ATLAS CONSIDERATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05927A000300120002-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 1999
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: May 15, 1973
• Content Type: MF

AP 7) /--(
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15 May 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence
SUBJECT r Atlas Conuiderattona
1. The Middle East Atlas to now being di? serntn.:ted. We
printed 1244 copies. The original dissemination is about 354 copieH.
This very limited firext distribution was a result of the now guidelines
on publication and dissemination. I'm quite sure when the word gets
around we will have no difficulty marketing the rom fining copse:A.
2. I tgreee that an OUO or an Unclassified version would hAve
had many advantages. It was classified Secret for the following three
reasons in descending order of importance.
a. It was my view that the CIA could sky -., most nothing
for the public record, or to a document almost certttn to
become public knowledge, on a situation to politically explo-
sive both domestically and intern:tionally as that prevailing
in the Middle East.
b. Almost all of the photogr= ph a included in the atla a
are taken from copyright publications. In my judgment, an
OUO cla s aificaLion would not provide the Agency sufficient
protection from legal action. We were ur* biee to find good
and adequate photographs from the NPIC ground photography
files, despite a very thorough search. To obtain copyright
permis+-ion would have been very time consuming because a
large number of publications, domestic and foreign, were
invoked. In. =#ddition, cost of copyright release for photo.
graphs can run quite high -- up to $Z00 and $300 per picture.
c. Some of the material In the SOVIET INFLUENCE and
the OCCUPIED TERRITORIES ections came from Secret-
level documents.
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3. The Middle Last Atlas could be revised to make it an
Unclassified publication by minimum alterations of text, but major
changes in the graphics which would require alrno-tt complete
reformatting of the publication. There are various options open to
uaz
a. First, we could re-do the publication, leaving it
essentially in its present format, searching and preparing
new photos, replacing the SOVIET INFLUENCE chapter,
and making other editorial changes. This option would
cost us about 47 man-days Cartography Division time and
60 man-days Geography Division time, or a total of 107
rnan-days.
b. The second option would be to re-do the atlas in
zee and format, but arrange It to open from the
This would take 67 man-days Cartography Division
time and 60 man-days Geography Division time, or a total of
12? man-days.
c. The third option would be to re-do the atlas in the
ze and format of the China Atlas. This would take an
estimated 87 man-days Cartography Division time and 60
man-days Geography Division time, or a total of 147 man-
days.
4. Because we will have an extensive dissemination of the Secret
version and because I would like to rethink the atlas in terms of a
possible series, I recommend we redesign and reissue the Middle East
Atlas in an Unclassified or Official Use Only version, planning for a
completion target of early September. I suggest this approach to provide
us ample time to work out an atlas series design, which would provide the
basic format for subsequent atlas publications.
5. I propose to formalize an atlas publication program, looking to
the publication of two or perhaps three atlases a year to be done jointly
by the Cartography and Geography Divisions. In most instances, the
series would be Unclassified or Official Use 0
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Tentatively, I view the series along there lines:
a. It should package issues and problems by regions
except for major countries such as China and the USSR.
b. The saeriez might include atlases on the USSR, the
Caribbean., East Europe, the Indian Ocean Area, the Polar
Regions, East Africa, and the Persian Gulf. Topics that
lend themselves to such treatment include law of the sea,
world pollution, and the world energy crisis.
c. The contents would be fitted to the individuality of
the region and consist of integrated text, maps, charts, and
ground photos. I would use considerably fewer ground ph
in the future than has been the ease in the Middle East Atlas.
? CI and DER help with substantive aspects of many of the
problems, as in the past, would be essential.
4. The format would be a conventional vertical fold with
the margin on the left,; the dimensions would be reduced, per-
haps by a a much as 40 or 50+%, from that of the Middle East
Atlas.
25X1A
KERRY
Director
Basic and Geographic Intelligence
Distributions
4&1 - Addressee
I - Ch/GD
1 - Ch/CD
2 - D/BGI
D/BGI:JKKingsjmc/2845(15 May 1973)
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C I NTIAL
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Approve: 1. Reissuing Middle East Atlas as Unclassified or
Official Use Only like the China Atlas but some-
what smaller, aiming for a date in July.
2. The principle of a small program for producing
similar atlases along lines of paragraphs 5 and 6.
/s/ Edward W. Proctor 26 May 1973
Deputy Director for Intelligence Date
Y-cc: Chief, GIB
Chief, CD
on 30 May 73
c --
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