MEMO FOR: (Sanitized), CHIEF/INTELLIGENCE LAW DIVISION, OGC. SUBJECT: STAR GATE PROGRAM ISSUES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00791R000200130001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 27, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 14, 1995
• Content Type: MF

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14 April 1995
SG 1 I MEMO FOR:
SG11
FROM:
Chief/Intelligence Law Division
Office of General Counsel
Chief, Undergrounds Program
Emerging Programs Group, ORD
SUBJECT: Star Gate Program Issues
Thank you for considering the potential legal issues and
responsibilities relating to ORD's actions during its review
of DIA's Star Gate program. As you know from our previous
conversation, Star Gate involves use of paranormal phenomena
for intelligence purposes. The program has three basic
aspects to it: assessment of foreign activities to develop or
exploit the paranormal for any uses which might affect our
National Security, application of "remote viewing" to collect
intelligence against foreign targets, and the R&D of
techniques to improve the use of paranormal phenomena for
intelligence collection. The CIA (ORD in particular) was
involved in its own program, similar to Star Gate, during the
early 1970s which is now also the subject of this review.
CIA's review of Star Gate is a directed action by
Congress. Other requirements of this action include the
transfer of Star Gate from DIA to CIA by July 1, 1995, and
development of a management strategy for the new program at
CIA. In response to this directed action, CIA already has
taken steps toward assembling an open-world, Blue Ribbon
Panel at the National Research Council so that an unbiased,
technical review can occur. We have also begun to declassify
some of our own records from the early 1970s and we are going
to create a declassification review panel to eventually look
at all the records. Finally, we have initiated an
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exhaustive, detailed review of all documents relating to
program activity in this area partly in response to an FOIA
request, and to satisfy congressional direction that we
review all files at CIA and DIA.
My questions regarding our actions in this process are
as follows:
The viewers sit in a room unattended where their
thoughts apparently transcend time and space and they perform
collections against targets anywhere in the world. For
example, in one "operational scenario," they respond to
tasking from various customers who have asked questions
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regarding what information the viewers can provide about a
particular person, place or thing, etc. In another "training
scenario," the viewers construct in their own minds the
information perceived by a "beacon". The beacon is an
individual looking around at a particular location. The
product provided usually consists of drawings supplemented by
written phrases further explaining the drawings. The product
relates to whatever the target is, and often provides
ancillary information.
Again thank you for your assistance. We would
appreciate having a written response to these questions so
that our records will be complete. We anticipate potential
scrutiny in these matters at some future date. In addition,
if you have other advice, please let us know.
Sincerely,
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Secret
Distribution:
Cy 1 - Addressee
Cy 2 - -
SG1I
Cy 3 - EPG/Ames for logging
Secret
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