PROPOSAL FOR DOWNGRADING AND RELEASE OF TALENT PHOTOGRAPHY ACQUIRED PRIOR TO MAY 1, 1960, ON THE EASTERN EUROPEAN SATELLITES AND COMMUNIST CHINA INCLUDING TIBET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92B01090R002600150008-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 18, 2003
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: November 7, 1960
• Content Type: MEMO

Annrn~icrl Fnr Rclcacc ~n03/12~:PCI~l~B01090R002600150008-6 '~
Re~~?>>sed ~.:rnd Final
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COMOR~Dm22~/
'~ November 190
MEMOR.Ai'~iD1,TM FOR: jJnited St~.tes :~~.telligenee Boa~?d
Proposal fox Do~rng~~?ading aa~:d Release
of TALENT Pl~,~at?g~?~.ph~~ A~;q~~.i~red 1~F:?5ox
to Mai 1, 190, on the Ea~terx~~. E~:?rsope~.?r~~
Satellites and C~amrn~.x~,ist Ch.?i~~r.a. i~.ol~~ssdi~ag
Tibet
1. The p~.xpose of tk~is memoxand~r.:m ~.~ to p~repos~ the
dovvngxading and release at the SECRET NOk'ORN level TALENT
photography aegbxi~Ped over Eastern E~xopean satellites ar~.d
Commaxna~t C~xina incclxding Tibet prior to May 1, 190, and. to
explain the ill effects of riot anaking it availa~~le at the SECRET
level (in paar:~~aa~roe of the xeq~.est of the Depaxtmexnt of State repro
xesentative at the l.J'S1B when it oonsidexed the d~a~rng~?adi~s.g aa~.d
release of matez~ials ova, th.e IUSSRAo
~. Ab~thoxity to dovrngrade a:nd xelea~e f:r?o~cx tl~e TAIJENT
Cont~?ol Stem at the SECRET .level m~.teaesals~ Qn the s~~c~~e~ct ~.EPe~.~~
is a criti~.al ?req~.iarement as ~ it xela,tes di7~?eot~,y to t?.ne o?am~>,at
effeotivex~.ess of ou~.x ~t~rike foxoes irn the event of an enne~rge~.o?a~-,
EWO and misssmn of Cl11TCELTR (incl~~~ding LJSAREL~R a:~t~. ~SA~`ED
and G3NCPAC (in~:l~adia~g PACAF) ~.xe ~~ritally a,f'feccted. B~.~t1~. of
these. oommands have h~~.dreds of ta,xget~ in Sa.tell?~,tes .end CY~ss.~~..
Release of material v~ri~.l allov~ro
a. A mope ~e~.listio ta.rgetirag prcrg~?~,m
(i. e. eliminate th?~sands of man ha~n~xs expe~n.ded e?rn.
~ aniti~ation~ .
k~. Eaaable oomb,a,t exevrs to ~~t~dy aot~~.~
pka.ot~agxapkn.y aa~d xepo?rts, tha~s ansa~r?ing m?xe effecct:ve
strike effort if ever xeq~ixed,
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~c. ~rre~rfde anafyets, estfmate~~e, anal
p~alTxae~s ~at?r~: ~~:t~.~. inf~zx?matf~xn dera~ed f~~axn ~c~~rex~
ftfg~at p,ceg~?axn, tfa~ns~ amp~rc~~ring effeetb~texaee~ of
pA.a~anaxxg d~z.:r3xa.g cx~Ataea.f pe~fed ahe~.d.
~n tkne. sae e caf CENCS.l~C, ~~ae a~:~o ~.as st~fke fe~rrcces ~.Ilf?~.~.ted t;e thnese
a~?ea~~, bt ~i~.~ grreatb~ axxiprca~~re ta.~getgng axxd e~~.xnfxnate t?rx;;~~sax~ds ~f
rx7~.r~ ~e~~~~~ed ~r:!~ sa.n~.t~zataexn. ~tw~.bT, a~.~.~~ e:c~rn~at ex'e~+~s t~ h.a~e
aet~nal target xnatergabs, th~.x~ inc~reas2ng tl~xeix? eonfadexxee and a~f~.:~tyr
to pex?fox?m mbess.on, of req~a.fred.
3. Tae ACfC (Aerexna.axt~~ca~ Ckxa~rt a~ad fnf~,~:rxna;;1?xx. Cen~~er~
and AMS QArxn~ Map Ser,~fcceD lxas Inad t~ expexnd tk~.~~,~amd:~ oaf fP.ra~xrr~ exx
sangtizatf?n prra~eedxxx~es fn order to applZr ~.nfe~~matien ~a~ta~ned t~
eharts, data sheets, ge?deta.e studies, ete.
4. Saxxitizati~xx is s~ expensi~re and tame rexas~.xni:rng tfaa~t
n~axnere~ns items obtained in. satei~,ites axed Cki~iax.a lr.a~re ne~rear ~ieen
sanitized. Fsesfdee, tie sa.xxitizati~n It?ega~.ix?ernexbt pesed i~~r ?tlzer
eurrent ec+iPeeti~aa~ eff?rts viii requare ties fui~ ~app~si~cs.tica*~ ~rf ~~.1.
limited s?ec~+urees in thss field. - Tiaerefore, d~re~ngx?adinAg lati~xr, al3ve~.t ~:~.e taxadamds
fear clearranee at thne SECRET level errs n~atieea~~ly less. tk~.an tl~.ese b,mp~sed
fr~r assess to T`AI..EN'I' ircaf~rmat~.u~x~.. Tine -s~:~ux~a~e of pk~~tsagrrapha~ ~r,~i1l nn~at
~e identified, t?~x~ugTrn s?~me ~vil~.. speculate as to tine tr~.e ~~~~; ra:e,
~. Recc?xxzrnexn.dats2~xna It is recc?xnrxiex.~ded tha.~: flee ~]f~a.ited
States A:rcxte~~!igexn~ce B~aard approve tae do~-axxgx?ae3.ixAg a?rad rceAease t~.~ tkse
SECRET/NC7F~RN level
of photaagrrapl~y ~:equired paver Eastern E~axrr?peaxn sa,tel~.ste a ~,nd Gex~.xnua~nist
Clnixaa ine~.uding. Talret, pridr to l M~,y 1~~0 ~
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5a ~, ?~~~~~5or Release 2003/12/?Q~: ~~~2,pp~2B01
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