STAP BCW REVIEW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP93B01137R000400010002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 29, 2012
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 6, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

CCC~
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/01 : CIA-RDP93BO1137R000400010002-1
MEMORANDUM FOR: C/STAP/DCI
SUBJECT - STAP BCW Review
1. The purpose of this memorandum is to outline for you and
what actions I have initiated to support your review and to
state our current goals as I understand them. The purpose of the review
requested by the DCI remains essentially the same: "to assess the
organization and methodology used to arrive at the conclusions of the
Intelligence Community with respect to the use by foreign nations of
chemical and toxin weapons worldwide."
2. We do not believe that the review should constitute a detailed post
audit per se of any specific SNIE or intelligence finding. Neither are we
interested in preparing a public statement affirming the positions taken by
the Department of State on Yellow Rain, arms control statements, submission
to the US on proliferation, nor Soviet biotechnological research and
biological warfare programs. But it is important that the finished
intelligence on these matters constitute an initial starting place, from
which two fundamental subjects derive.
3. A secondary but nevertheless important issue is to determine if
scientific intelligence methodology now used to report on these matters
publicly ... i.e. in unclassified statements provided to State Department be
improved upon, or should be improved upon. Is there a better way to present
fragile and preliminary scientific data along with intelligence data in
National Estimates, National Intelligence Daily articles, or to
Congressional Committees? How can intelligence impact on the preparation of
State releases better? How can the fact that three separate laboratories
find toxins on gas masks be fairly represented when we cannot disclose the
intelligence chain-of-custody of the masks? How can classified laboratory
results from another country be used when we do not have access to their raw
data, scientists, or.methods ... but our analysts have reasons to believe
.are results to be believed? How can incomplete scientific data acquired by
intelligence means be presented to our consumers with appropriate weight
4. Our original plan was to have the review committee visit key
laboratories from where the Intelligence Community obtained results and
conclusions. This was to be accomplished after close reading of the SNIEs,
especially Volume II of the first. Yellow Rain estimate. The estimates are
.the only real IC compendia. I appreciate the desire to have certain primary
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documentation provided first, but insist that it be a step toward the goals
above, not a replacement of the need to review the finished intelligence.
5. I have formed a subcommittee of the DCI-NIC working group on
BCW--toxins to facilitate to the extent possible the collection of some of
the "second phase" analytical papers used by analysts at the several
.cognizant NFIB agencies who were major players in the recent estimates.
to the Working Group.
who is the chairman of the Advisory Panel 25X1
who holds most of the files (at CIA) on CW-USE.
, a principal drafter of the important estimates
? Dan Uyesugi, holder of INR files.
AFMIC/DIA principal officer and drafter on
toxicological and medical data.
who has been maintaining the data base of 25X1
published unclassified scientific data.
chairman of Sample Management, Auditing
and Co-ordination of the Working Sub-Group.
laboratories performing most of the analysis on samples.
? Dr. William Sarver, CRDC/Army, who is technical director of the
25X1
25X1
?5X1
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scientifically rigorous as possible.
7. This project stands to be a useful exercise for us, and will be
worth the time if only a few good insights can be obtained. I am very
appreciative of the willingness STAP has always shown in helping to review
the drafts of estimates on this subject, to say nothing of the time you and
individual STAP members have given for personal consultations. For our
part, the preparation of study materials should not be viewed as another
invasion on time otherwise spent on new analyses but an opportunity-to make
our times in the future more cost-effective, and especially, as
Chairman, DCI-NIC BCW-USE Working Group
Orig - Addressee
1 - NIO/AL
1 - ANIO/AL
1 - D/OSWR
1 - DD/OSWR
1 - AC/STD
1 - C/LSB/STD
1 - OSWR Chrono
1 - STD Chrono
3 -
OSWR/STD
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Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/01 CIA-RDP93BOl 137R000400010002-1
25X1
25X1