MODIFICATION OF THE SECURITY CONTROLS FOR THE PRODUCTS OF PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONNAISSANCE SATELLITES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T01137A000300030016-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 11, 2010
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: November 23, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/11 : CIA-RDP80T01137A000300030016-8 `~ " - ?'
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TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE.
The Secretary of the Treasury -
The Attorney General
/The Director of Central Intelligence
The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission
The Secretary of.State
The Secretary of Defense
Modification of the Security Controls
Reconnaissance Satellites
for the Products of Photographic
The President has approved the recommendation of the Director of
Central Intelligence to modify some of the special security controls
relating to the U. S. photo reconnaissance program which were
established by Presidential Memorandum of August 26., 1960.
fically,',the President has authorized that:
(1) The fact that the United States Government conducts a photo-
graphic satellite reconnaissance prograrn.for foreign intelligence
collection be classified SECRET.
(2) The Director of Central Intelligence, after consulting the
Secretary of Defense, may remove from'the special controls presently
governing the U. S. photo reconnaissance program the product of such:
collection as he deems appropriate, provided that (a) the product re-
moved from the special controls under this authorization sha11 be
Order No 11652,
classified according to the provisions of Executive
and (b) such product shall not reveal the sensitive technical capabilities
of current or future intelligence satellite programs. The present
special control system itself will continue to exist to provide compart-
mentedprotection for those aspects and products of satellite
reconnaissance programs requiring such protection:
e
TOP SECS ET/SENSITIVE (XGDS) - 2, 3
BY-AUTH - HAKissinger
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The President has further directed that the Director of Central
Intelligence shall continue to be responsible to him for estabLishing
0
policy guidelines for the security protection and control of information
pertaining to the U. S. intelligence satellite collection.prog ram and the
products derived from it. This will include the establishment and con-
tinued review of appropriate procedures; consistent with United States
policy interests, for the release of the satellite intelligence product or
information derived from it to foreign governments.
 November 16; 1973
The attached encompasses many of the
suggestions I've received concerning the
earlier draft on this subject; and h would
like to have your final comments and/or
concurrence.
 MEMORANDUM FOP.:
The Secretary of the Interior
The Secretary of Agriculture
The Secretary of Commerce
Administrator, National Aeronautics -
and Space Administration
Director, Office of Management and Budget
Director, Central Intelligence Agency
The Chief of Engineers, United States Army
SUBJECT: Civil Use of Classified Reconnaissance
Systems, Technologies, and Products
The ARGO program was initiated in 1967 by the President's Science
Adviser for the purpose of testing, on a limited basis, the utility of
classified reconnaissance products,as a'tool in earth resource assessment.
These tests, which were incidental to regular operations, gave results
sufficiently encouraging that an interagency ARGO Steering Committee
Experience has shown, however,.that if these concepts are to be put
into action on a considerably broader and more operational basis, a routine
mechanism, not available now via ARGO, is required to receive, evaluate
and assist in satisfying requests for new data. The present ARGO structure
is also obsolete with regard to membership, and furthermore, with the
advent of the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Earth Resources
Survey Program (ICCERSP), the necessity of direct Executive Office
involvement is no longer evident. a
SECRET/S,E:NSIT.IVE/XGDS/FY AUTIIHENRY A. KISSINGER
 update the organizational structure, the following actions are bein; taken.
-- The Director of the Office of Management and budget is requested to
charge the Executive Comznittee-of ICCERSP with the responsibility
to stimulate and facilitate the experimental exploitation of remote
sensing by classified sensor systems, and to coordinate. the in-
The Secretary of the Interior is requested to form a Civil Applications
Panel which will receive, evaluate, consolidate, standardize,
e
classified reconnaissance data fromncivil community. The Panel
will supply information to the civil users.so that they may l:. owledgabl
formulate their requests, and will assist in reaching compromises
between requests and capabilities. The Panel will act as the inter-
face between civil users and the intelligence collectors, recognizing
that the Directorof Central Intelligence will not be involved in
collection for this purpose will remain incidental to foreign intelli-
gence collection. The Panel will be chaired by the representative of
the Department of the Interior and will consist of representatives of
the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the Corps of
Membership can be expanded at the.liscretion of the Panel.
SECRET/S `:SITI\TE/\GDS/ 3l" AUTII IIENRY A. KISSI^'GER
En;ineers, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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The Director of Central Intelligence will designate a representative
to serve ex officio on the Executive Committee of the ICCERSP
and the Civil Applications Panel for the purpose of liaison with the
intelligence community, as well as to assist in planning, to address
issues connected with the use of classified material, dnd to
facilitate the acquisition of clearances for users. Since the civil
utility of 'data is enhanced ifunclassifed, the DCI's representative
will be an intermediary on questions of the release of derived
information.
-- The ARGO Steering Committee is abolished.
Henry A. Kissinger
cc: Distribution list to be added at the time of final classification of this
document.
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SECRET /S F: _5TTZ.VE/XGD.S/LiY lUT[i HENRY A. KISSINGER