Comments re EPB Notice No. 3-50

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01082A000200090003-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 1998
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: REGULATION

Approved For k lease 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP79- 082A000200090003-7
COQ; ', TS RE EP- S NOTICE NO. 3-50
efforts to phrase definitions applicable to ORE publicatio't c-
It is submitted that this has been attempted many times In .e
past, without notable results except in u printable ter-ruas G
The merits of this particular effort are as questionab,e
as most of the previous ones, The specific arguments against it
lie mainly, as usual,, in that it can mean all things to all men
and is, therefore, valueless as a guide to determine whether a
publication should be called an estimate or a report, or Whether
it is "significant" enough to warrant publication.
The effort is described in EPB Notice No. 3-50 as an attei t
at a "workable approach to resolving the questions of what twos
of reports and estimates this office should produce" o
It seems Curious that the assigned mission of ORE is not
considered to be the obvious standard for such a determination',
ORB, it is believed, is supposed to produce estimates consistent
with its mission of advising higher authority of matters affectIng
Consideration is being given to another of the reearr
US security, and to do so in sufficient time to permit any
necessary action. Certain clearly identified sections of ORE
are charged with examining intelligence,either technical or basics
of "common concern", and are ordered to conduct research as a
service to estimating and research components a No great a-!)ig11I.ty
appears herea
it a4l"
Approved For Release 2000/08/29 CIA-RDP79-01082A000200090003-7
 Apved For RTease 2000/0
2A000200090003-7
The criterion for publication of an estivate ?!?culd appeals
to be either the extent of damage done to US security or the
extent to which specialized research cam.ndtmants would not be met
if the estimate were not made available to appropriate authority
in sufficient time to permit actions What such an estimate or
researtft paper is called is as much a matter of academic
interest as is the elegance of its literary style & Timelinass,
in both senses of the word, accuracy, and clarity are the only
qualities which need or riould be considered; whether the paper
is called an estimate, a report, a study, or a saga is
immaterial.
At present a co .ttee is studiously engaged in an effort
to fonmilate a production plan for ORE. The past several years
have seen floundering and fruitless attempts to ascertain how
ORE should carry out its mission. It is hoped that this cote
will arrive at a solution. Pending the final. report of that
committee it is most strongly urged that the EPB refrain cor;pletely
from ccnoerning itself with rhetorical exercises to define
intelligence trade words, and begin to concern itself with what is,
perbaps, the unpleasant but ,nevertheless, essential task of
determining mhether the present ORS publications collectively,. and,
if necessary, individually, are consistent with the mission of ORE.
It is, therefore, recommended that the proposal to establish
the ORE Reports series be rejected as an, unsatisfactory half-way
measure, and that no further time or effort be expended in attempts
Approved For Release 200
2-
-01082A000200090003-7
 Approved For Ruse 2000/0
ff2A000200090003-7
,to avoid hard work by indulging in over-stn 1ification or to
find a abort out to the acaamglis2mient of ORE e s mission by
inventing categories of publication and disregarding their
contents
The time has ooaae for Um EPB to : (a) abandon the belief
that 'loom it has mid something it has done something; (b) step
appointing committees to say something; (c) start constructive
critiaiazn of MM publications and other activities at the risk
of injured feelings; and (d) go to work.
~w 3-
Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP79-01082A000200090003-7