COMMENTS ON RECENT CENTER LANE EXPERIENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: STARGATE
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96-00788R001600510003-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 4, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 19, 1998
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 1, 1984
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 200 6-00788R001600510003-7
Central Intelligence Agency
1 May 1984
Comments on Recent CENTER LANE Experience
1. CIA's relationship with the US Army activities covered
under the designator of CENTER LANE has been that of a customer.
We have no Agency people or funds assigned to or otherwise
designated in support of those activities. We do have contact
for the purpose of querying and tasking the Project's capabili-
ties when we believe we have an appropriate matter to investigate.
2. Appropriate "targets" for us might include such as
locating individuals or describing mysterious facilities in
foreign countries. Our aim in consulting Subject Projects would
be to obtain leads to develop access with more conventional
sources. Staff advisers inform me that during such tasks for us,
CENTER LANE sources have often "made contact" far beyond what
might be expected by probabilities and coincidence. Significant
problems of course remain. To use analogy, they are best de-
scribed as a less than hoped for signal-to-noise ratio and a less
than photographic resolution, as well as some outright misses.
Nevertheless, the attitude of Project personnel has always been
professional, helpful, and receptive to our concerns. I am
confident that they have a good grip on where they are in the
state of their art as an applied technology.
3. We would like to continue to call upon CENTER LANE,
especially in those special instances where, for the moment, we
have no other recourse and still feel a need to act. With shared
practical experiences, it seems likely that CENTER LANE can build
further capabilities as a collector, and we can sharpen our
ability to use this product in the analytical process.
SG1I
Dep ty Director for Operations
G!,`! Signer
D OADR ...~.,
A-pproved For Release 4 ! plA-RDP96-A47-88RoO1-6 G&t00O3-7
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 Approved For Release 2000MBIMP. - DP96-OO788ROO16OO51OOO3-7
1 May 1984
Comments on Recent CENTER LANE Experience
1. CIA's relationship with the US Army activities covered
under the designator of CENTER LANE has been that of a customer.
We have no Agency people or funds assigned to or otherwise
designated in support of those activities. We do have contact
for the purpose of querying and tasking the Project's capabili-
ties when we believe we have an appropriate matter to investigate.
2. Appropriate "targets" for us might include such as
locating individuals or describing mysterious facilities in
foreign countries. Our aim in consulting Subject Projects would
be to obtain leads to develop access with more conventional
sources. Staff advisers inform me that during such tasks for us,
CENTER LANE sources have often "made contact" far beyond what
might be expected by probabilities and coincidence. Significant
problems of course remain. To use analogy, they are best de-
scribed as a less than hoped for signal-to-noise ratio and a less
than photographic resolution, as well as some outright misses.
Nevertheless, the attitude of Project personnel has always been
professional, helpful, and receptive to our concerns. I am
confident that they have a good grip on where they are in the
state of their art as an applied technology.
3. We would like to continue to call upon CENTER LANE,
especially in those special instances where, for the moment, we
have no other recourse and still feel a need to act. With shared
practical experiences, it seems likely that CENTER LANE can build
further capabilities as a collector, and we can sharpen our
ability to use this product in the analytical process.
SG1I
Deputy Director for Operations
1 UM
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-O0788ROO1 -00510O0