Star Gate — Program Status, Proposed Options (ORD-0289-95)

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ORD-0289-95

20 June 1995

MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Director

VIA: Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Director of Congressional Affairs

FROM: Director of Research and Development

SUBJECT: Star Gate - Program Status, Proposed Options

1. This memorandum provides a summary and status for the Star Gate
program, develops options for your consideration, and recommends a course of

action.

2. Star Gate is a DIA program which involves use of paranormal

phenomena, primarily remote viewing, for intelligence collection. The DIA
program consists of three operational remote viewers and three management and
gupport personnel. DIA also funded a related R&D effort with SAIC for several
years, ending in 1994. The Senate Appropriations Committee ingerted language
in the FY95 Conference Report directing DIA to transfer $500K and ten civilian
billets to the CIAP, end directed us to submit a status report in March, with
teamafer to be completed by 1 duly 1995. Punds were to be applied equally to
aperational viewing, research, and foreign assessment. The language also
called for a retrospective review and technical analysis of the program.
(Attachment A) CIA was involved in a program with similar objectives daring
the 197068. That program was discontinued, but will be included in the review
by the recently established blue ribbon panel described below.

3, ORD was asked to coordinate CIA's response to the Congressionally :
Directed Action (CDA); in late January, the Executive Director approved ORD’s
recommended plan (Attachment B). Our strategy was to ask the US Army and the
National Research Council to form a blue ribbon panel similar to the group
that completed a study for the Army in the late 1980's. We also proposed to
@eclassify past CIA sponsorship and to further declassify other program
material. Finally, after completion of the review and declassification
afforts, we would develop a comprehensive management strategy for the program,
assuming the review established some utility for such a program in CIA.

4. In late March, the Executive Director for Intelligence Community
Affairs submitted a status report for Congressional review (Attachment C) and
we briefed Mr. Richard D'Amato of the SAC staff on our status and plans. In
the written material and during the March briefing, we specifically discussed
our plan to conduct a panel review, using the National Research Council. A
status briefing was also provided to seven SSCI staffers on 22 May 1995.

SG1I

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SUBJECT: Star Gate - Program Status, Proposed Options

5. We made it clear to Mr. D’Amato during our briefing that before CIA
could devise a management strategy regarding the disposition of any program
resources (including the people currently at DIA) we would have to complete
the review. We emphasized that it made no sense to bring any DIA people to
CIA to perform paranormal remote viewing until we had established whether this
program made sense for CIA and had developed the necessary infrastructure to
obtain requirements, task, disseminate, and otherwise make use of the product
these individuals offer. Since DIA had these processes in place, we stated
our intent to leave the people there for now.

6. Although our initial discussions with the NRC were encouraging, they
gent us formal notice, dated 5 May 1995 (Attachment D), in which NRC declined
to perform the review, citing a 1988 report which addressed the topic of
remote viewing. Quoting from their previous work they stated:

“In summary, after approximately 15 years of claims and sometimes
bitter controversy, the literature on remote viewing has managed to
produce only one possible successful experiment that is not seriously
flawed in its methodology - and that one experiment provides only
marginal evidence for the existence of ESP. By both scientific and
parapsychological standards, then, the case for remote viewing is not
just very weak, but virtually nonexistent. It seems that the
preeminent position that remote viewing occupies in the minds of many
proponents results from the highly exaggerated claims made for the
early experiments, as well as the subjectively compelling, but
illusory, correspondences that experimenters and participants find
between components of the descriptions and the target sites.”

7. Given the strong position taken by the NRC, ORD raised the option of
going back to Congress with the recommendation that we discontinue the review
and not accept the program from DIA. (Early discussions with the DI and DO
had indicated a clear disinterest in acquiring Star Gate.) After consulting
with the DDS&T, however, we decided to continue with the Star Gate review and
initiated a contract with the American Institutes of Research (AIR), a highly
respected firm dealing with behavioral science studies. AIR quickly assembled
a panel which included some members who had been selected by the NRC during
our initial interactions, and on 1 June, AIR officially began the
retrospective review, which is now scheduled for completion at the end of
September. In the meantime, we have proceeded with program declassification
activities and have begun to review material received from DIA regarding the
quality and value of intelligence produced by Star Gate.

8. OCA recently informed Mr. D’Amato that the review will be completed
by AIR in October, but he seeks a short term response from CIA regarding our

proposed disposition of the DIA people. (DIA informed us, and has also
informed Congress, that they have elected to reassign the remote viewers to
other jobs at DIA during the course of CIA’s review.) We oppose any action to

transfer these people to CIA, because there is no way to utilize their
services. Furthermore, we consider it likely that, after the panel review,
CIA will recommend cancellation of this program based on the following:

a. Unless there are new facts uncovered by the AIR review, I believe

they will conclude {as did the NRC) that remote viewing operations are
without scientific merit. ‘

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SUBJECT: Star Gate - Program Status, Proposed Options

b. None of the nearly 100 documented remote viewing products
evaluated by DIA’sS own customers was said to be of “major significance, ”
the highest possible numerical rating for value.

c. The Inspector General of DoD strongly recommended in a 1989
memorandum that this program be terminated at DIA.

d. Current demand for remote viewing by all of the customers
for this product in the Intelligence Community appears to be
insufficient to employ the DIA remote viewers fulltime, thus their
planned reassignment.

e. Based on our preliminary discussions with various CIA senior
managers, there is no enthusiasm for this type of activity within either

the DO or DI.

9. We believe that CIA has only two realistic options at this time
regarding Star Gate. Option 1: Continue with the AIR review of this program.
If this review indicates some utility, we can then develop a management
strategy which addresses program mix, resources, and the need for any DIA
personnel. If the AIR review confirms the NRC assessment, we will be on very
firm ground in deciding not to proceed further. Option 2: Recommend to
Congress immediate termination of this program based on the data we have
already acquired about its probable low scientific merit, utility, and lack of
customer demand. This option might ba unpopular with the Congressional
Committees, particularly the SAC.

’

10. I believe we have enough information to justify propoging to Congress
cancellation of this activity now, and I recommend sy8% cour$g%of) action -

Option 2. SG1I

Attachments:
Congressionally Directed Action Language

D/ORD memo to Executive Director
Letter from ExDir/ICA, dtd 28 Mar 95
Letter from National Research Council

DON >

CONCUR:

Deputy Director for Science and Technology Date

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SUBJECT: Star Gate ~- Program Status, Proposed Options

APPROVED:
OPTION 1: CONTINUE WITH BLUE RIBBON PANEL REVIEW

Executive Director Date

OPTION 2: PROPOSE TERMINATION TO CONGRESS

Executive Director ; Date

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