MR. SAKWA'S DECLASSIFICATION REQUEST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R000800140041-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 12, 2004
• Sequence Number: 41
• Publication Date: October 17, 1973
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Re e-20W$))14IV1- lF
MEMORANDUM' FOR THE' DIRECTOR
17 October 1973
1. .,,,..This _is:?"an. interesting conundrum. ai.th some. tricky
"
o V e.L Gone one:
damage" ;, argument cannot
plausibly....be:,-made five: memos are more than a
decade old: u:Yovr.: confirmation.. and-... swearing. in are events
that-. have taken place. Furthermore,, ...Vietnam is not at the
moment. a. front-burner.. public: issue,;'hence, Vietnam- minutiae --
even minutiae also-involving.-the Agency- are hardly prime
candidates::-for:;front-page :treatment:. .:: In 'this context,
Mr. -Brownman`s.,; recommendation (or,- actually, endorsement of
Mr..Shackley's. recommendation) is. sensible and has much
.2. In my opinion, however,-:some. of
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arguments-cannot.be ignored, _even though.. I_ would not sub-
scribe to all- of his language... _(Whether: 0 is fairly 25X1
described as a 'malicious:malcontent"-.is,debatable and
actually beside the paint:) Personally T am worried about
the precedent:aspect_ ofour'authorizingthe declassification;
of. these memos,. even?with.-:EA.. Division's recommended excisions
we, do not want;. to:-be- like the Bourbons of 18th century, France
and lose; everything by being unwilling' (in :a_changing political
climate) togive up-,anything,-,butneither can we let outselves
be salamied to death Also ,the'.fact .thatloriginally 25X1
filched these documents in defiance of then-(and-still).-
existing regulations:. does seem to me to be pertinent and to
make this case quite different from one,...say, where a. retired
officer might write in to request declassification of old
memos he had worked on which he knows still repose in Agency
archives. I gag at seeing us take any action that could be
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construed as sanctiryzng -or.. acquiescing in the unauthorized
physic al.-removal.-0f::class.ified. documents from. Agency premises.-
For this reason, my--personal. Preference. would be - to disapprove:
I request..
r i ~ ? J
Approved For Release 2004/06/14: CIA-RDP80RO172OR000800140041-0
Deputy,for National `:Iatelligenca Offices