CIA-RDP96-00791R000100040019-4

Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP96-00791R000100040019-4
Draft
SG1J
21 Feb 1995
Memorandum. For:
Chief/Office for Ground Forces
Defense Intelligence Agency
From:
SG11
Director of Research and Development
Central Intelligence Agency
Subject:
Declassification and Cooperation in
Response to Congressionally Directed
STAR GATE Program Review
1. Recent Congressional language directed that the STAR
GATE program be transferred from DIA to CIA by July 1, . . 1995.
In that language, Congress directed a twenty-year
retrospective review of STAR GATE program activities. This
review requires an inventory and analysis of the relevant
files at both DIA and CIA. CIA has collected its own files
and held cooperative meetings with DIA STAR GATE personnel to
acquire relevant DIA files., CIA also has contacted the
National Research Council in order to assemble a Blue Ribbon
Panel to actually conduct the review. Panel members will
review all unclassified material and its recommendations will
likewise be unclassified. During the coming months, CIA will
continue to seek DIA's cooperation in obtaining relevant
files and information to support this review.
2. Congress also stated that "the time has come for a
re-evaluation of the classification of the existence of this
effort as well as the results." In response to this request,
CIA plans to declassify parts of its program immediately.
Sponsorship of past CIA program activities and the technical
results of those activities will be declassified. Following
these immediate actions, CIA will convene a Congressionally
mandated DCI classification review committee to conduct a
detailed review of all CIA and DIA program documents archived
during program transfer, including the actual targets and
collection operations, and over the coming months, this
committee will further declassify these documents where
appropriate.
3. STAR GATE has an extraordinary nature and history and
it's existence within the intelligence community remains
controversial. CIA needs to develop a comprehensive
understanding of the technical nature and utility of this
program, in order to create a meaningful future management
strategy as directed by Congress. To get at this
understanding, and to facilitate the open-forum review
described above, we ask that DIA take the following actions:
Approved For Release 2001/04/02
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Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP96-00791R000100040019-4
Draft
a. Declassify DIA's sponsorship of STAR GATE and
downgrade and declassify all technical reporting associated
with STAR GATE,
b. Decompartment and remove all other classified STAR
GATE documentation from "Limited Distribution" and evaluate
this documentation for further declassification,
c. Transfer all DIA documents associated with STAR GATE,
after declassification consideration, to CIA for archival
purposes and further declassification review, and
d. Continue to assist CIA in executing the Blue Ribbon
Panel Review by providing unclassified or declassified
information relating to the program when requested by the
panelists.
4. We anticipate interim recommendations from the NRC
Blue Ribbon Panel review by the end of June. In the
meantime, CIA will transfer to the NRC all unclassified DIA SG1J .
STAR GATE documents which CIA obtains. A bibliography of 45
unclassified documents was provided by
.. ..
SG11
SG11
during their recent meeting. Unclassified documents
will continue to be transferred as they are reviewed.
Classified documents will not be reviewed by the NRC until
they are declassified. We anticipate continued examination
of all classified files by the DCI declassification review
nom
decisions are made final.
SG11
acti
be
...
SECRET
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