This redacted and declassified high level memo outlining the linkage of the Digital Wiretap bill and the Clipper initiative in the Bush administration was recently obtained by EPIC (http://www.epic.org) as the result of an FOIA request. I tried to keep the original spacing and relative lengths of blacked-out areas. Jim Gillogly 7 Wedmath S.R. 1996, 05:02 ___________________________________________________________________ UNCLASSIFIED stamped over TOP SECRET THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 17, 1991 [sic] MEMORANDUM FOR THE HONORABLE DICK CHENEY Secretary of Defense THE HONORABLE WILLIAM P. BARR Attorney General THE HONORABLE ROBERT M. GATES Director of Central Intelligence SUBJECT: Legislative Strategy for Digital Telephony (S) On December 30, 1991, I sent to the President a memorandum seeking his approval for a legislative strategy for digital telephony. The substance of that memorandum is attached. On January 15, 1992, he approved the following course of action: - Justice should go ahead now to seek a legislative fix to the digital telephony problem, and all parties should prepare to follow through on the encryption problem in about a year. Success with digital telephony will lock in one major objective; we will have a beachhead we can exploit for the encryption fix; and the encryption access options can be developed more thoroughly in the meantime. (TS) <signed> Brent Scowcroft Attachment <stamped> Declassified/Released on <handwritten> 6/28/96 under provisions of E.O. 12958 by J. Saunders, National Security Council UNCLASSIFIED stamped over UNCLASSIFIED stamped over TOP SECRET TOP SECRET Declassifiy on: OADR ___________________________________________________________________ [Attachment: XXXX replaces blacked-out portions] UNCLASSIFIED stamped over TOP SECRET <stamped>THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN <handwritten> 1-15-92 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON <stamped> December 29, 1991 31 DEC 30 P3:00 ACTION MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT FROM: BRENT SCOWCROFT <initials> SUBJECT: Legislative strategy for Digital Telephony Purpose <handwritten> EO To approve a legislative remedy to looming problems for law 12958 enforcement XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 1.5 (C) Background XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXxXXXXXXXXXXXXX Analog technology allows interception of a single communication <written> through a tap on the target's line XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Same XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Digital technology simultaneously intermingles thousands of pieces of information on the line XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXe XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The best solution to this problem is to obtain legislation which ensures the cooperation of the telephone commXXXXXXXX providing access to target communications XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX All Same agencies agree with this legislative approach and that we should do it fairly soon. Preliminary soundings on the Hill suggest there is a reasonable chance of success even though these kinds of issues raise "civil liberties" issues with the attendant political fireworks. A timely legislative vehicle is the FCC Authorization Bill which has passed the House and awaits action in the Senate. We expect the Senate to take it up in January. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX <written> XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX <stamp> Partially Declassified/Released 6/28/96 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX under provisions of <illegible> by J. Saunders, National Security Council UNCLASSIFIED stamped over UNCLASSIFIED stamped over cc: Vice President TOP SECRET TOP SECRET Chief of Staff Declassifiy on: OADR ___________________________________________________________________ UNCLASSIFIED stamped over 2 <written> TOP SECRET Delibera... Materi... <written> Deliberative Material XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The Justice view is that we should carefully press ahead and try to obtain a solution now. Justice contends that the costs of waiting (loss of access and the cost to recoup) are growing rapidly, and an attempt to fix it now is worth the political risks. RECOMMENDATION XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX Therefore, I recommend you give Justice the go-ahead to seek a fix to the digital telephony problem and direct all the parties to prepare to follow through on encryption in about a year. <checked> I prefer first to / meet with senior Approve __V___ Disapprove ______ advisors to discuss ______ <initials, underlined> GB UNCLASSIFIED stamped over UNCLASSIFIED stamped over TOP SECRET TOP SECRET ___________________________________________________________________ Transcribed by: ---- Jim Gillogly 7 Wedmath S.R. 1996, 05:02