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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:

3. (U) THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (DCI) APPROVED THE FOLLOWING CLASSIFICATION/DECLASSIFICATION DECISIONS:

4. (U) FINAL IMPLEMENTATION OF DCID 1/7 IS ON HOLD PENDING THE RESOLUTION OF SEVERAL ISSUES. GUIDANCE PROVIDED IN P052-004-96, 121227Z JUN 96 REMAINS IN EFFECT.

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


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