BRIEFING OF IDEALIST PILOTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00313A000600080054-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 3, 2002
• Sequence Number: 54
• Publication Date: August 9, 1961
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2002/07/31 : CIA-RDP63-00313A000600080054-9
IDEA 0414-61
9 August 1961
ORANDUM FOR; Military Representative of the President
Briefing of IDEALIST Pilots
1. in connection with the forthcoming IDEALIST mission, I am
attaching for your information a copy of a document known internally as
Operations Policy Letter No. 6. It controls the substance and procedures
used in briefing IDEALIST pilots.
2. An earlier version of this document was in force at the time of
the toss of the U-2 aircraft over the USSR on May 1. 1960. The whole
subject of pilot briefing was exhaustively reviewed following this incident
by a committee established specifically for this purpose. The committee
drew heavily upon the relevant experience of the military in this review.
One member of this committee had personally interviewed the turn:oat
prisoners in Korea and the American crews who were downed by the Com-
munists during the Korean conflict. The attached Operations Policy Letter
No. 6 was the result of this review process.
3. 1 would particularly call to your attention paragraph 4. c. (4) which
specifies that the pilot may reveal his CIA civilian affiliation. This provision
has been in force since the Inception of the project and was not changed as a
result of the review mentioned above. Our reasoning has been from the
beginning that we should emphasize the civilian intelligence collection
mission of these flights. so as to remove so far as possible any iearrM" --
.eser military overtones. In the aftermath of the U-2 incident of 1960 we
continue to believe that this is the proper attribution.
RICHARD M. BISSELL. JR.
Enclosure Deputy Director
Ops Policy Ltr #6 (Plans)
Distribution:
Original & I (Cyr t & 2) - Addressee Copy of Copies
Cy 3 - AC/DPD w/l cy Encl
4 - Spec Asst to G/GA Staff
Aor-o'S M Release 2002/07/31 : CI 3-00313A000600080054-9