95-5050. Release of Imagery Acquired by Space-Based National Intelligence Reconnaissance Systems  

  • [Federal Register Volume 60, Number 39 (Tuesday, February 28, 1995)]
    [Presidential Documents]
    [Pages 10789-10790]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 95-5050]
    
    
    
    
    
                            Presidential Documents 
    
    
    
    Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 39 / Tuesday, February 28, 1995 / 
    Presidential Documents
    
    ____________________________________________________________________
    
    Title 3--
    The President  
    [[Page 10789]] 
    
    
                    Executive Order 12951 of February 22, 1995
    
                    
    Release of Imagery Acquired by Space-Based 
                    National
                    Intelligence Reconnaissance Systems
    
                    By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                    Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                    America and in order to release certain scientifically 
                    or environmentally useful imagery acquired by space-
                    based national intelligence reconnaissance systems, 
                    consistent with the national security, it is hereby 
                    ordered as follows:
    
                    Section 1. Public Release of Historical Intelligence 
                    Imagery. Imagery acquired by the space-based national 
                    intelligence reconnaissance systems known as the 
                    Corona, Argon, and Lanyard missions shall, within 18 
                    months of the date of this order, be declassified and 
                    transferred to the National Archives and Records 
                    Administration with a copy sent to the United States 
                    Geological Survey of the Department of the Interior 
                    consistent with procedures approved by the Director of 
                    Central Intelligence and the Archivist of the United 
                    States. Upon transfer, such imagery shall be deemed 
                    declassified and shall be made available to the public.
    
                    Sec. 2. Review for Future Public Release of 
                    Intelligence Imagery. (a) All information that meets 
                    the criteria in section 2(b) of this order shall be 
                    kept secret in the interests of national defense and 
                    foreign policy until deemed otherwise by the Director 
                    of Central Intelligence. In consultation with the 
                    Secretaries of State and Defense, the Director of 
                    Central Intelligence shall establish a comprehensive 
                    program for the periodic review of imagery from systems 
                    other than the Corona, Argon, and Lanyard missions, 
                    with the objective of making available to the public as 
                    much imagery as possible consistent with the interests 
                    of national defense and foreign policy. For imagery 
                    from obsolete broad-area film-return systems other than 
                    Corona, Argon, and Lanyard missions, this review shall 
                    be completed within 5 years of the date of this order. 
                    Review of imagery from any other system that the 
                    Director of Central Intelligence deems to be obsolete 
                    shall be accomplished according to a timetable 
                    established by the Director of Central Intelligence. 
                    The Director of Central Intelligence shall report 
                    annually to the President on the implementation of this 
                    order.
    
                        (b) The criteria referred to in section 2(a) of 
                    this order consist of the following: imagery acquired 
                    by a space-based national intelligence reconnaissance 
                    system other than the Corona, Argon, and Lanyard 
                    missions.
    
                    Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) This order prescribes a 
                    comprehensive and exclusive system for the public 
                    release of imagery acquired by space-based national 
                    intelligence reconnaissance systems. This order is the 
                    exclusive Executive order governing the public release 
                    of imagery for purposes of section 552(b)(1) of the 
                    Freedom of Information Act.
    
                        (b) Nothing contained in this order shall create 
                    any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                    enforceable by any party against the United States, its 
                    agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or 
                    employees, or any other person. [[Page 10790]] 
    
                    Sec. 4. Definition. As used herein, ``imagery'' means 
                    the product acquired by space-based national 
                    intelligence reconnaissance systems that provides a 
                    likeness or representation of any natural or man-made 
                    feature or related objective or activities and 
                    satellite positional data acquired at the same time the 
                    likeness or representation was acquired.
    
                        (Presidential Sig.)>
    
                    THE WHITE HOUSE,
    
                        February 22, 1995.
    
    [FR Doc. 95-5050
    Filed 2-24-95; 2:13 pm]
    Billing code 3195-01-P
    
    

Document Information

Published:
02/28/1995
Department:
Executive Office of the President
Entry Type:
Presidential Document
Document Type:
Executive Order
Document Number:
95-5050
Pages:
10789-10790 (2 pages)
EOCitation:
E.O. 12951 of 1995-02-22
PDF File:
95-5050.pdf