TESTIMONY REGARDING UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE GIVEN BEFORE A HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00337R000100150003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 21, 2008
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: March 14, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2008/10/21 :CIA-RDP86B00337R000100150003-5
DDS~T-208/84
14 MAR i?84
MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
ice o egis ative Liaison
R. E. Hineman
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
SUBJECT: Testimony Regarding Unauthorized Disclosure Given
Before a House Subcommittee
1. I have read with alarm your memorandum asking us to
review the unclassified summaries of examples o eats use in Congressional
testimony on 7 February. I believe that the public release of such
inf ormation would be a dumb thing to do.
2. If we were to go ahead and provide such examples to the Congress to
be used in unclassified testimony, the press would inevitably make inquiries
to Congressional staffers asking what each one of these examples is all
about. Even if the staffers believe they are 'n answering
such inquiries, the utterance of just one word could enable a 25X1
clever reporter to piece together the entire picture of a classified and
sensitive operation. This, in effect, would amount to "leakage by successive
approximation." Furthermore, the public release of such information could be
cited by future leakers as justification for even more leaks of classified
inf ormation on these subjects. I do not see how it would be in the best
interest of the U.S. Government to permit this to happen.
3. I believe Congress is just as concerned about leaks as we are and
would accept my reasoning on this issue. We have provided the Hill with
background information on past leaks. I believe what we have already done is
sufficient and comprehensive enough.
. E. Hineman
S E C R E T
Approved For Release 2008/10/21 :CIA-RDP86B00337R000100150003-5