186. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security
Affairs (Brzezinski) to Director of Central Intelligence Turner1
SUBJECT
As you perhaps know, Bill Odom,
Bob Gates, and Carl Smith
convened to discuss your memorandum of May 7 on improving communications
and other support for managing such incidents as the recent rescue
mission. The following improvements will be made:
- —
- Two additional secure voice terminals will be installed in the
Situation Room. One already exists.
- —
- A program for increasing the number of secure lines into the
White House has been in progress for some time. As it is
completed in the coming year, the number of secure lines into
the Situation Room will increase above the present five by
several. We have recently installed a new dial directory with a
capacity for four additional lines. In emergencies we can divert
circuits to use them now.
On your recommendation that an additional private circuit from NSA be installed in the White House, we do
not have the space and personnel to support it in a mode separate from
the present terminal in the Situation Room. In crises, therefore, we
shall continue to use the present arrangement.
On maps, graphics, and other support, we shall be delighted with any
additional resources you are willing to commit to this purpose. A secure
video link in the Situation Room Conference Room allows us at present to
look at maps, charts, and other graphics in the NMCC. When we have time, however, our
procedures call for requests for actual maps and graphics from either
CIA or DOD.
On the occasion of the rescue mission2 we did not take advantage of the extant
facilities in the Situation Room Conference Room, but I believe that was
an exception, not the rule. With those capabilities and planned
improvements, the next occasion should prove easier to handle.
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Attachment
Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the
President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs
(Brzezinski)3
SUBJECT
1. During the long meeting of the NSC the night the rescue mission aborted, vital
communication with the Pentagon, State and CIA was carried out by Harold Brown and Cy Vance using the President’s
secure telephone in the Oval Office and through Bob Gates passing information to
me that he had received via the secure telephone in your office. I
think you will agree that at a time when we were so dependent on
real time information from the Pentagon, CIA and NSA, these
arrangements did not serve us well. They were neither efficient nor,
as it turned out, particularly accurate.
2. I know that you have had Bill
Odom working to improve White House crisis management
procedures, particularly with respect to nuclear conflict and other
large scale operations. Nevertheless, in keeping with our
conversation the week of the rescue attempt, I believe several
inexpensive, easy to implement changes can be made to improve
substantially communications to and from the SCC and the NSC during crises of a lower order of magnitude—such as
the rescue attempt. These might include:
- —
- Installing a secure voice conference call capability in
the Situation Room conference room. This would enable all of
us to receive information directly and simultaneously from
the NMCC, CIA and NSA, thus saving time and
improving the accuracy of information received.
- —
- Providing for permanent direct secure voice channels from
the Situation Room to the NMCC, the CIA
Operations Center, and the State Department Operations
Center. These would be helpful at any time, but I think you
will agree could prove especially useful during a crisis
situation. This would also leave available two or three or
more regular secure voice channels for principals or staff
to use.
- —
- Installation of another direct link between NSA and the Situation Room.
The existing link is used for the transmission of routine
NSA traffic. A second
channel could be used for passage of information in
extremely close hold situations (such as the rescue),
bypassing staff
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both at NSA and, if you
deemed appropriate, at the White House as well.
- —
- Arrangements should also be considered to improve CIA support to the Situation
Room in terms of rapid provision of maps, graphics and
satellite photography.
3. I recommend that you name a small, informal working group to look
into these and perhaps other modest changes that might be made to
improve communications into and out of the Situation Room during
crises. Such a group might include those who are most familiar with
the arrangements and could effect the changes without a lot of
bureaucratic red tape. Obviously, your representative (presumably
Bill Odom) should chair
the group; Bob Gates would
be my representative and perhaps it would be worthwhile to include
Harold’s assistant, Carl Smith, and others you might deem
appropriate. The group should act, in my view, as quickly as
possible. If you think this idea has merit, please ask Bill to be in
touch with Bob.4
