PRM-29 (CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM REVIEW) MEETING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87B01034R000200070094-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 10, 2005
• Sequence Number: 94
• Publication Date: June 10, 1977
• Content Type: MFR

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: PRM-29 (Classification System Review) Meeting
1. The second meeting of the ad hoc committee established
by PRNI-29 to review the security classification system and
draft an Executive Order to replace E.O. 11652 was held on
10 June 1977. attended for CIA; I for the
IC Staff. Three su -groups each of the two working groups were
established to deal with specific issues. Attachment A lists
those for the working group on Classification/Declassification.
Attachment B lists those under the Implementation and Review
working group. Sub-groups C/D-l and I/R-3 are of key interest
to the Intelligence Community. The first will deal with what
information should be protected, for how long, and identified
by what criteria. Jeffrey Smith, State, is to chair it.
The first meeting is set for Monday, 13 June. The second
(Sub-group I/R-3) will deal with compartmentation and personnel
security criteria for granting access to sensitive information.
Art Van Cook, Defense, is to chair it. (NOTE: He has long been
an opponent of Intelligence Community practices on compartmen-
tation and personnel security.) The other sub-groups will deal
with declassification time frames and criteria; systems and
structures for monitoring the new classification policies; and
means of disciplining those who abuse security classifications.
I asked whether the stated composition of these sub-groups
was exclusive. Bob Gates, NSC Staff, stated that all depart-
ments and agencies represented on the ad hoc committee could
send representatives to any of the sub-groups. Attachment C
gives a schedule, admittedly tight,`'for the sub-groups and
working groups to complete their assignments and submit option
papers. The first sub-group meetings are scheduled for Monday
morning, 13 June.
2., Bob Wells, ICRC, said that several sections of
E.O. 11652 should be reviewed by the sub-groups as follows:
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Sub-group E.O. 11652 :Sections to be' Reviewed
C/D 1 1, 2, 4, 8, 10 (classification categories,
who may classify, classifying procedures,
Atomic Energy Act material, and exceptional
cases)
C/D-2 5, 11, 12 (downgrading and declassification,
Presidential papers, historical research)
C/D-3 3, 5, 12 (authority to downgrade and
declassify, S and 12 as stated above)
I/R-1 6 and 7 (access and marking, implementation
and review)
I/R-2 13 (disciplinary action)
][/R-3 9 (compartmentation)
Mr. Wells brought up for discussion and decision three issues
listed on Attachment D. Bob Gates and Rick Neustadt agreed to
consult with the White House Counsel, and then possibly with
Congressional contacts, on whether the new Order should speak
to the provision of classified information to the Congress. It
was agreed that the question of policy on providing classified
information to foreign governments would be taken up by Sub-
group C/D-1; and that the question of standardization of
administrative matters would be deferred to the implementation
stage.
3. Bob Gates, NSC Staff, asked for comments on how best to
implement the new Order. Discussion showed that no one wanted
the Order to contain details. It was agreed that the question
of who should write the implementer should be deferred (Mr. Gates
commented that such could possibly be an NSC Staff project).
it. Messrs. Wells and Van Cook distributed for information
a strawman of a new Order, together with a summary of its
provisions (totalling 37 pages). The general thrust of their
proposal favors disclosure as opposed to protection. Long-
term (past 20 years) classification protection of information
would be sharply restricted.
5. Following the meeting, and I reached STAT
tentative agreement on which Sub-groups we believed CIA and the
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IC Staff would want to concentrate their efforts on. We agreed
that both would be quite interested in C/D-1; that CIA would
have the only substantive interest in C/D-2; that while both
would be interested in C/D-3. CIA chairmanship thereof would
relieve the pressure on the IC Staff to participate; that both
would be interested in I/R-1; that since I/R-2 would deal
with legal issues, only CIA would be involved; and while
both had a key interst in I/R-3, the IC Staff's concern was
primary.
DCI Security Committee
Attachments:
as stated
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