Presidential Transition 2001: NSA Briefs a New Administration" Reviewed for Declassification
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This document is made available through the declassification efforts and research of John Greenewald, Jr., creator of: The Black Vault The Black Vault is the largest online Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) document clearinghouse in the world. The research efforts here are responsible for the declassification of hundreds of thousands of pages released by the U.S. Government & Military. Discover the Truth at: http://www.theblackvault.com 1111111111111111111111111111111111 UNCLASSIFIED 1111111111111111111111 Request 10: 0000954449 TRANSMITTAL OF MATERIAL Type: OMAL 1111111111111111111111 Submitted- 20190130 TO FROM (RETURN ADDRESS) MR. JOHN GREENEWALD, JR. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE This transmittal may NOT be downgraded upon removal of the 27305 W. LIVE OAK ROAD NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY enclosure(s). SUITE #1203 9800 SAVAGE ROAD This transmittal may NOT be declassified upon removal of the CASTAIC, CA 91384 FORT MEADE MARYLAND 20755-6000 enclosurejs). PHN#: (800)456-2228 ATTN : RAMSEY,VICKI LYNN WRAPPED COMSEC SUBMITTED SUITE: 6881 lRlu Os Do DYES IRl NO 20190130 SHIPPING MODE PACKAGE CT USPS - First Class 1 of 1 LN# UNCLASSIFIED TITLEIDESCRIPTION OF ITEM QTY TOT COST MFG SERIAL# BARCODE CLASS. OF ITEM 1 SERIAL: MDR-103569, DATED 28 JANUARY L 0 UNCLASSIFIED 2019 SERIAL: MDR-103570, DATED 29 JANUARY 2019 DESIG ACCT TYPE PAS STATEMENT APPROVAL CPODIR NO NA Not Applicable SPECIAL HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS (UNCLASSIFIED) ~ REQUESTED BY ORG PHONE RAMSEY,VICKI LYNN (VLRAMSE) SI\flf1; 1?i1MiJlb P133 (301)688-7785 UNCLASSIFIED v U. DO NOT STAMP RECEIPT PORTION WITH CLASSIFICATION f---------- - ----------------- - - ----- RECEIPT 1111111111111111111111111111111111 (Please sign and return immediately. Avoid tracer action) 1111111111111111111111 ReauestlO: 0000954449 Tvee: OMAL RETURN TO FROM Receipt is hereby acknowledged for the material or documents listed under DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MR . JOHN GREENEWALD, JR. this Request 10 NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY 27305 W. LIVE OAK ROAD 9800 SAVAGE ROAD SUITE #1203 SID (Typed or Printed) DATE RECEIVED FORT MEADE MARYLAND 20755-6000 CASTAIC, CA 91384 ATTN : RAMSEY,VICKI LYNN PHN#: (800)456-2228 SUITE: 6881 NAME (Typed or Printed) SIGNATURES NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYlAND 20755-6000 Serial: MDR-I03570 29 January 2019 Mr. John Greenewald, Jr. 27305 W. Live Oak Rd. Suite #1203 Castaic, Ca. 91384 Dear Mr. Greenewald: This letter responds to your request of 8 February 2018 to have "Presidential Transition 2001: NSA Briefs a New Administration" reviewed for declassification. The material has been reviewed under the Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) requirements of Executive Order (E.O.) 13526 and is enclosed. Some portions deleted from the document were found to be currently and properly classified in accordance with E.O. 13526. The information denied meets the criteria for classification as set forth in Section 1.4 subparagraph (c) and remains classified TOP SECRET, SECRET, and CONFIDENTIAL as provided in Section 1.2 ofE.O. 13526. Section 3.5 (c) ofE.O. 13526, allows for the protection afforded to information under the provisions oflaw. Therefore, the names ofNSAlCSS employees and information that would reveal NSAlCSS functions and activities have been protected in accordance with Section 6, Public Law 86-36 (50 U.S. Code 3605, formerly 50 U.S. Code 402 note). Please be advised that some information in the requested document includes other government agency's equities. We coordinated our review with that agency and their responses are incorporated into the document. The information denied by that agency meets the criteria for classification as set forth in Section 1.4 subparagraph (c) and Section 6.2 (d) ofE.O. 13526 and remains protected and/or classified SECRET as provided in the Executive Order. Since your request for declassification has been denied you are hereby advised of this Agency' s appeal procedures. Any person denied access to information may file an appeal to the NSAlCSS MDR Appeal Authority. The appeal must be postmarked no later than 60 calendar days after the date of the denial letter. The appeal shall be in writing addressed to the NSAlCSS MDR Appeal Authority (PI33), National Security Agency, 9800 Savage Road, STE 6881, Fort George G. Meade, MD 20755-6881. The appeal shall reference the initial denial of access and shall contain, in sufficient detail and particularity, the grounds upon which the requester believes the release of information is required. The NSAlCSS MDR Appeal Authority will endeavor to respond to the appeal within 60 working days after receipt of the appeal. Sincerely, JOSEPH DEMATTEI Chief Declassification Services Encl: a/s 2004 TOP SI!!Cft:I!!T1leOMIN'fiIX1 .... ;-' . ' "~, ~. .. .,:-\ ",: .' ~ .