ZERO BASE REVIEW OF COMPARTMENTED CLEARANCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96M01138R000400020009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 11, 2008
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: December 20, 1978
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2008/12/11 : CIA-RDP96M01138R000400020009-5
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA : Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : Zee-Base Reeiewof-Ccmpr rth ttedr&learances?-
1. Action Requested: This inrmndum has a recommendation
.:,in. Qaxagx - youu-T,approval
2. BackgrT: Earlier this month at your direction, the
Office of Security tasked the Community to participate in a zero
-base revies{.: of. the : holders of compartnented clearances, both
operational and'product. As you know, the proposal for th
Control System also includes among its recommendations the zero
base review to take place at the beginning of the implementation
phase in order to better define unit the o ulation which land I will be given access within the system~
.I met with the NFIB Working Group on Compartmentation
yesterday to hand out the work program over the next several
months. Several of the participants raised the question of the
zero base review, noting particularly that it seemed to them
to be a redundant, if not burdensome, exercise to conduct two
such reviews within such a short period of time. Their major
emphasis was fixed on the question of clearances for access to
codeword product which, of course., is a much larger population
than those holding operational clearances. Moreover, the ground
rules for justifying product access under the present co artmented
systems are much looser than the ground rules under the _ystem
so that the zero base review conducted at tnis tint e would not be
of much value when we get to implement thesystem. On the
other hand, the system for operational compartments is essentially
SECRET
Approved For Release 2008/12/11 : CIA-RDP96M01138R000400020009-5
 Approved For Release 2008/12/11 : CIA-RDP96M01138R000400020009-5
.? ?
would advise you to assent to this change.
program, but to continue to carry out the zero base review or
operational clearances. I think this makes a lot of sense and
for product clearances until we start implementing th
After some discussion, the consensus of the Group seemed
to be that it would be desirable to postpone the zero hnqe ew
and give us a leg up when we start the new system.
the same in both worlds so that a zero base review of opera-
tional clearances conducted at this time would be taic'h3v useful
4. Recommendation: That you authorize the Director of
Security to defer a zero base ypiripw product clearances until
the implementation phase of th program, but instruct him
to complete the ero.base review for holders of operational
Director Seocurit' y, and he concurs in my proposal.
3. Staff Position: I have discussed this question with he
DATE
DirectorCentral Intelligence
Director of entral Intelligence-
22 DEC 1978
1 - D/Security
SA/DC II I(20 Dec 78)
Distribution:
original - Addressee, return to SA/DCI
1 - DCI
1 - DDCI
I - ER
1 - SA/DCI File
1 - SA/DCI Chrono
Tlz-
SECRET
Approved For Release 2008/12/11 : CIA-RDP96M01138R000400020009-5