MINUTES OF SPECIAL GROUP MEETING, 28 SEPTEMBER1961

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R001900140027-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 22, 2004
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: September 28, 1961
• Content Type: MFR

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COR-1362
28 September 1961
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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Minutes of Special Group Meeting, 28 September 1961
PRESENT: General Taylor, Mr. Johnson,. Mr. Gilpatric, Mr. Dulles,
General Lemnitzer and Mr. Bundy
te 1. TACKLE
This project was reconsidered in the light of additional
information submitted, particularly with respect to coverage to
date.
Mr..Johnson said that the State Department's position remains
the same - that the Department is opposed unless the intelligence
requirements are overriding, and they are not convinced that this is
the case. He emphasized that if the U.S. were about to engage in
military operations, then of course the urgency of the intelligence
requirements would be considerably up-graded and the matter would be
viewed differently.
It was also brought out that the U-2 coverage of North Vietnam
in August was not complete enough, due to cloud cover.
The Group finally agreed that another U-2 flight should be
mounted over North Vietnam to supplement the information received
in August, and that this flight.could be authorized to stray across
the border so as to obtain oblique photography of key airfields in
China near the border. In addition the first feasible flight of
CORONA will be programmed so as to cover South China, unless de-
tailed examination indicates that this procedure would prove unduly
damaging to CORONA coverage of the USSR.
up. General Lemnitzer stated that there was a very strong military
requirement for this photography. Mr. Johnson recognized this need
Reconnaissance of the USSR
The proposal for U-2 reconnaissance of the USSR was then taken
NRO review(s) completed.
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but took the position that if the proposed operations would simply
result in more information, without involving a type of information
that would lead to a change in policies, priorities or estimates
of possible Soviet action, then the risk would not be justified.
All members agreed that this issue should be clearly delineated.
General Taylor said that his understanding after last week's
discussion had been that certain areas in which#he presence of
ICBM's is suspected would be clearly identified and that the thrust
of the current proposal would be that these areas require U-2 coverage.
It was generally agreed that the numerous papers before the Group
did not give this sharp a focus and it was decided that as soon as
possible the following should be done: The suspected areas will be
marked out on.a map and the four proposed routes will be clearly
shown. An agreed estimate of the percentage of vulnerability for
each of these flights will be made. The location of all known SAM's
will be charted in relation to these routes. It will be clearly
explained what intelligence information is expected to be.obtained,
together with an estimate as to what effect such information would
have on current U.S. plansand thinking; this estimate will take into
account past and future CORONA results.
General Lemnitzer said that he would make sure that SAC experts
participate in preparing these papers.
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inomas arrott
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Distribution
Mr. Johnson
Mr. Gilpatric
Mr. Dulles
General Lemnitzer
General Taylor
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