LETTER TO WILLIAM J. CASEY FROM WILLIAM L. ARMSTRONG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M00220R000400460025-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 4, 2009
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: June 7, 1985
• Content Type: LETTER

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WI(LIAM L ARMSTRONG. I w.vUuuvm r1Rnscrru
CAWRMAN
MARK ANDREWS
JOHN H. CHAFEE
THAD COCHRAN
JOHN C. DANFORTN
ROBERT DOLE
PETE V. DOMENICI
JAKE GARN
BARRY GOLDWATER
ORRIN G. HATCH
MARK 0. HATFIELD
JESSE HELMS
Initeb btates; 'enat
REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE
RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20510
June 7, 1985
The Honorable William J. Casey
Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, D.C. 20505
Dear Mr. Casey:
RICHARD 0. LUGAR
JAMES A. MCCLURE
S MCC. MATHIAS. JIL
FRANK H. MURKOWSKI
BOB PACKWOOD
WILLIAM V. ROTH. Ja.
ALAN K. SIMPSON
ROBERT T. STAFFORD
STROM THURMOND
LOWELL P. WEICKER. JL
12 JU1y' Qr$TAFFcIPECO
~ I f~
As you may be aware, the Washington 'l`imes on May 6 published an
article, of which I have taken the liberty of enclosing a copy, claiming
that the Soviets have been testing chemical weapons on unwilling human
"guinea pigs." These tests were reportedly conducted at the Shikhany test
range southeast of Nbscow beginning in 1980 and are apparently continuing.
According to the Times, quoting an unnamed intelligence source, one of the
intelligence agencies under the DCI umbrella has actual photographs of
human beings tied to posts on the test range. I further understand that
the posts shown in these photographs are the same as those depicted in a
1983 DoD report, "Continuing Development of Chemical Weapons Capabilities
in the USSR." I have enclosed relevant portions of that report, including
the sections on the Shikhany range and artists' renderings, presumably
extrapolated from satellite photos, of the test range.
I don't have to tell you of the impact such photos would have on
public perceptions, specifically, on the chemical weapons issue and,
generally, on overall perceptions of the nature of the USSR and how we
should deal with it. I fully understand the sensitivity of the sources
and methods involved in the acquisition of such information, in this case
highly-capable satellite photography. In addition, the Times cites human
intelligence data to the effect that the test subjects are or were)
political prisoners.
I strongly urge you to consider how these photographs might be made
available to the public -- or at the very least to Members of Congress in
closed briefings. While I understand the difficulty in "sanitizing" such
material for release, I also point out the uselessness of having certain
information unless it can be enlisted in the public debate on national
security issues. I note that the Department of Defense made some very
difficult decisions in releasing some of the data contained in Soviet
Military Power because the public impact was deemed to outweigh the
exposure of the methods involved.
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Page Two
The Honorable William J. Casey
June 7, 1985
In this case, the pictures, if they exist, would be worth many
thousands of words in terms of giving people a realistic understanding
of the Soviet threat. I hope you will give the possibility of using
them for that purpose careful consideration.
Best regards.
WLA/jjb
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