LETTER TO HONORABLE WILLIAM P. CLARK FROM WILLIAM J. CASEY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B00552R001000070044-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 6, 2007
• Sequence Number: 44
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2007/07/06: CIA-RDP85B00552RO01000070044-7
Central Intelligence Agency
Honorable William P. Clark
Assistant to the President
for National Security Affairs
345 Old Executive . Building
17th and Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20506
Executive Order on Classification
Dear Mr. Clark:
in response to..Edwin Meese's 23 December 1981 letter, set
forth below are the Agency's comments on the draft revision of
Executive Order.12065. Each of these comments is keyed to the
section and page numbers of the draft'order attached to the.
23 December 1981 letter.
With respect to these proposed changes, I think that it is
particularly necessary to include a definition of "cryptology" in
the Order. which accurately reflects the current -Intelligence --- Community understanding as to the respective responsibilities of
the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and the Secretary of
Defense. By the terms of this understanding,_the DCI is
responsible for signals intelligence (SIGINT) and SIGINT security.
policy and the Secretary of Defense is responsible for
communications security (COMSEC) matters. "Cryptology," as
presently defined in the Intelligence Community Glossary,
includes both SIGINT and COMSEC. The definition of "cryptology"
.suggested herein would limit that term for purposes of this order
to "cryptography and communications security" and would thus
accord with the current-understanding of DCI and Secretary of
Defense responsibilities in this area.
Overall, I think the draft revision is a significant
improvement over the existing order on classification. I support
wholeheartedly the greater emphasis that has been placed in this.
draft on the protection of national security, information, and the
elimination of many of the burdensome and unnecessary
requirements of. current Executive Order 12065.
Sincerely,
William J. Casey
Director of Central Intelligence
Approved For Release 2007/07/06: CIA-RDP85B00552RO01000070044-7