MEETING WITH DICK D'AMATO RE STARGATE TRANSFER

CIA-STARGATE

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This document is a memo discussing a meeting between Dick D'Amato (SAC), representatives from CIA's Stargate program, and other officials. D'Amato expressed frustration with the past management of the program by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and emphasized the need for a timely transfer of the program to the CIA. He was concerned about losing talented viewers and wanted to ensure that they do not "languish at DIA." The memo also touches on the declassification process and the development of a management strategy for the program. D'Amato showed approval for the steps taken to declassify certain aspects of the program. Further discussion revolved around the NRC review and the deadline for completing it. D'Amato wanted assurances that the transfer process would not take forever and expressed frustration with DIA's lack of support for the program. The memo mentions that D'Amato did not want the viewers to remain at DIA and indicated that a decision about their location would be addressed later. Overall, the memo provides insight into the concerns and priorities surrounding the transfer of the Stargate program from DIA to CIA.

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Body:  Approved For Release 2004/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00791 R000100030030-2
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 MEMO FOR:
 SG1I         FROM:
 SUBJECT:
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 SG1 B
 Meeting with Dick D'Amato re Star Gate Transfer
 n attendance were Dick D'Amato  (SAC),
 (ORD),                       I(OPA), and
 Office)
 I (D/ORD),~
 (Comptrol er's
 Dick D'Amato's major concerns expressed at the 27 Mar meeting
 in his office were:
 -frustration with DIA past management of the program
 -not to have this DIA-CIA transfer take forever
 -not to lose talent of viewers or have them "languish at DIA".
 -that the contractor was advancing operational viewing
 techniques and not the government broaram nersonne1
 We described the main activities involved in our response the
 CDA,  i.e.,  Blue Ribbon Panel  (BRP)  review,  declassification,  and
 the subsequent development of a management strategy.    We brought
 him up to date on the status of the BRP,  told him that we had
 contacted the NRC, that they had chosen four experts (2-
 proponents,  2-critics) which the NRC would commission to write
 papers and then review using a panel of six NRC members.       We
 talked about the declassification of ORD's early program and CIA
 sponsorship of the activity.   We mentioned discussions with CIA
 CSI on the issue.   We said that we had sent a memo to DIA
 requesting further declassification from them.   We stated that our
 management strategy could not be written until we had learned more
 about the program.
 Here is a recap of some of the specific items discussed:
 He said little about the NRC review, no real reaction
 except tacit approval. He did ask whether the NRC committee
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 Approved For Release 2004/09/6F-CfRDP96-00791 R000100030030-2
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 Approved For Release 2004/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00791 R000100030030-2
 Secret
 would be finished by July.          We promised that we would have
 something for Congress in the way of a proposed management
 plan by July, but that in all honesty,  the NRC committee
 probably would not be finished until later.  He  did seem
 overly concerned with the deadline, he wanted assurances that
 this would not take forever.
 He said that the push to declassify was not so much to
 get us into cooperative programs, although it would
 facilitate that.   He felt that some parts of the program
 would have to remain classified, such as targets, names,
 sources, and methods.  He agreed that a lot of it could be
 declassified and seemed to approve of our steps in that
 direction.
 much further and said that currently we have no way to task
 them, get requirements, or disseminate the results of their
 activities. Since DIA has all of this in place we prefer the
 leave the people at DIA where they can continue to be
 productive.
 He didn't have much to say about the general R&D.
 We agreed to keep him in the loop, he said he wanted that.
 make that decision right now.                amplified this point      JL II
 D'Amato said that he was frustrated with DIA, that DIA
 had not supported the program over the years, but that it was
 Trish Keenan who had suggested that it be moved to CIA.  He
 said that the current program manager at DIA was part of the
 problem.
 He didn't mention specific people at Ft. Meade, but did
 say he did not want this DIA-CIA transfer take forever.  Main
 reason is that the he didn't want to lose talent of viewers
 or have them "languish at DIA". He did indicate that he would
 put "something in the language in the fall" about this,
 however without elaboration.   Didn't make a big deal about
 the 500K or  10 billets,  though obviously concerned about the
 ultimate status of the viewers. He asked specifically whether
 these people would be physically located at CIA.   I said I
 couldn't answer it at this time, but that these people would
 --+-   ,,.,.,,.,-; -  -+-  nTA  ; f ('T7 uiarim i- 1    t-HPm _  hiii- that we couldn't
 Approved For Release 2004/09/0PVFR--RDP96-00791 R000100030030-2