MEMORANDUM TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE CHAIRMAN, ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE FROM DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP76B00734R000200070002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 19, 2004
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: August 26, 1960
• Content Type: MF

+.KE.,YHOLE SYSTEM ONL1 ,
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}MSC REVIEW THE WHITE HOUSE
COMPLETED. Washington
NRO review(s) completed.
N ORANDUIM FOR
Series
Cy one of one
August 26, 1960
The Secretary of State
The Secretary of Defense*
The Attorney General**
The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission
The Director of Central Intelligence
I hereby direct that the products of satellite reconnaissance, and informa-
tion of the fact of such reconnaissance revealed by the product, shall be
given strict security handling under the provisions of a special security
control system-approved -by--_me..__I_hereby,approve the TALENT-KEYHOLE-.Security
Control System for this purpose.
Within your agency,. you 'shall be perY-onlIy' responsible- for the selection of
those personnel who will have access to the foregoing information and for
determining the scope of that access. Access is to be on a "must know" basis
related to major national security needs. A list of those selected shall be
furnished to the Director of Central Intelligence, who will maintain and
review the control roster. When they are indoctrinated, they shall be in-
formed of my specific direction to them that the provisions of the special
Security Control System I have approved be strictly complied with, including
the prohibition upon them of imparting any information within this system to
any person not. specifically known to them to be on the list of those authorized
to receive this material. The responsibility for the selection of personnel
may be delegated only to the senior intelligence chief or chiefs within the
agencies serving as members of the U. S. Intelligence Board.
The Director of Central Intelligence, in. consultation with the U. S. Intelli
gence Board, will be responsible to me for determining all questions involved
in the continued protection and control of the foregoing material and infor-
mation, including the development of a common understanding as to the meanin
g
of the term "'must know' basis related to major national security needs," and
b
a
road consensus.as to the numbers of personnel in each agency comprehended
by this term.
signed Dwight D. Eisenhower
*For Department of Defense
including OSD, JCS, Army,
Navy, Air Force, and NSA
**For Director, FBI .
FIANI)LE VIA TALENT-
KEYHOLE SYSTEM ONLY
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DCI PROPOSALS FOR MODIFICATION OF
TALENT-KEYHOLE CONTROLS FOR PRODUCTS
OF PHOTOGRAPHIC SATELLITES
(Approved by USIB on 10 September 1973)
PROPOSAL NO. 1
That "the fact" that the United States has a photographic satellite
reconnaissance program be taken out of the T-KH compartment
and be classified SECRET.
PROPOSAL NO. 2
That the substantive intelligence information from past and present
photographic 'satellites (with certain sensitive exceptions) be authorized
for use in finished intelligence outside the T-KH compartment, with
provisions that:
a. the source be stated only as "satellite reconnaissance"
without specifying the type of satellites;
b. the classification of the decompartmented information
be TOP SECRET or SECRET, based solely on the sen-
sitivity of the substantive contents as required b E. O.
11652 and that the control markin s
e used on all such informa-
tion; and
c. information which is highly sensitive because of its sub-
stance or its revelation of the quality of the system be
designated, on a case-by-case basis, for retention in
the T-KH compartment.
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PROPOSAL NO. 3
That film and prints from the index and mapping cameras of all
past and present systems as well as film and prints from the main
cameras of the KH-4, KH-5 and KH-7 be authorized for use out-
side the T-KH compartment provided that:
a. the classification and control markings be those
specified in Proposal 2b., above;
b. no wholesale program be undertaken for automatic
removal of T-KH markings from all film of the
designated systems.
PROPOSAL NO. 4
25
PROPOSAL NO. 5
That compartmentation of information pertaining to future imagery
systems be.continued.
TOP SECRET
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TOP SECRET
National Security Decision Memorandum
TO: The Secretary of State
The Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of the Treasury
The Attorney General
The Director of Central Intelligence
The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission
SUBJECT: Modification of the TALENT-KEYHOLE
Controls for the Products of Photographic
Reconnaissance Satellites
The President has approved the recommendation of the Director of
Central Intelligence to modify some of the security controls relating
to the TALENT-KEYHOLE Security Control System which was estab-
lished by Presidential Memorandum of August 26, 1960. Specifically,
the President has authorized that:
(1) The fact that the United States Government conducts a
photographic satellite reconnaissance program for foreign intelligence
collection be removed from the compartmented controls of the TALENT-
KEYHOLE Security Control System, provided that the fact of such a
program will be classified at a minimum level of SECRET.
