LETTER TO ADMIRAL ROBERT R. INMAN FROM LLOYD S. ETHEREDGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00890R000700030032-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 19, 2005
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: July 21, 1981
• Content Type: LETTER

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MASSAUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOL
DEPARTMENT O F POL ITI CAL S C IE NCE
Admiral Robert R.; Inman
Central,. Intelligepce Agency
Lange'ey, VA
July 21, 1981
Dear Admiral Inman:
There is one facet of the position of the C.I.A. concerning revisions of
the Freedom of Information Act which I hope you will review. Those doc-
uments Which the. C.I.A. sends-forward to other agencies, and which have
impact on major decisions, and historical studies that can inform future
policy-r~,akers, probably need an F.O.I.A.-type process, which can be ini-
tiated by outsiders, and bring these documents to your desk, and other -
senior C.I.A. officials, for declassification review.
I work in the field of government learning rates, and institutional mem-
ories work in odd.ways. Detailed knowledge of the history of events in
the past two decades come, even for senior political officials, almost
exclusively from academic and journalistic sources which they read in the
years while they are "waiting in the wings." After four years, it's a
.good rule of thumb that classified documents are ones no one, including
government itself, learns from.
I am currently doing research on lessons that were drawn.from the Bay of
Pigs invasion--and I must say, respectfully, given the many months of
delays that are occurring past legal deadlines, that I hope the Agency
might do a better job of responding. But there are two documents--an
Inspector General's report, and a " reclama" by D.D.P.--that seek to sort
out leessons. Since declassification of the Taylor-Report and Wyden's
book it is unlikely that there are many unacknowledged secrets that need
to be screened for another ten years. But whatever value might go from
this work of your predecessors to inform. students, and the next Admini-
stration, of any cumulative lessons does depend--even if fragilely--on
the.F.O.I.A. process.
I don't know how to write an appropriate revision to legislation, but I
think we do need to preserve a channel within the Agency that can be
used in these types of cases.
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Largely, unrelated to these comments, I' am enclosing a review of ideas
about the government learning rate problem which I wanted to pass
along to,,you and the attention of your staff with my best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Lloyd S. Etheredge
Associate Professor
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L e
Volume 2
Edited by
SAMUEL L. LONG
Cenrer for the Study of Business and Covernment
&iuch College-Gty C' iversirv of New York
New York, New York
PLENUM PRESS ? NEW YORK AND LONDON
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