REVISION OF FORMAT FOR ANNUAL SOVIET ESTIMATE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00937A000500020005-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 12, 2001
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 7, 1956
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For lease 2001/03/09 : CIA-RDP79 0937A000500020005-1
i f I4 irto No 9 3-56
Six, ect~ a Revision rr# Format for Annual Soviet Estimate
Reference: Staff Memo No, 61-56, 10 August and Supplement, 14
I, The Board has still. to make 'a recorinendation and the IAG ",
decision with respect to the form which the 1957 version of the Soviet
estimate should take. This should be done shortly in order to have a
proper listing of Soviet papers in the new Quarterly Estimates Program
and to permit the Staff to proceed, with terms of reference in January,,
2. The suggestion that the comprehensive type of paper be broken up
into three or more smaller ones arose because of the prolorgeed coordination
process required for NIE ll-4-56. The problem of how to divide the ground
covered and how to schedule the separate pieces was the stumbling block
in the Board's previous consideration of the subject, The staff feels
that three or more separate papers scheduled in succession would not reduce
the time and effort required by the single paper, and that there would be
some loss of coherence between the separate aspects treated. This would
,jia~tM CLASS.
CLASS. CHANGED
xr pEV1EW DATE:
AU'1N: R 7 'Z
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be nartioularl r the case if !he scheduling of four senrarate ?"a' ers ?,roposod
by State were adopted,, (See Supplement to Staff Memo 61-56 of "4 Au ust. )
3 The nrincipsl delays in producing ,*IE 11-4-56 arose frcn certain
knotty questions in the mil.it.ary field. It, might to use. :i .Is ran e: ria ent
to break out the m97.itary sec.ion :snrd ;o prcduce It during June zes Part, I of
the annual. exercise. Part ii could then con twin sections on Inta^nal
Political Bevelopmer:ts, ;=coro~~tic Devels~ri tints, and Soviet Foreign Pali
ay
There would be an adva.ntaf-e in nrod'icing his iat,e:- in the year, pErhaps
in ocher-Noveither, so as to have .a fresh ')rarer ie.'are the NSC rat the
time of its annual poli ;y revi' w.
4, The alternativas among a;hi_ch a choice s'aou_ a be made are thus
the Poll owing:
a. Retain t ,,r. present cor^prei'ensive format,
Break ins o two rants with eel;crate treat e ant of Soviet mi.lit.r
surenc'tbs and ;atrate# ? as sugre!:}.ed in Para, 3 8'0-0,
c. Break I to three parts - economic. , mill to r, po itica_
aurgresy.,d in SM 61-56 of 10 Aur-n.st,
d,,, ..eP into four parts as a1agrrested in State pr )pov-aai in SM 6--56
S - , rdemerat of 14 Au ;us t,
There are :onsideration, pro and con. applying to all these alternatives with
' aich the 3onrd is sufficiently famf7.iar.., On balance < the staff vi.a3w is
that we shou?c. have a try with the form,!* under I atcveo
25X1A9a
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Approved For Release 200 CIA-RDP79T00937A000500020005-1