STATUS REPORT ON PROGRESS OF AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE FOR EXCHANGE OF GUIDED MISSILE INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00961A000300060003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2001
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: August 6, 1958
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved Fir Ruse 2002/05/20 qF1J71R00961300060003-6
G I` FOR EXCHANGE OF
GUIDED MISSILE INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION
6 August 1958
Wes' F')R: Chairman, Guided Missile Intelligence Committee (GMIC)
Status Report on Progress of Ad Hoc Subcommittee for
Exchange of Guided Missile Intelligence Information
?.tt~Ad Joc Subcommittee for Exchange of Guided Missile Intelligence
a reels that it has reached the point of vanishing returns and that
,r' ed operation in the same manner as heretofore is not recommended and
manger be profitable. For more analysis of the information exchange
* rt there must be either a large scale expansion of the investigation
ax'.ately tae individual services must be apprised of our tentative
.u.,cns and requested to institute investigation and corrective measures
'-tr tentative conclusion, partially expressed in our status report
lar:ttaMyr, may be su+ +riz l as follows:
The flow of information is generally satisfactory in all
except basic information--intermediate between raw data and
-;). If shown to be desirable, substantial improvement can be
bu the lateral flow of basic information prior to exhaustive
t; craw: tent by the parent agency.
t ?s /cyo~nsider first if it is desirable to improve the flow of this
'orietion.
Some may feel that an agency which collects information is
__ .= w.t.c!d.. like a newspaper, to make its own assessment and publish
e- r-nabination before it releases the basic information to the
v!2, gin,' the community.
b. Some may feel that a collecting agency is entitled to
.:onuuct an extensive evaluation of the collection system, releasing
tt "., r selected assessments, until it Judges j en,#1 ' ntean i otprpffe"~"a the
O 1 feet . national defense of the united States 1e
meaning of the espionag' 1kws, Title 18, ..:5.
n A roved For Release 2002/05/2 I ~~~ p~~n the t-*,sIr%iSSi?n or revaperso of
pp %' t-A wfii, In ~rs,04?.99 9N&uthorized person is
prohibited by law.
 Approved For Release 2002/05/20 : CIA-RDP79R00961A0 300060003-6
SECRET
c. Some may feel a collecting agency is entitled to release
more for "internal use only" than for community consumption.
h. The Subcommittee's feeling on this subject is divided. One view
i that the factors mentioned will always prevent the free flow of informa-
tion, and that it is neither practicable nor desirable to alter this situation.
if this view 'prevails, the Subcommittee may be dissolved immediately with its
atieoi:aiishmen- limited to the minor information exchanges already accomplished
duri.g, the course of the meetings. Another view is that there is a way to
remove the fundamental objections stated above, consistent with the immediate
r{ e-.se of all basic intelligence information. The gain of such a course is
believed to exceed by far the losses. The gain consists of exposing the
Osic information to the combined capabilities of the entire intelligence
comunity before a published assessment prejudices judgement, and makes
necessary a resource-consuming debate. By judicious polities, the loss
e n'be made trivial. For example:
a. An agency which collects raw data and translates it into
basic information should: be satisfied with the "newspaper -beat,"
at will be accorded it at this stage rather than jeopardize
:{_ta position by withholding it from the community for an assess-
went that does not include consideration of a vital element held
by another agency.
b. An agency which collects information from an unproven
system can include all the preliminary precautions felt to be
necessary and so maintain its integrity and still release
immediately information that may be useful to complement or
degrade information held by another agency.
c. An agency which retains basic information for
"internal use only" should be satisfied with its improved
?iosition by virtue of much background information acquired
in collection.
5. If G'CIC will agree that. improvements are desirable, if practicable,
the -re are only two possible ways of achieving this improvement .
a. Instruct the Subcommittee (or any group) to conduct a
thorough examination of the situation. This will probably involve
the full time efforts of the committee for three months, and the
free cooperation of all member agencies in briefing this committee
on information collected by systems not yet contributing to the
full intelligence community. Subsequent to this massive collection
of facts, the Subcommittee can properly accomplish its mission and
an informed recommendation for improvement can be made.
-2 -
S E C R E T
Approved For Release 2002/05/20 : CIA-RDP79R00961A000300060003-6
 Approved For Release 2002/05/20 : CIA-RDP79R00961A000300060003-6
b. The alternate way to achieve the improvement is for the
Suubcommittee to prepare letters from GMIC to all the collection
cm ,d dissemination agencies requesting their cooperation in a
.,:roluntaryr program to improve the lateral flow of basic informQ-
?sion. The agencies should be requested to reconsider policies
ihhich may be completely justified in their primary function but
ray have a side effect injurious to the free flow of information
rnd not compatible with maximum gain from the information.
We believe the latter alternative above is practicable. It is
req,ve ted that GMIC advise the Subcommittee as to the proper future course
of aci;ion.
25X1A
SECRET
Approved For Release 2002/05/20 : CIA-RDP79R00961A000300060003-6
 Approved For Release 2002/05/20: CIA-RDP79R00961AQO 300060003-6
SECRET
$EVISED MEM ZIP LIST FOR
AD HOC SUBCO 'E FOR EXCHANGE OF
GUIDED MISSILE INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION
25X1A
CIA
Ifri,ior S. Matthews, Army
D.,- Robert C . Wycoff, Navy Z
; . Dale Per y, Alternate
NW .jor teeth .Verhagen, Air Force
iti William Boyd, Alternate
Co o.ael Robert H. Stunpf, Joint Staff
",signed der, has not been able to attend)
25X1A
{{Prong
ca? ins in{ormation a
thin mnPe'i'{ ~t ' ited
cF ti,r ~r _ Secs,
naiiona{ oe,cnae r
O
a.10
o{ i :e es 7ion