LETTER TO THE HONORABLE JOHN D. EHRLICHMAN FROM RICHARD HELMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000200110024-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 18, 2006
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: January 29, 1973
• Content Type: LETTER

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
The Honorable John D. Ehrlichman
Assistant to the President
for Domestic Affairs
. The White house
Washington,, D. C. 20500
Dear John:
set forth the rationale for our position in hopes 01 convincing you
and hard some of the fundamental issues involved ere. s
iya'. va YLUU~~-'_ =---s
relating to the Guatemalan inc~.aent ox ,. ua
U T ha11 ..
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rff-rr. , ' 11
of the necessity for the action we have taken.
ThPrP are two maior aspects of handling our information
.is the classification of information basea on its cvuLt,-uk.
P
~?fl fnr txl,hh I have a statutory responsibility. This problem is
roblem which is unique 'to the intelligence field in Government
other criteria of the Executive Order.
The source -and-method problem is fundamental to the
sources Y and exchanging sensitive material with foreign intelligence
g
fiduciar relationships is essential to any hope of recruiting new
A ency The Agency's general reputation for respecting such
effective operation of an intelligence activity. It recognizes that
I have your letter of January 8th concerning the problems
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exposed. But, in the many other cases where there is no such
was, of course, eventually detected and arrested and thereby'.,,
tend to reveal him as the source it would have to be protected as
closely as the most sensitive information he provided. Penkovskiy
passed on was comparatively innocuous, but insofar as it would '
that Penkovskiy was the source of some of the critical information
pr tection must be provided. To give an example, you will recall
as it well may be innocuous in itself, but if it reveals the source
Th~ content of the information involved is not of primary concern,
detection the protection must continue.
The same is true of methods. Scientific and technological
some of the information involved is in itself innocuous, if it tends
to reveal the method by which it is obtained it must be protected.
measures ;which will shut off the flow. Therefore, even though
means of obtaining information if revealed would lead to counter-
The above is the basis on which the various reviews by
confidence of those current and future sources and liaison relation-
its 'sources and methods to outside review seriously reduces the
any indication that an intelligence agency can be forced to reveal
The reason I am reluctant to submit the papers to the ICR C is that
Order, which specifically recognizes the need for such protection.
their conclusion. I see no conflict herein with the Executive
Press reached the conclusion that the documents could not be
declassified, and having myself reviewed the material I support
Agency staff personnel of the material requested by the Associated
ships that
I
As i to the problem of classification of information based on
Order having to do with national security, or international..relations,
revealed. Here then we apply the other criteria of the Executive
sented that the confidential sources and methods involved are not
method'problem. In other words, the information can be so pre-
material where we have been able to eliminate the source-and-
.Executive Order. This has to do with reports or other intelligence
a very different problem, but here also we see no conflict with the
its content under the other criteria of the Executive Order, we have
or whatever.
se~vices whose history and secrecy have endured for centuries.
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protect the intelligence sources and methods involved and infor-
mation of a continuing sensitive nature. This unfortunately will
in past years, in order to account for this role publicly but still
counts of major events in which CIA played a prominent role
rrently. examining the possibility of developing sanitized
asentence-by-sentence or PIirase-by-phrase release of such
material, and the result would lack any real utility. We are
information. It is almost a practical impossibility to engage in
Of the material that cannot be declassified, a great deal
isl a mixture of sensitive items with comparatively innocuous
take time' and personnel and can only be a gradual process, but
others warrants the commitment of resources to the effort.
we believe the usefulness of such accounts to historians and
intelligence material that can be made available for public con-
.This is a; continuing effort to be as forthcoming as possible with
available for public use through some intermediate sponsor.
regularly' produced in unclassified form directly by CIA or made
Some material can be declassified and we recently sent
John Eisenhower a report and samples of a quantity of material
of Executive Order 11652.
the current problems we are considering together. And, of
I believe that basically we all have the same interests a
heart, and hope I have provided you with a basis for resolving
course, I'; am willing to discuss this with you at any time.
OGC:RHL:sin (24 Jan 73)
Original;- Addressee
1:- Director
l DDCI
11- ExDir-Compt.
1-ER /
1'- OGC
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