COORDINATING COMMITTEE RECORD OF DISCUSSION ON ITEM 1572- MAGNETIC RECORDERS 5TH AND 17TH NOVEMBER, 1959

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00647A000100060006-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 9, 1998
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: November 27, 1959
• Content Type: MIN

November 27t.1959
COCOM Document No. 3715.72/:B
COORDINATING COMMITTEE
RECORD OF DISCUSSION
ON
ITEM 1572 - MAGNETIC RECORDERS
5th and 17th November, 1959
?resentr Belgium (Luxembourg), Canada, Franco,, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States.
Roferencesi COCOM 3700.2, 3715.00/1 and W.P.1572/1.
1. The GERMAN Delegation proposed an amendment as shown below in the
exclusion clause of Item 15721
"Magnetic recorders and/or reproducers (other than those designed
for voice, music or pictures); and ... etc."
The German Delegation considered that recorders designed for pictures ought not
to be covered by the definition of this item.
2. The UNITED STATES Delegation opposed the Gorman proposal. They
pointed out that the United States was the only country in which recorders
designed for pictures were produced on a commercial scale, that there was
a wide field of military applications for this recording technique and the
corresponding equipment, and that technical data of considerable strategic
significance could be extracted from this method. The Delegate added that
the wide-band recording system was fully developed in the United States.
He pointed out that the Soviet Bloc appeared not to have developed similar
equipment as yet.
3. The FRENCH Delegation proposed as a compromise that the expression
"with a mobile head" should be inserted in the present definition (military
applications of this equipment requiring a fixed head).
4. The UNITED STATES Delegate considered that this proposal involved
a risk. He stated that while in certain cases (for exgmple, telemeters)
it would be necessary to make radical changes in these instruments in
order to use them for military purposes, in other cases (radar signals,
electronic countermeasures).the recorders could be used directly to strategic
ends.
5. Following the explanation given by the United States Delegation and
afterwards submitted in a separate memorandum, the GERMAN Delegation agreed
to withdraw their proposal to redefine Item 1572. They reserved the right,
however, to bring forward the item again at the time of the 1960 review if
difficulties arose in the meantime.
6. The UNITED KINGDOM Delegation stated that in their view the present
definition seemed unsatisfactory. They would have preferred a more precise
definition which would exclude recorders normally used in connection with
computers not embargoed under Item 1565.
7. The COMMITTEE thereupon instructed the Working Group to draw up
a now definition. The Working Group was unable however to reach an
acceptable solution in the short time at their disposal and the Committee
agreed to examine Item 1572 again during the second round of the review.
CONCLUSION: The COMMITTEE, noting that they were unable to-reach
agreement on Item 1572, agreed to resume its study
during the second round of the review,
Approved For Release : CIA-RDP62-00647A000100060006-0
Approved F`*r"Releases RP62-00647A0 100060006-0