Tbe Director of Ceatral IntellieenceHOS
Intelligence Council
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Charles E. Waterman
Vice Chairman, National Intelligence Council
David D. Cries
National Intelligence Officer for Narcotics
Meeting of the Executive Board of NNBIS
Vice President chaired theecember meeting. Also present were Wnnral Murphy Secretary Regan, Deputy Secretary Thayer. Counselor Derwinski, Asst. Attorney General Jenson, White House Drug Advisorepresentative from the Department of Transportation, and the heads of each of the six regional NNBIS Centers.
Four of the regional heads lamented the absence of national intelligence in the Centers; allhortage of intelligence of all kinds. Several regional heads also regretted CIA's reluctance to assign personnel to the Centers as| ^as doing (in Miami and New Orleans).
When the Vice President asked whether CIA had solved the problem of transferring narcotics Intelligence reports to theesponded that the problem was internally solved in CIA and approved by CIA's General Counsel, but was held up at Justice, where considerations of pretrial discovery had led to further study. The Vice President asked Lowell Jenson Tor comments, and Jenson responded that Justice remained concerned about protecting sources and methodshought that was ourut hopedolution soon. After thesked Jenson if Justice couldeadline for rendering an opinion, and he agreed to
Comment: Although we cannot minimize the risks that discovery motions fosf.t0ods Protection, the very reports we would like to pass to tne NNBIS Centers in sanitized form are already being passed to each of the parent agencies of NNBIS in unsanitized form. Theseinrillfl> law enforcement organizations like Customs, OEA, Coast Guard, and the FBI. Thus, our reports have always been at risk regarding discovery motions. It seems to me that Justice Is treating an old problemand one that can never be completely solvedas if It were something new and threatening. Stan iporkm apparentlyimilar opinion.
APPROVED (OR RELEASE DATE:?
I thinkould be useful if youade an appointment to explain our situation in detail to Murphy and his people. The following points could be made:
mt
As soon as Justice renders an opinion, CIA willegal basis for sending reports to NNBIS.
We must then find an electrical, enciphered channel for doing so. Possibilities under examination include Coast Guard circuitsircuit through the White House Situation Room.
CIA has sound legal reasons for not assigning staff personnel to the Centers. Our legal counsel has reviewed this issue several times and finds that personnel assigned to the Centers could not remain separate from ongoing law enforcement cases to the extent required by Executive.
Nor should CIA staff personnel be assigned to the NNBIS coordinating staffhe Vice President's office. The General Counsel has the same objection to this proposal as to assignment of personnel to the Centers. However, CIA annuitants, if under contract to other agencies, perhaps could be transferred to the Vice President's office for this purpose.
A team the six Centers to give repTrrT^^nTO^TTrr"- training and help develop procedures for intelligence handling. 8efore completion this project will encompass all six Centers.
If you agree, I'll try to set something up with Murphy's office for January.
A few other points are worth mentioning. Murphy presented an overview in which heosy picture of Interagency cooperation and forward movement in NNBIS. Is he unaware of the real attitude towards the Centers of
APPROVED FOR RELEASE
most of the agencies? Nevertheless, he continued, there Is more cocaine on the streets than when the South Florida Task Force was establishednd the Centers went .into business. This probablylut which in turn has caused the price to drop and the purity to
difficult for traffickers.
David D. Gries
UPPIOVlDFOIflHUSI MTtFUZII?
Original document.
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