HOW SHARP IS THE EYE IN THE SKY?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400380013-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2004
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: May 27, 1979
• Content Type: NSPR

THE BOSTON GLOBE
Approved For RbTeae-2 1&1/12: CIA-RDP88-01315R0004000Oc1E3-6 5 / 1 i
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`'\er ification" is going to be a key word in the upcom-
ing =a: t_ debate on the SALT 11 treaty. The system by
which th Soviet Union and the United States each make
surd that the other is complying with the terms of the
treaty has been compiica!ed by the probable loss of moni-
toring; bases in Iran. It may be further complicated if Tur-
key refuses to let our aircraft fly along its border with
the Soviet Union.
Loss of observation poins in Turkey and Iran would
hurt but not he fatal to verification. But the public does
not appreciate the sophistication of existing alternatives,
in large part because those alternative monitoring sys-
s ns have kb,.ren shrouded in secrecy.
That secrecy may be appropriate. Merely indicating
the kind of electronic surveWance we use might help the
Soviet Union to develop countermeasures. Certainly it
would be unwise'to say anything about our espionage
system. But in the specific area of satellite photography,
the White House should rethink its security policy for the
sake of showing the public the sophistication of the moni-
toring systems we can bring to bear on the post-SALT II
Soviet military scene.
The Pent ort has newt told t J" haw accurate its
space pictures are. Leaks indicate it is possible to get
7
in
1UP
very high resolution photos from satellites orbiting 1+}0
miles above Soviet installations; unconfirmed reports
suggest these pictl'res'can even identify objects as small
as a foot across.
Photos in themselves are of limited value, of course.
Their utility in the Ion, run depends on the skills of the
people who look at them. Furthermore, they have to be
used :n conjunction with other bits of information to fur-
nish a complete intelligence picture.
But they are excellent tools for monitoring changes in
military installations. And they raise questions that
might lead to additional intelt:ence efforts. Most impor-
tant, they are a guard against temptation by the Soviet
Union to trim on its obligations under the treaty. Past
monitoring has produced questions by both the Soviet
Union and the United States, questions that fortunately
led to satisfactory resolution in each case.
The White House, were it to provide more detail about
our spy-in-the-sky systems, could reassure the Airerican
public about our overall safety without in any way corn-
promising the integrity of our information-gathering ma-
chinery. That greater sense of security could, in turn,
help the Senate make up its mind about the most di[ficult
issue it faces this year.
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : CIA-RDP88-01315R000400380013-6