ROYAL SECRETS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000200010106-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2007
• Sequence Number: 106
• Publication Date: September 20, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
he White House has announced a new super class-
ification known as "Royal." The category would
supposedly be reserved for ultrasecret stuff, and
only the President, a handful of White House of-'
ficials and a few Congressmen would have access to it. Some
may question whether _ this is a truly new system or a`
counterploy to reports that an intercepted Libyan cable
about Billy Carter was classified Royal and that the term is
actually "a compartmental designation to protect the White
House from political embarrassment," in the.words of New
York Times columnist William Safire.
The official explanation is that Director of Central In-
telligence Stansfield Turner and Zbigniew Brzezinski
plumped for the new system. It seems there is so much class
ified material being turned out these days that intelligence
people. can't tell the difference between normal and really
sensitive information.
Rather than set up a private Presidential security system
(with access limited to a Royal "we"-shades of Richard
Nixon!), we propose that all classified material-whether
Confidential or Top Secret Umbra or so secret that the clas-
sification is classified or even Eyes Only Rosalynn-be de-
classified and deposited in a Spy Library. The Spy Library
would be open to all foreign agents; registered or unregis-.
tered, who can prove a sincere interest in espionage. It will.
be an open-stack library with all the documents precisely in-
dexed. The spies will thus be free to snoop around to their
hearts' content. The difference is that they will no longer
have their work done for them by the Government. Without
the various levels of classification clearly stamped on each
document, it will be impossible for them to tell what is a
"normal" secret and what is a "really sensitive" one. The
Nation volunteers to serve as a repository for this material
if thi Carnegie people will come up with a suitable building.
Something in travertine marble, please.
Approved For Release 2007/03/22 : CIA-RDP99-00498R00020
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oyal Secrets