TOP SECRET
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(2) The Director of Central Intelligence, after consulting
the Secretary of Defense, may remove from the compartment
controls of the TALENT-KEYHOLE Security Control System the
product of such intelligence photo-satellite collection as he deems
appropriate, provided that (a) the product removed from the com-
partment under this authorization shall be classified according to
the provisions of Executive Order No. 11652, and (b) such product
shall not reveal the sensitive technical capabilities of current or
future intelligence satellite programs.
The TALENT-KEYHOLE
Security Control System itself will continue to exist to provide com-
partmented protection for those aspects and products of satellite
reconnaissance programs requiring such protection.
The President has further directed that the Director of Central
Intelligence shall continue to be responsible to him for establishing
policy guidelines for the security protection and control of informa-
tion pertaining to the U. S. intelligence satellite collection program
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and the products derived from it. This will include the establish-
ment and continued review of appropriate procedures, consistent
with United States policy interests, for the release of the satellite
intelligence product or information derived from it to foreign gov-
ernments..
Henry A. Kissinger
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THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20505
22 SEP-1973
MEMORANDUM FOR: Assistant to the President
for National Security Affairs
SUBJECT: Modification of the TALENT-KEYHOLE
Controls for the Products of Photographic
Reconnaissance Satellites
1. The purpose of this memorandum is to request authority
to modify the ?special security control system for handling the prod-
ucts of reconnaissance satellite programs (the TALENT-KEYHOLE
Security Control System). Since the T-KH System was established
in response to specific instructions in a Presidential Memorandum
of August 26, 1960, it is necessary to obtain the approval of the
President to modify the existing T-KH controls. A draft NSDM au-
thorizing this modification is attached at Tab A. A copy of the 1960
Presidential Memorandum is attached at Tab B.
2. I have believed for some time that maximum benefit from
the photography collected by intelligence satellites is inhibited by the
continuation of compartmented control over all aspects of the program.
Recently, I placed before the United States Intelligence Board (USIB)
a proposal to remove from the T-KH compartment, but to continue as
classified information:
opt
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the fact of the existence of a U. S. photographic
satellite intelligence program, and
certain information and photography derived
from this program.
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3. It is important to note that this proposal in no way suggests
public disclosure of any aspects of the intelligence satellite program
nor does it include removal from compartmentation of all aspects of
the program. Specifically excluded from consideration are:
4. The T-KH compartment itself would remain intact in order
to provide special protection to products which may reveal truly sen-
sitive substantive information or capabilities of the photographic
reconnaissance satellite program.
5. The USIB concurred in this proposal,-.,a more detailed sum-
mary- of which is attached at Tab, C.? -The-Director of the,National
Reconnaissance Office recommended that action be deferred for
further study of the adequacy of the proposed classification arrange-
ments. All members of the USIB and I believe that classification
arrangements can be developed to provide the necessary protection
of the information and that the benefits to be derived from the proposal
are urgently needed. I have also discussed the proposed modifications
to the T-KH Control System with the Secretary of. Defense and he
concurs.
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 6. I recommend that you raise this matter with the President
and seek his approval of the draft NSDM attached hereto. If approved,
I will keep you informed of any significant changes made under the
authority granted by the proposed NSDM.
E, Colb%
W. E. Colby
Attachments:
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Tab B Presidential Memorandum;
Dated August 26, 1960;
Tab C - Summary of DCI Proposed T-KH
Modifications,
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Assistant to the President
for National Security Affairs
Distribution:
Cyland2
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Modification of the TALENT-KEYHOLE
Controls for the Products of Photographic
Reconnaissance Satellites
Dr. Kissinger
DCI
DDCI
General Counsel
ER
D/DCI/IC
DDM&S
'DDS&T
DDO
D / Security
DDI
D/OSR
Chairman/COMIREX
Exe cSec /USIB
DDI/IRS
DDI/ IRS
DDI/IRS:EWProctor~
Note:
K20 Sept'73)
Respective Cy Nos.
of Tabs A, B, and C
are attached to Cys
1 through .17.
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