SUBJECT: RECAP OF RECENT CLASSIFICATION/DECLASSIFICATION DECISIONS (U)
1. (U) IN KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 12958 AND BECAUSE OF PUBLIC INTEREST IN SPECIFIC EVENTS, NSA WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY REVIEWING ITS POLICY WITH RESPECT TO THE NEED FOR CONTINUED CLASSIFICATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION. OVER THE PAST YEAR, SEVERAL POLICY DETERMINATIONS WERE MADE THAT IMPACT THE CLASSIFICATION/DECLASSICATION OF INFORMATION. THESE DECISIONS WERE MADE BY WEIGHING THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO ACCESS WITH NSA'S NEED TO PROTECT CURRENT CRYPTOLOGIC SOURCES AND METHODS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO INFORM YOU OF THESE CHANGES AND TO ALERT YOU TO THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE CHANGES TO COME AS NSA STRIVES TO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATION'S COMMITMENT TO MORE OPENNESS.
2. (U) THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF ACTIONS TAKEN:
B. (U) DECLASSIFIED THE "FACT OF" TARGETING THE CUBAN INTELLIGENCE NETWORK (CIN) UP TO 1963. DETAILS REMAIN CLASSIFIED.
C. (U) DECLASSIFIED THE "FACT OF" TARGETING SOVIET FORCES IN CUBA UP TO 1963. DETAILS REMAIN CLASSIFIED.
D. (U) DECLASSIFIED THE "FACT OF" SIGINT TARGETING OF COUNTERINTELLIGENCE, INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME, AND ALIEN SMUGGLING, DETAILS REMAIN CLASSIFIED.
E. (U) DECLASSIFIED THE "FACT OF" TARGETING IRAQI COMMUNICATIONS DURING DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, COVERING THE PERIOD 2 AUGUST 1990 - 3 MARCH 1991.
F. (C) THE "FACT OF" NSA'S PRESENCE AT MENWITH HILL STATION (MHS) IS UNCLASSIFIED. THE "FACT OF" [approx. four words deleted] WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROTECTED AT THE CONFIDENTIAL LEVEL.
G. (U) NSA ALPHA-NUMERIC ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGNATORS ARE NOW UNCLASSIFIED.
H. (U) THE TERMS GAMMA, VRK, AND TALENT-KEYHOLE ARE UNCLASSIFIED WHEN STANDING ALONE OR IN ASSOCIATION WITH SIGINT. GAMMA, VRK, AND TALENT-KEYHOLE INFORMATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROTECTED AT THOSE LEVELS.
B. (U) DECLASSIFIED THE "FACT OF" OVERHEAD SIGINT COLLECTION TO INCLUDE COMINT, ELINT, AND FISINT. THIS DECISION APPLIES ONLY TO THE "FACT OF" SIGINT COLLECTION AND NOT TO ANY DETAILS OF SYSTEMS, PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, DATA, AND/OR OPERATIONS.
5. (U) FOR YOUR INFORMATION, A VIDEO AND HANDBOOK HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO ASSIST YOU IN CARRYING OUT YOUR CLASSIFICATION RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER TtIE EXECUTIVE ORDER EITHER AS AN ORIGINAL OR DERIVATIVE CLASSIFIER. A COPY OF THE VIDEO CAN BE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST AND THE HANDBOOK, "CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT MARKING REQUIREMENTS" CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBWORLD DDP HOMEPAGE, HTTP://WWW.N.NSA/DDP/CLASS-HANDBOOK.PDF. ADDITIONALLY, THE NSA/CSS CLASSIFICATION MANUAL 123-2 WAS COMPLETELY REVISED AND IS BEING PREPARED IN ITS FINAL DRAFT FORM FOR FORMAL COORDINATION. A MID-SUMMER 97 PUBLICATION OF THE REVISED MANUAL IS EXPECTED.
6. (U) TO ENSURE THAT ALL ARE KEPT INFORMED, WE WILL ROUTINELY ISSUE UPDATES VIA MESSAGE AS WELL AS ANNOUNCE BY WAY OF POLICY-ON-LINE ANY FUTURE POLICY DECISIONS CONCERNING CLASSIFICATION/DECLASSIFICATION. POLICY ON-LINE CAN BE FOUND ON WEBWORLD POL HOMEPAGE, HTTP://WWW.N.NSA/POLICY/.
REL: JAMES P. CAVANAUGH, C/N5P, 963-3083S
DIST: N5P, N5P5, N5P6, P02, S5, S54