Opinion ID: 496195
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Reasons for Vacatur

Text: 30 Finally, as the last possible problem to which the compilation theory points, DoD argues that a knowledgeable reviewer of the TABs could make valuable and damaging inferences from the presence in the TABs of reports on related topics. This depends, of course, on how much information each of the TAB entries contains. That depends in turn on whether the TAB entries contain summaries of the reports--a question which we are unable to answer on the record as it now stands. If the TABs do contain abstracts, and if they are the parts of the TAB entries which convey damaging information, then perhaps the TABs could be disclosed after the abstracts had been deleted. On the other hand, it is possible that even the titles of the reports contain enough damaging information that their disclosure--without a summary of the report--would harm the national security. We remand so that the district court can determine which of these statements is correct. 31 AFSC's expert stated in affidavit that very few reports [whose titles are contained in TABs] are summarized, and that most TAB entries don't even contain a full abstract. Most include just a title, dates, report numbers, descriptors and other details that are not likely to shed any light on the details of the report itself. Affidavit of David T. Johnson, Director of Research, Center for Defense Information, at 2, 4-5, Appendix at A-152, A-155-56 (emphasis added). This testimony was based on Johnson's review of four of the 26 TABs released during 1983 (the first year for which AFSC has requested all TABs). 4 32 DoD's expert Paul Robey, in contrast, gave significantly different information on the number of TABs containing abstracts. Robey, who is Deputy Administrator of the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), provided the following information in his affidavit: 33 DTIC does not keep archival copies of individual TAB issues, therefore, an exact or average number of abstracts is not available. In 1983, DTIC ran a computer review of the beginning and ending sequence identifying numbers assigned to the technical reports announced in the 1983 TABs. The computer identified 12,334 numbers within the range representing 12,334 technical reports or entries. Of the 12,334 entries, 9,083 or approximately 74% included an abstract. The file from which these numbers were derived changes periodically and the numbers given here may not reflect what was originally published in the 1983 TABs. Some of the identifying numbers, known as AD numbers, may have been cancelled or replaced. 34 App. at 148-149. 35 We are unable to see how the statements by AFSC's and DoD's expert witnesses can be deemed consistent with one another. AFSC's witness says that only very few TAB entries contain abstracts. DoD's witness implies that 74% of them do so, but he actually says only that 74% of the entries in the file contain abstracts. He does not say that the entries appear in the TABs in the same form as they appear in the file upon which he bases his testimony; as noted above, the affidavit is based upon the file, not the TABs of which DTIC, Robey's agency, did not have archival copies. We are therefore not certain of the number of TABs Robey is claiming contain abstracts. But the clear implication of his affidavit is that 74% of them do so. Summary judgment on defendant's behalf can be sustained, therefore, only if this difference between the two experts is immaterial. 36 As the quotation from Abbotts makes clear, see supra p. 434, FOIA's legislative history instructs the courts to defer to DoD's judgment that the national security would be endangered by the disclosure sought here. That judgment is based on information, experience and expertise to which we are not privy, and we will not lightly override it on the basis of our own understanding of what does or does not constitute a danger to the country's security. In light of the deference to which DoD is entitled, we may be obliged to respect its judgment about the danger of disclosure even if most of the TABs do not contain abstracts. We believe, however, that it is unnecessary for us to decide that issue now. 37 Because the record is unclear at this stage as to the fraction of TABs containing abstracts, we have some difficulty concluding that there is a significant possibility that the TABs' disclosure will indeed harm the national security. We would be more comfortable deferring to DoD's judgment on this point if the record showed clearly--or if there were a factfinding--that a significant percentage of the TABs contain abstracts. If that were the case it would be much easier to understand why DoD has exercised its judgment as it has, and we would doubtless be obliged to affirm the judgment on DoD's behalf. We will therefore vacate the grant of summary judgment and remand to the district court to permit resolution of the disagreement between plaintiff's and defendant's expert on the issue of the percentage of TABs containing abstracts, and if it appears that it is small, what danger there may be of disclosure in that event. 5 See also discussion supra at p. 446 & nn. 2, 3.