suspect"
that the Russians were "substantially
ahead" of the United States in such re-
search and might be able to deploy
X-ray lasers powered by nuclear explo-
sions "with no additional testing." The
department is responsible for the de-
sign and manufacture of the nation's
nuclear weapons.
The status of the Soviet research is
central to debates on the United States'
continued research on X-ray lasers and
other advanced nuclear weapons.
Administration officials say the
American research is intended only to
assess Soviet capabilities, and that the
X-ray device is not meant for use in
President Reagan's proposed ad-
vanced missile defense, which they
stress is "nonnuclear." Critics say the
Administration wants the nuclear de-
vice for its antimissile system and that
the Russians, who have stopped nu-
clear testing, are at a standstill in such
research.
The Soviot leader, Mikhail S. Gorba-
chev, announced a unilateral Soviet
moratorium on nuclear testing last Au-
gust. He recently said the moratorium
will be extended until August in the
hope that the United States would join
in a permanent ban. The Administra-
tion has rejected all such Soviet offers
and said repeatedly that the United
States will continue its testing.
The X-ray device, which has been ActingAgigiliionamigagnissis.." it
under development in the United States said, adding that "relevant classified
for six years, focuses the power of an data is available should you desire a
exploding hydrogen bomb into beams briefing."
of radiat:on that in theory can destroy Since the Soviet Union declared its
enemy missiles in space. It is the pre- unilateral moratorium Aug. 8, the anni-
rater device in the proposed arsenal of versary of the atomic bombing of Hiro-
devices that the Administration calls shima, the United States has . an-
"nuclear-driven directed energy weep- nounced 11 underground nuclear tests,
ons." American scientists have esti- according to Chris I.. West, a spokes-
mated that to perfect such devices man at the Nevada Test Site, operated
might require dozens, or even hun- by the Energy Department.
dreds, of underground nuclear tests.
'Threat Inflation' Seen
"Whaeve have here is a classic case
of threat inflation," Mr. Markey said in
a statement. "The Department ? of
Energy has exaggerated Soviet X-ray
laser capabilities to justify its budget
request for the U.S. X-ray laser pro-
gram." This year the Administration
wants to spend more than $500 million
on such research, nearly double last
year's budget.
ittimittee anwho is chairman of thl
sl
ansi2awarstsbellausa..Conzaiuman
gnergy and Commerce. asked the
C.I.A. for its opinion on Soviet X-m_y
laser work after the Energy Depart-
pent made written statements to fa
staff after a hearing in Fohrunry
A test ban treaty, the Energy Depart-
ment wrote, "could be very ineffective
in blocking development of Soviet nu-
clear-directed , energy weapons
(NDEW), particularly if the Soviets
are well ahead of the U.S. in NDEW
technologies."
"Wesuspect this to be the case, but
we cannot know for sure." it continued.
"If the Soviets are substantially ahead,
they might be able to achieve the capa-
bility to deploy nuclear-directed
energy weapons with no additional test.
log."
The onkpage C.I.A. response to Mr.
Markey, dated May 23, was writtenby
pavid D. Grime!, the airency's director
of Congressional affairs, on behalf of
William .1. Casey, Director of Central
bitonumnro
"The C.I.A. does not believe that the
Soviet Union can deploy nuclear-driven
directed_energy weapons without con-
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