1986 "Majestic 12" and Projects Sigma, Snowbird and Aquarius

[Terry W. Colvin]

BT
UNCLAS
Subject: 1986 "Majestic 12" and Projects Sigma, Snowbird and Aquarius



FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT DOCUMENT FILES

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NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE
Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 20755-6000

Mr. _____________________ Serial: J9014A
_________________________
_________________________ 20 FEB 1986

Dear Mr. ________________

This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act request of 8
January 1986 in which you request information on a group referred to as
MJ12 or "Majestic 12" and Projects Sigma, Snowbird and Aquarius.

Please be advised that Sigma and Snowbird are not projects of this
Agency, so we would have no records responsive to that portion of your
request. In addition, no records were located relating to M12 or
"Majestic 12."

An initial survey of materials responsive to that portion of your
request dealing with Project Aquarius would result in search fees in
excess of $15,000 for manpower and computer costs. Our search would be
facilitated and the search fees may be less if you provide us with
additional information regarding the type of information in which you are
interested. This request for further specificity is in accordance with
DoD regulations governing the processing of FOIA requests.

Should you wish us to initiate a search for records responsive to
your request as stated inyour 8 January letter, please be advised that our
policy is to request advance payment of one-half the estimated cost, as
well as an agreement to pay the balance, prior to initiating the search.

Please be advised that your agreeing to incur these fees will not
necessarily result in the disclosure to you of any information. It has
been our experience, that any records responsive to your request, if such
records exist, most likely would be classified or otherwise exempt from
release in accordance with the exemption provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act. The application of these exemptions to NSA information
has been consistently approved by the Federal Judiciary.

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Subject: 1986 NSA PROJ. AQUARIUS



FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT DOCUMENT FILES

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NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE
Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 20755-6000

__________________________ Serial: J9014A
__________________________
__________________________ 03 MAR 1986

Dear Mr. _________________:

This is in response to your letter of 20 February 1986 in which you
stated that, regarding your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for
information on Project Aquarius, you are interested in Aquarius as it
pertains to unidentified aerial objects. Please be advised that Project
Aquarius does not deal with unidentified aerial projects. We, therefore,
have no information to provide to you on the subject.

In your letter you also ask for information on Projects Sigma and
Snowbird. The FOIA provides that a person has a right of access to
federal agency records, except to the extent that such records are
protected from disclosure by one of nine exemptions. It does not require
that an agency answer questions. As I mentioned in my letter of 20
February, Sigma and Snowbird are not NSA projects; therefore, we have no
information to give you on these topics.

Since you indicate in your letter that you will not be paying the
$15,000.00 fee to search for records pertaining to Aquarius, this response
completes our action on your request.

Sincerely,

DENNIS C. CHADWICK
Chief
Information Policy

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Subject: 1986 ANSWER TO NSA



FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT DOCUMENT FILES

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Mr. Dennis C. Chadwick 3-7-86
Chief, Information Policy
National Security Agency
Fort George G. Meade
Maryland 20755-6000

Dear Mr. Chadwick:

Thank you for your letter of 3 March 1986 and reply to my previous letter
on Project Aquarius. I understand from your letter that you intend to
abide strictly by the letter of the law in responses to FOIA requests. I
had not realized that this was the attitude of the NSA or I would not have
bothered you with questions in general. I have gotten the impression from
other sources that the NSA does not maintain a generally open attitude
toward the public, particularly where the subject of unidentified aerial
objects is involved, and while completely understand the need to restrict
some information what good is a country if its citizens are kept ignorant.
Personally I feel that assessing a $15,000 charge for information is
simply a convenient way to disuade requests.

Let me therefore rephrase my request as I would prefer to judge for myself
whether Aquarius has anything to do with my interests. Firstly, I do not
want to endanger this country or any of its intelligence gathering
sources. I am not a spy or a subversive, my father is a surgeon and Lt.
Colonel in the Air Force and I wouldn't want to harm his career.
Therefore I am requesting just a clean copy of the material NSA is
maintaining which describes what the goal of project Aquarius is. I am
not asking for all material you have but simply the initial forms, papers,
or letters, which initiated this project and those which outline its
purpose.

I cannot conceive that there should be anything but negligible costs to
photocopy these materials. This should be waived inasmuch as it should be
in the interest of the public to be aware of what their taxes are paying
for. But if NSA needs reimbursement of copying costs then please let me
know what the cost will be.

Sincerely,

Mr.______________________
_________________________
_________________________
BT