~ , , ~ .. ' ;:.. .~. ' . lOP SeCI\elJlCOMII4T"XI (U) Presidential Transition 2001: NSA Briefs a New Administration Da\-id A. Hatch (U) INTRODUCTION gence. She or he may also require briefings on the capabilities of the various intelligence organiza (U) The American electoral process retains tions. It was (and is) important that a new presi many vestiges reflecting its eighteenth century dent learn what the intelligence community will origins. In the age of supersonic transport and e be able to do for her or him - and what it will not. mail, U.S. citizens select their national leadership on a timetable derived from the speed ofcarriages (U) Two senior CIA officials who were and town criers. involved with more than one presidential transi tion commented drolly, "Our experience with a (U) The most contentious vestige in the number of administrations was that they started process is the electoral college, a scheme which with the expectation that intelligence could solve allots votes to each state on the basis of popula every problem, or that it could not do anything tion; the actual determinant of a presidential right, and then moved to the opposite view. Then election is not the nation's popular vote, but the they settled down and vacillated from one votes of the electoral college. extreme to the other."' (U) In addition to a lengthy period of pre-elec (U) The officials of a new administration get tion campaigning, the process is marked by a two "bombarded" with information - a lot of it and and one-half month gap between election day and quickly presented. Moreover, once they take the inauguration of a new president. Presidential office, the press of current problems often pre elections take place on the first Tuesday (after the cludes general or background briefings. From a first Monday) of November, and inauguration federal agency's standpoint, it is therefore desir day is January 20 (or January 21 if the 20th falls able to reach these new officers early, before a on a Sunday).* barrage of other briefings dilutes the effect of the message or prevents any meeting with them (U) This gap, although it allows a "lame duck" at all. administration to continue in office, has positive aspects to it. For one thing, it gives a new presi (U/~ In the past, in the transition peri dent more time to select his cabinet secretaries ods following elections, the Central Intelligence and other senior officials. The gap also enables Agency has been the manager for general orienta the Senate to hold hearings on these senior nom tions about the foreign intelligence community inations, and thus speed the confirmation and for specific, classified briefings on topics of process. concern to the incoming administration. (U) During this gap the new president will (U) In 2000 the National Security Agency, for have regular access to heretofore secret intelli the first time, decided to engage more actively in * (U) Even at two and one-half months, this is somewhat shortened from the original eighteenth century schedule; until the 1930s, inauguration day was in March. ?OIl3eel\ETlJ'eOMINfN)(1 Page 1 TO,. Sl!elt!TheeMlfffl'/i(l the presidential transition briefing process. The issues for NSA were not small. For those in the new administration for whom this would be the first exposure to cryptology, a briefing would be an important factor in determining how they would interact with NSA (Uj~ Even those with prior exposure to the intelligence community and NSA needed to know the recent ongoing changes occurring in the cryptologic community. (U) Tbis is the story of the election of 2000, NSA's period of change, and its participation in the transition activities for the new Bush admin istration. (U)BRIEFINGA NEWADMINISTRATION President Dwight D. Eisenhower (U) Traditionally, there have been two aspects the new president and his prior experience of the of executive-level briefings. First, since the elec intelligence community.3 tion of 1952, when President Harry Truman directed that it be done, the CIA has given intelli (U) For example, after the election of 1960, gence briefings to candidates from both major CIA officials scheduled a general briefing on r;:::l parties during the election campaign. sources and clearances for John Kennedy, since .~ I neither his wartime service nor congressional (U) In this process, the CIA sought from the career had included interaction with the.· beginning to ensure that both candidates received intelligence community.4 On the other hand; equal treatment in the numbers of briefings and President-elect George H. W. Bush in 1988 types of material provided. However, during the required no general briefings, since he had ~rved campaign of 1952, Dwight Eisenhower's briefings as Director of Central Intelligence.