CONVERSATION WITH SECRETARY AND DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, 28 JANUARY 1980 (U)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81B00401R002300060001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 29, 1980
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 20 /f2 s':?C2DP81 B00401 R002300060001-3
29 January 1980
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Conversation with Secretary and Deputy Secretary
of Defense, 28 January 1980 n
1. Only the Deputy Secretary was present for the entire meeting;
25X1 Secretary Brown came in late. 0
2. The Secretary raised the issue of the possibility of Soviet use
? of chemical warfare in Afghanistan. He was inclined to play this in low
key at this time since our evidence was rather thin. He indicated they
had deliberately leaked the possibility of its use. I suggested that now
is the time to use his preemptive release doctrine and try to forestall
actual use by the Soviets. I suggested that he or the Deputy Secretary
respond on television to a question about whether the Soviets have used
chemical warfare. They could say that we were not sure that they had but
knew they were equipped for it, trained for it, and ready. for it. If this
would stir up some reaction here it might be a small deterrent. ^
I promised to send Deputy Secretary Claytor a .copy of the memo
I read the other day summarizing our views on this subject and concluding
that we had only two reports from a source that had been unreliable in. the
25X1 past.
F
3. The Deputy Secretary expressed appreciation of our support for
their program on preemptive releases. I emphasized that we were all for
it as long as intelligence equities were well considered.
I note in the last paragraph of the Brown terms of reference
for the new group it says that release will only be made after -comments
are received from the head of the intelligence agency who produced the
report. That's fine, but I think we ought to add to that ''and the DCI"
since the DCI is responsible for all sources and methods.
?
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4. The Deputy Secretary indicated that they didn't think the
SCC subcommittee under Schecter for publicizing what the Soviets were
doing in Afghanistan or the problems of the hostages in Iran, etc.,
was active encuah. I said I fully agreed and would work with them to
prod it more.
5. Secretary Brown raised a concern with NIE 11-3/8. We show
a range of possible outcomes in number of Soviet warheads if the Soviets
adhere to the SALT limitations (the one RV versus ten RV issue). We do
not show any range for the no-SALT cases. The Secretary is concerned
that this gives an impression that we are more confident of the no-SALT
numbers than we are of the SALT numbers. Of course that is not the case
in fact. We should look either at putting a shaded area on those curves
or some words in the text to emphasize that there are considerable
uncertainties here, but that the ran e of uncertainties cannot be as
easily defined as that under SALT. 25X1
25X1 6. I discussed thel issue with Secretary Brown who 25X1
.had the same inclinations as myself and
7. We discussed the intelligence initiative legislation in considerable
detail.
?
I failed to ask him if there were any special things we ought
to-try to get through for DIA at this time. I'd like a tickler to raise
that again with General Tighe and with Admiral Inman. I wonder if.this
might be a moment to ask if they could ' ave the same exceptions from
Civil Service hiring.rules that we do. 25X1
8. I discussed the The SecrPta wasn't 25X'
quite aware that there was a problem with the security. 2 5X1
9. I gave him the articles by Jim Stockdale.
10. The solid propellant issue didn't come up.
SVANSFIE, TURNER
Director'
25X1
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 EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT (O/DCI)
Routing Slip
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?
Remarks:
Paragraphs extracted for action or info
as indicated above.
Approved For Release 2003/09/035eIA-RDP81 B00Z61 a~02~3(l0060
3637 (4-78) Dote
ACTION
INFO
DATE
INITIAL
1
DCI
X
2
DDCI
X
3
DD/RM
4
DD/NFA
2
X
5
DD/CT
6,3
6
DD/A
7
DD/O
X
8
DD/S&T
6
9
GC
10
LC
7
11
IG
12
Compt
13
D/PA
4
14
D/EEO
15
D/Pers
16
A0/DCI
17
C/IPS
18
2,3
19
NIO/SP
5
20
PB/NSC
X
21
ES
X
22