Approvecor'Rele$e 2004/09/09 : CIA-RDP96-00791R00010003002-0
 Confidential
 MEMO FOR:
 FROM:
 SUBJECT:
 ExDir/Comptroller
 Director ORD
 Recent Interactions with NRC re Star Gate Review:
 Proposed Date for Final Conclusions
 SG1I            Dear
 1.  During ORD's recent meeting with National Research
 Council      (NRC) management, we were informed that on 16 May its
 governing board will formally consider the Agency's request
 to conduct an unclassified retrospective review of the Star
 Gate program.   While we believe that approval is likely, it
 is not automatic;   The NRC historically does not typically
 engage in studies for intelligence community, nor is the NRC
 is being tasked directly by Congress in this instance which
 would be more compelling. However,  it is clear that the NRC
 is both interested and highly capable of performing the Star
 Gate review directed to CIA in the recent CDA.   Furthermore,
 because of the controversial nature of this study, and in
 accordance with the NRC's careful and conservative procedures
 for review and publication,  the likely date of final
 publication of its conclusions would be between February and
 May of 1996. While the NRC provides progress reports,  it does
 not release interim reports relating to the study's probable
 conclusions.
 2. ORD continues to believe that among the existing
 bodies of technical reviewers, only the NRC,  the working arm
 of the National Academy of Sciences, has the current
 expertise and objectivity to provide a persuasive review of
 investigations relating to paranormal phenomena.   More
 importantly, it is one of the few technical organizations
 having sufficient standing within Congress to impact the
 ultimate sponsorship of the Star Gate program, which appears
 at this point to be primarily Congressional.   We cannot
 accomplish the restructuring of the Star Gate program in a
 logical or productive way without completing the NRC review.
 3.  D/ORD originally clarified the need for a Blue Ribbon
 Panel of Star Gate prior to program in his memo to the ExDir
 of [...]     CIA submitted a formal response the CDA which was
 hand delivered to Congress 24 March.  This response contained
 a Terms of Reference for ORD's management of the Star Gate
 program transfer specifying our choice of the NRC to conduct
 the Blue Ribbon Panel review.   D/ORD subsequently met with
 Approved For Release 200410910(IP96-00791 R000100030032-0
 Approved For Release 2004/09/0; CIA-RDP96-00791R000100030032-0
 Con iaential
 Mr.   Dick D'Amato  (SAC)  regarding the Terms of Reference and
 discussed the NRC's basic approach.   It was stated at that
 meeting that the NRC would not conclude its review by 1 July,
 but that CIA itself would provide some type of interim
 progress report regarding the program evaluation.   It was
 clear that D'Amato did not want to delay the program
 transfer, however, he approved of the NRC approach.
 4. Star Gate has had several incarnations in various
 government agencies.   Congress has proposed relocating and
 restructuring Star Gate three times in the last five years.
 Without a persuasive technical review, ORD can only speculate
 as to what the appropriate management strategy should be for
 the program.   Therefore, we wish to inform you that we will
 proceed in engaging the NRC despite the fact it may take
 nearly one year for them to publish their final conclusions.
 We  strongly believe that the value of having the NRC perform
 the twenty-year retrospective review outweighs the
 inconvenience of not restructuring the program until these
 results are available.
 Approved For Release 200ddtk96-00791 R000100030032-0