COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO REFERENCED MEMORANDUM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B00803R000100090143-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 24, 2004
• Sequence Number: 143
• Publication Date: February 20, 1963
• Content Type: MF

14 00099675D
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i el
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
WASHINGTON
NRO review(s) completed.
20 February 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR CHIEF, SPECIAL SECURITY CENTER/CIA
SUBJECT: Comments with Regard to Referenced Memorandum
REFERENCE: Memorandum to Chief, Special Security Center,
From Chief/Public Information and Policy Branch,
dated 4 February 1963, subj: NRO Security and
Cover Requirements: Plausible Denial and Total
Security Concepts to Implement Executive Action
I have reviewed I I observations in referenced
memorandum with interest and have made the paper available
to the Deputy Director for Plans and Policy, who has primary
staff responsibility for such matters.
Realizing that the paper is for "think" purposes but
on policy
mathe ke a framework
observations future
nevertheless I designed e like to set
point
utterances, : a. Contra to my earlier parochial thinking, DOD
atmos-
Directive 5200.13 has successfully crea
phere capable of containing the present
U.S. satellite reconnaissance program. Practically overnig4
the DOD has shifted from an attitude of almost complete candid-
ness with respect to such matters, to one which has left high
calibre technical news writers "scratching" around in old
archives for information on which to base some highly specula-
tive articles. In my opinion, there is no cover story capable
resent magnitude.
its
i
p
n
of affording a cloak to the program
Lo ic
W-1--thin roughly the past ei ht
to lite pro rams
Obviously these
ures Furthermore, I believe
n
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cannot us y programme expe
that in light of the U.S. Governmentts position that it will not
tnatobligation otola t empt
abandon its right to open skies, we have
to create one. It would further appear
news media criticism of secrecy can be kept under control through
good liaison.
b, On the other hand, I do feel that we do have an
forceitherUaSmestic 25X1
couldthat
obligation toePo~~tifor caltpressureseventuality
or international P
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satellite reconnaissance program to adopt a completely covert
attitude. To prepare for such an eventuality we should, to
that extent feasible, earmark those NRP facilities which
could continue to be used under such circumstances as against
those we would abandon in order to evidence the U.S. Govern-
ment's discontinuance of such activities 25X1
F- 1~ These earmarked 1ac es sou c even
now be operated on a truly covert basis with knowledge of
their existence extremely limited.
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i ecu y cer
NICO S'.ff
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