ON THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1983, THE FULL COMMITTEE HELD A HEARING ON INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00135R000601140004-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 7, 2008
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 29, 1983
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2008/03/07: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000601140004-7
BARRY GOI.DWATL.. ARIL,. {A.IUNIAM
DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN, N.Y.. VICE CHAIRMAN
JAKE BAOIN. UTAH .
JOHN H!CHAPEE. R.1.
RICHARD O. LyOAR. IND.
MALCOLM WALLOP. WYO.
DAVID DURENBEROER, MINN.
WILLIAM V. ROTN, JR.. DEL.
WILLIAM S. CONEN. MAINE
WALTER D. HUDDLESTON, KY.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN. JR.. DEL.
DANIEL K. INOUYE. HAWAII
HENRY M. JACKSON. WASH.
PATRICK J. LEAHY. K.
LLOYD EENTBEN. TEX.
'JCnifea Zfofez zenafe
HOWARD N. BAKER. JR.. TENN., EX OFFICIO
ROBERT C. BYRD, W. VA.. EX OFFICIO
ROBERT R. SIMMONS, STAFF DIRECTOR
GARY J. SCHMITT. MINORITY STAFF DIRECTOR
March 29, 1983
The Honorable
Roan , Senate
Office Building
Washington, Q.C. 20510
SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20510
Note: Sent to all Members of the SSCI
&3- /C, o
On Thursday, March 24, 1983, the full Committee held a hearing on Intelligence
Community publication of unclassified reports on Soviet expenditures. The
purpose of this hearing was to have the Director of Central Intelligence, Bill
Casey, explain why the CIA will no longer make available to the public its
dollar cost comparison of Soviet and U.S. Defense Expenditures and a document
titled Communist Aid Activities in Non-Communist Less Developed Countries.
Director Casey spent over an hour at this hearing explaining the decision for
terminating public dissemination of these two reports. This decision was
apparently made several years ago. Enclosed for your information are copies of
the Director's talking points on this subject as well as a copy of his complete
statement before the Committee.
Quite frankly, I do not believe that the decision to cancel dissemination of
these two reports was a good one. These are just the sort of reports that the
CIA should be making available to the public so they can better understand the
magnitude and the nature of Soviet defense expenditures, as well as their aid
activities to non-communist less developed countries around the world. This is
especially important now when not only the Federal Government here in Washington,
D.C., but the whole nation is being asked to support major U.S. defense expend-
itures in the context of what we understand to be the Soviet threat.
Because of the controversial nature of this issue, I told Director Casey that
the Committee will withhold any further judgment until all the Members had had
an opportunity to review his testimony in full. I would be most appreciative if
you could let me know by April 8, 1983, whether or not you think the CIA should
continue publication of these documents in an unclassified form. Please feel
free to contact me directly or have your staff notify the Clerk of the Committee,
Dot Roberson, about your thoughts.
Sincerely,
Barry Goldwater
Chairman
Approved For Release 2008/03/07: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000601140004-7