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Telecon this morning concerning any OSA activities which could put the Agency into an embarrassing situation.

7 May 1973

MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Science and Technology

1. There are no missions which we have flown during the last four years with which I can associate the result directly to any activity potentially embarrassing to the Agency. There were a number of missions flown that indirectly have the potential for this embarrassment. Bear in mind that once we turn the film over to NPIC or any other agency, we have no control over subsequent distribution.

2. The missions listed on the attachment are in three categories:

a. Category A: These are missions flown in the U.S. that are very similar to the potential that you discussed with me using the example of the Santa Barbara oil disaster.

b. Category B: The [...] (detection of illicit poppy grove) is a separate category because of the high sensitivity of this subject.

c. Category C: When we were developing LONG SHAFT, the [...] In effect, we were [...] Although to our knowledge nothing sensitive was picked up, in the broad sense this activity could be labeled illegal.

3. I have specifically looked to see where our U-2's were operating during the Watergate break-in discovery, Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention. All the above events occurred in the East and our aircraft on their missions during this time period was in the western part of the U.S.

WENDELL L. BEVAN, JR.
Brigadier General, USAF
Director of Special Activities


TASKBY WHOM/WHENPOSSIBLE IMPLICATION
CATEGORY A
Santa Barbara Oil DisasterDept. of Interior. Feb 1969.Potential for providing basis for criminal law suits. Pressure on oil company to change operation.
HILLTOPORD/NASA Earth Resources Programs. Spring/Fall 1969Possible use for industrial exploitation. Crop production control & estimates future market.
Snow SurveyEnvironmental Science Services Administration (ESSA), Dept. of Commerce thru COMIREX. Spring 1969.Industrial exploitation. Water resource allocation.
Hurricane Base LineOffice of Economic Preparedness. Spring 1970.Political leverage for disaster area funds.
Earthquake DamageSelf generated, NPIC processed. Feb 1971.Political leverage. Criminal negligence suits. Reconstruction exploitation.
Minneapolis - Kansas CityOSI/AEC Division. Jan - Mar 1972.Environmental applications, urban planning; exploitation.
RIVER BOATNRO - ICRS. April 1973.Political leverage. Industrial exploitation, civil damage suits.
West Virginia Dam Site CoverageNRO - Army Corps of Engineers. Jan/Feb 1973.Potential for real estate exploitation, water control.
CATEGORY B
(Puerto Rico), Multi Spectral SensorBNDD, DDI/CIA, NPIC, ORD. Dept. of Agriculture. Fall 1972.CIA extension of dope trafficking from SEA to CONUS. Better techniques to avoid detection of growth.
CATEGORY C
LONG SHAFTNSA/CIA COMINT collection.[redacted]

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