NEW SYSTEM TIGHTLY CURBS ACCESS TO INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000200010123-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2007
• Sequence Number: 123
• Publication Date: September 7, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Approved For Release 2007/03/22 : CIA-RDP99-00498R0002000101
ARTICLE APPi!AR
'r.c v,,moniiiuiur rwi
ON FAG'i_6-7- 7 September 1980
By Jack Taylor
Special to The WT:;hinicton Post
Sensitive U.S. intelligence informa-
tion is being handled under a new sys-
tem that effectively cuts off most con-..
gressional, military and other govern-
ment. officials, sources familiar with
the system said yesterday.
The new system; ordered by -Presi-
dent Carter Jan. 7,. installs a classifi-
cation. called "royal" above the previ
se-
bus highest classification of "top se-'-
cret,' the sources said.
The "royals- system is considered
highly ..unusual by the intelligence
community, the sources said, because
-it is. vague and general in scope and is
not associated with-protecting sources
.or intelligence collection methods. -
The sources, all of whom deal daily
with extremely sensitive intelligence,
contended the "royal" classification is-
intended primarily to protect, politi-
cally sensitive information.
The real effect, they. said, is to pro
tect President Carter from potential
embarrassment. .
An' administration spokesman: said.
however, "Those allegations are to-
tally false: "
_
A White House press: office spokes-
man said t$at. "royal" i.,-part of a clas-
sification system that is not yet in
use. -"Its part of. a. new ,and still unim-
plemented system fora- handling 'ex-:.
tremely sensitive: classified informa-.?
tion,'.'.. the spokesman said. "Within,*
that system, - `royal' is :only.. one, of,
many designations.",,-
The administration' spokesman ap
par?ently was including "royal" in the.
,-category of "code patne" intelligence ;
classifications. f -'
Normal intelligence hiformation-.is
classified 'confidential, secret'-or"-top
secret. But there ,-are .special code;
name classifications for.-- communicy
tions intelligence, , satellite photogra-
phy, intelligence collection 'methods
and cryptographic. . technology. All
code --names*,---, however;- deal -- with
.sources of information., According to
one" of ? the' sources- - knowledgeable,
about "royal,", "the. system s' -not rn ?'
`tended to protect intelligence- sources `
or-methods of collection.
'.The ' source said', that, Carter's - -na
tional security: affairs `adviser,' Zb
niew Brzezinski, -who chose the; term
"royal,' -told, Central Intelligence
Agency-Director Stansfield Turner in
a letter early in February that 'the
aew'system is designed-to protect the
information,. 'regardless of the source.
"That translates," said brie source,
'to protecting politically-sensitive.'po-
tentially`--embarrassing"information
.The sources said Carter s ...directive
implementing the system states that it
-is intended.-to provide; key policymak-
ers with advanced intelligence so they
can formulate positions - that will ap-
pear,- publicly at least, more timely
and responsive..
.The-sources. said the.`type of intelli-
gence classified "royal" is sometimes
more significant from a political than
from an intelligence viewpoint. -
For example, some intelligence in.
formation involving Libya was given
the "royal" treatment-including a. re-
port in which Libyans were quoted as
describing ' the presi'dent's-. brother, -
Billy, as "our agent of influence.""
The new system--is :so-'restrictive
that- even The-National Intelligence
Daily, a summary sent to only 100 key
ii clividuals - in ? government, has -be-
come--devoid of meaningful informa-
tion-or, as one senator put' it. pri-
vately, `,`lifeless." the sources said. .
The `royal" system.is, so secret' that
many members of Congress, military
officers and other government offi=
dais who'have "top secret"-clearances
eon 't know it exists
'
Only, eight 'members of Congress?
four senators and four representatives
-have bee'p- a ven access -to ?"royal"..
information. In the '.Senate; they are
Birch Bayh (D-Ind.), 'Barry ,Goldwater
(R-Ariz.); Howard.-.H. Baker Jr., (R
Tenn) and.Robert C Byrd-(D-ZV.V-a) _
The' only .congressional:-staff mem-
hers give access are'the sfaff directors
.of the Senate and 'House Intelligence"
committees -
But because- "royal : informatiarl is
closelylield; even "the eight'membersr
of.Congress.who have access to it.. are,
unlikely to be aware of the; contents
of its daily digest unless they take tl)e
time to go to Intelligence Committee,,, .
offices each day to read it, the sources
Said
Politically : sensitive information
'never gets,to some :Republican mem-.-
bers of Congress. The sources.said, be- -
'.a~'.[r.!fYfJt[s.itAe!{L. +.f??,ul:Np` ."?-.Qf . e' r 31.
cause the, "royal" system and 'the In
lelligenc.e cmmhuttees''staffs.are effec-'
tively- controlled by the administra-
tion or, byDem'ocrats.
"When you establish something thi
restrictive; you-in effect: deny, access
-
to -.the?.:rdin.Prity_,-party; :which could.
have -an effect "on policy," one source''
said.
"3 . c: -3 L t' - t IA-1-
Aaaroved For Release 2007/03/22 - (',IA-RnP9c)-nn49RRnnn7nnfl-1n173-1