Approved For Release 2004/09/09
: CIA-RDP96-00791R0001 00040021-1
Memo for
:
Comptroller
Via:
DDS&t
ExDir
D/OCA
Subject:
Response
to CDA on Stargate
1.
The conference report contained language that transferred
ten civilian billets
and,
500k dollars
from DXA to CIA and
directed the DCI
to submit a status report
to the appropriate
committees by March
1,
1995.
This status report
is
to include
a management
strategy,
transfer status,
and identification of
a program manager.
I have been asked to pull
this activity
together and to prepare
a response to the CDA.
That response
is attached.
Because of
the many issues associated with this
program and the potential
for some controversy between us and
our oversight committees
I seek a corporate buy in to the
proposed approach.
2.
Language
in the
SAC report
, originally directed at DIA but
incorporated by reference
in the conference report,
requests
that
funds be applied equally
to
foreign assessment,
research,
and operational viewing.
The
SAC report expresses
concern that Congressional direction
in the past regarding
the
"solicitation of users across
the NFIP and DOD and
development
of
joint programs with the Russians and Chinese
has only been sporadically pursued.
They further note
"obvious reluctance on the part of DIA leadership
for this
Approved For Release 2004/09/09
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Approved For Release 2004/09/09
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program" and direct pursuit of liason activities and a relook
at the tight classification for the program.
It also directs
a retrospective reviow and technical analysis
of
the data
that has been produced by the program "since
its
inception
years
ago
.
3.
On
14 December,
during a briefing arranged by cms and
given by the current dia program manager,
the program was
described as an operational activity that
is accepting
requirements,
conducting remote viewing operations,
and
disseminating intelligence based on these operations.
Over
such operations had been conducted during the past year.
Staffing consists
of three remote viewers,
a program manager,
a technical advisor and a secretary.
Asked his opinion for
the reasons
the Congress had transferred the program to CIA,
the program manager stated his belief that he had failed
to
respond to previous direction to conduct objective reviews
and pursue
foreign liason activities.
He also told us
that
all
of
the program funds had been expended and that their
contractor
(SRI)
had stopped work on the R&D activities.
.
Our proposed approach in responding to the CDA is
to
conduct
a multiphase program,
beginning with the fqrmation of
a blue ribbon panel
to assess
the current program and make
recommendations
to us regarding how to proceed.
With Army
support,
we plan
to
contact
the chairman of
a panel that did
a review for
the Arny of unconventional techniques
(
including
remote viewing)
,
for enhancing human performance,
and ask him
to convene
a similar group
for our blue ribbon panel review.
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Approved For Release 2004/09/09
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5.
D/OCA described this approach
to Mr.
Ricxhard D Amato,
the
congressional staffer responsible for the language effecting
the transfer,
and Mr DAmato expressed concern about
the DIA
people,
in particular the three remote viewers,
during the
period that
the panel
is conducting our review.
Our approach
to this
is
to tell DIA that we do not need a program manager
and will provide our own technical and administrative support
for the activity.
The three operational remote viewers
should be kept
as DIA employees until
the Blue Ribbon panel
reports and our program plan
is developed.
If they are
continuing to conduct operations,
they need to use
the
tasking and dissemination methods already in place
in DIA.
6.
There are several potential issues that could arise and
need to be anticipated,
and that cause me
to raise this
subject with you at this
time. (a)
Parapsychology is a very
controversial subject
It has been studied for at least
the
£ past hundred years by many renowned scientists without
reaching any yes /no answers regarding its
scientific
validity.
We do NOT intend to ask our blue ribbon panel
to
f/i
<5 ffatt
pfirtzpSyc/t6ff£/ C&f
Cj£V* tft- ? ttti t'/-y
|
^tell uU
if there
is
or
is not anything
to
the concept]
rather
we intend to ask them to review the STARGATE ^program to
f?/
assess
its overall value
to
the USG based on intelligence
V
*?
value, (process validity]
customer satisfaction,
and foreign
assessment activity a§ directed by Congress. (b)
It
is
possible
that our panel will recommend that we do NOT proceed
with the program,
and that has
the potential
for some
controversy with our oversight committees,
(c)
If we do
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proceed with the program after blue ribbon panel
review,
we
need to plan for integration of
the dia operational
activities
into our agency.
This will
include whether or not
the DIA operations people become CIA employees and where
in
CIA this operational activity should be managed.
ILLEGIB
Approved For Release 2004/09/09
: CIA-RDP96-00791R0001 00040021-1