PRESIDENTIAL RESPONSE TO QUERY CONCERNING U-2 OVERFLIGHT POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP33-02415A000800300005-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 15, 2000
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 24, 1963
• Content Type: MF

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25X1A
3861/63
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: Presidential Response to Query Concerning
U-2 Overflight Policy
1. This memorandum contains a recommendation for your
consideration. Such recommendation is contained in paragraph 5.
2. There is always a possibility that in his press conference the
President will be queried concerning his policy with regard to U-2
overflights of the Soviet Union. The probability of this issue being
raised would be heightened by any incident which would again focus
attention on the U-2, but even in the absence of such an incident it
is considered highly desirable that the President be provided in ad-
vance with a response worded in such manner as to afford the least
inhibition to future intelligence collection activities deemed essential
to national security.
3. Because of its pertinence there is attached the verbatim
exchange between President Kennedy and newsmen at his press con
ference of 25 January 1961. It should be noted that, contrary to popu-
lar assumption, President Kennedy did not make any pledge or give
any assurance, at least publicly, that there would be no further over-
flights. He limited his response to a statement that he had ordered that
the flights not be resumed. An order, obviously, is valid only until
countermanded.
4. In light of the foregoing, it is proposed that if the President
is queried on this matter he respond with the following statement (this
may also help to set the record straight):
"As you are all aware, President Kennedy at his news
conference on 25 January 1961, stated that he had ordered
that such flights not be resumed. That order has never been
countermanded and so far as I am concerned is still in effect. "
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If the questioner should pursue the matter by asking under what
conditions might the order be countermanded and such flights re-
sumed, it is proposed that the President answer as follows:
"I think it would be highly inappropriate for me
to speculate on any such purely hypothetical future
situation. "
That the President be briefed on the possibility that the
U-2 overflight policy issue may be raised at some future press con-
ference and that he be prepared to respond with the statements pro-
posed in paragraph 4 above.
(Signed)
E. B. Giller
for
ALBERT D. WHEELON
Deputy Director
(Science and Technology)
Attachment - 1
Verbatim Transcript
-3861/ 63A)
T O P
S E C R E T
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VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT
(Note: The initial reference is to the two RB-47 officers whose
release was announced at the opening of the press conference. )
Question: Mr. President, did the Russians ask any quid pro quo
or did we make any concessions to them in exchange for
the release of these fliers?
Answer: We did not.
Question: If they (sic) did not, how do you account for this remarkable
turnabout in their relations with us?
Answer: We did not. The statement which I have made is a statement
which the United States Government put forward on this
matter, which I read to you earlier in regard to overflights.
I would not attempt to make judgment as to why the Soviet
Union chose to release them at this time.
I did say in my statement to Mr. Arrowsmith that this
had removed a serious obstacle in the way of peaceful
relations between the Soviet Union and the United States and
I would judge that they desired to remove that serious
obstacle.
Question: Does that mean, Sir, that they accepted a reassurance of
no more overflights as an exchange?
Answer: It is a fact that I have ordered that the flights not be
resumed, which is a continuation of the order given by
President Eisenhower in May of last year.
The transcript also records, at another point in the conference, the
following question and answer:
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Question: This RB-47 was claimed by the Russians as an overflight,
although we took a different position. In the light of the
announcement, what will be your general policy on over-
flights and on such things as the U-2 flights? Do you
conceive of circumstances which might warrant resumption
of such things as the U-2 flights?
Answer: The Soviet Government is fully aware of the United States
Government's views with respect to the distinction
between the question of the United States Air Force RB-47
and the incident which occurred over Soviet territory on
May 1, 1960 involving an American U-2 type aircraft.
Flights of American aircraft penetrating the airspace of
the Soviet Union have been suspended since May, 1960.
I have ordered that they not be resumed.
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