DRAFT
MINUTES
SECURITY POLICY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING
12 DECEMBER 1997
MARRIOTT HOTEL, TYSONS CORNER, VA
1. On 12 December 1997, a public meeting of the Security Policy Advisory
Board was held at the Marriott Hotel in Tysons Corner, VA. Board Chairman General
Larry Welch, USAF (Ret.) presided with board members Ms. Nina Stewart and Rear
Admiral Thomas Brooks, USN (Ret.) present. Mr. Dan Jacobson, Director, Security
Policy Board Staff, and Mr. Terry Thompson, Responsible Federal Officer, were also
present. Numerous members of the public were also in attendance and participated.
AGENDA ITEMS:
2. The meeting was opened by Mr. Thompson who welcomed all in attendance and
introduced the Board. General Welch then discussed the purpose of the Security
Policy Advisory Board. He outlined the first annual Advisory Board report to the
President and the recommendations contained therein. He noted that the policy
making process is slow and cumbersome at best and consequently certain
recommendations should be implemented as soon as is possible to alleviate some of
this unwieldiness. The merger of the DCII and OPM databases, a recommendation of
the Joint Security Commission, is close to implementation and the Board encourages a
rapid finalization of that merger. General Welch indicated that fee for service was/is
also recommended to restrain demand for clearances-- which has been excessive. He
also re-emphasized the importance of establishing a single set of standards for Special
Access Programs. At the time of the submission of the SPAB Annual Report little
progress in this arena was noted; since then, however, a working group has been
established and it has attacked the problem aggressively.
3. General Welch concluded by emphasizing the need to sharpen the focus on a
limited set of objectives in the upcoming year. We need to develop sophisticated
implementation strategies to attain our objectives and move forward with the final
implementation of the remaining JSC recommendations.
SII DCII DATABASE LINKAGE
4. Ms. Marjorie Munson, Director, Defense Security Service, formerly the Defense
Investigative Service, then addressed the issue of linking the DOD and OPM
databases. She stated that as far back as 1990, access to the DCII was made
available to OPM and other agencies with the need to know. There was, however, no
unified structure established at that time due to a lack of funding. One of the major
issues confronting the current effort to link the databases was both technical and
content differences between the two databases. For example, the SII shows only
information pertinent to the background investigation while the DCII contains clearance
information. In addition, data protection issues, such as personnel security
requirements for access to the combined database had to be addressed. Those
obstacles have now been resolved. The application of this linked database will include
rapid clearance verification and certifications for visits to controlled sites-- to name a
few. The Board expressed its concern that, upon full implementation, security
professionals should be made fully aware of the resource and be required to utilize it.
This should reduce, inter alia, the necessity for duplicate completion of security forms--
which unfortunately has too often been the case. Ms. Munson then indicated the
linkage will be accomplished by 1 January 1998 and become fully operational by 1
March 1998.
ADVISORY BOARD COMMENTARY
5. The Board strongly supports this work and urges rapid and full implementation by 1
March 1998. The Board also strongly recommends that security professionals be
required to make full use of the database, especially as an initial central reference point
in the clearance process.
SPECIAL ACCESS PROGRAM STANDARDS
6. Dr. John Elliff, Director, Controlled Access Program Coordination Office, and Mr.
Dick Williams, Director, Special Programs, OSD (Policy), then discussed the topic of
establishing a single standard for special access programs. They began by stating the
working group was created in August of 1997 and has as its primary objective the
accomplishment of a single set of standards within one year. The working group has
already established a single set of standards for DOD SAPs which include uniform
requirements for three levels of SAPs. The intelligence community functions under the
DCI's statutory authority to protect sources and methods and consequently DCI
Directives (DCIDs) have provided the basis for current SCI standards within the
intelligence community. The working group is seeking to maximize reciprocity across
SCI compartments and DOD SAPs.
7. The working group is also addressing, via its Personnel Security Working Group,
the issue of personnel security reciprocity. This working group has isolated four
elements as a framework for dealing with the issue: reciprocity criteria, development of
common understandings of national standards for investigation and adjudication across
agencies and programs, the need for common adjudicative training and the need for
common data base elements. These issues are exceptionally complex and require
innovative, non-simplistic solutions-- which the working group is actively pursuing.
8. The accomplishments of the working group to date include agreement on a single
security standard for DOD SAPs, development of a framework for access reciprocity,
formation of a process improvement committee to manage conflicts, request for
clarification of the SAP provisions of EO 12968 and a proposal for new NSC guidance
on the approval of SAPs. The long range goal of the working group is a complete
response to the Secrecy Commission recommendation by April 1998.
ADVISORY BOARD COMMENTARY
9. The Board strongly endorses the effort of the working group, applauds the forward
movement and urges continued intense focus to bring much needed coherent
standards to this area.
10. Mr. Thompson then began a discussion of the newly reinvigorated Project
Slammer. The project was originally begun in the mid-eighties as a research endeavor
which consisted of voluntary interviews with incarcerated spies and subsequent
analysis of the data. The effort was essentially de-funded in the early nineties and
consequently lost impetus. Nevertheless, there are currently extant several Slammer
papers and tapes which are used throughout the security community. Those analyses
deal with the essential and multi-faceted motivational patterns underlying espionage.
Future Slammer analyses will focus on newly developing issues in espionage such as
the role of money, the new dimensions of loyalty and what seems to be a developing
trend toward economic espionage.
11. Currently, a working group has been formed to pursue the following objectives:
obtain funding, perform analysis of existing but largely unexamined Slammer data,
establish a Slammer database to be used by cleared community researchers and
develop a course for security and counterintelligence professionals. Start up costs are
estimated at under one half million dollars and an ongoing budget is projected at less
than a quarter million per year. An initial Slammer briefing, which will provide the basis
for the development of the full Slammer course, is already in the final stages and the
first offering of that briefing will take place on April 3, 1998 at the NRO auditorium. All
are welcome, especially senior level management.
12. The ultimate objective of this endeavor is a clearer understanding of the dynamics
of espionage and an incorporation of that enhanced understanding into government
and industry security programs.
ADVISORY BOARD COMMENTARY
The Board believes Project Slammer is of continuing value to the national security.
There was no further discussion and Mr. Thompson closed the meeting at 1530 hours.
