o oc r o : ... 4JJ~Jzror-

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SECRET·.

D6 (ATTN: ltr* Roy Banner) .a Septewber 1!170

C/TCOU

Inform&tion for the Congre$sional Subeo~•ittee on the Pueblo and EC··12! Incid.ents

The inelos&d aatorial has been prepared in response to ~h• questions. T&ised by the Congrasaional Subco2•itt~e on non Wo-:tld-Wicte Cc11raunic-stion.1. Rogrct.ttbly. we are unable to provide all the information desired en the EC-121 incidont; however, we ar• availa~le to assist in any way possibl~ and to provide. any additional data availabls to us which might he deemed necessary.

/s/ Albert F. Arant

ALBERT A. ARANT Colonel USAF

Chief of Teleeoamunications

2 Inels • 1~ Bl Memorandum, Subject: Respon$e to Queries Reaarding

thG EC-121 and USS Pueblo Incidents j Serial 'JH/342/70, dated 3 September 1970.

2. Tl Narfativ·· ... e. ~ Subjeet: Tl Resp9nse to Queries Regarding I _Spot Reports a.ni;l f'ollow ... ups coneernin.g the EC-121 Incident, dated 4 Sept&mber.- 1970.

(bl 11 I lbll31-50 use 403 (bl (31-P. L . 86-36

H*HBLE VIA C6MIMT CHANNELS 6NLT

SECRET ' . .....

@'pproved for release by NSA on 01-13-2014. Transparency Case# 633~) .

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,..._ ___ SECRET 9 DOCID: 4 0 9 2.a 01 • Gn'IONAL l"OAM NO. ID

·"'·· . . . . . . ~! ~~~~r!'.., ...... ..

O:i i H ! l t l l 3J- 5n u s~ 4 0 3 !b l 1\ 1 - 1~ use ~ j 9 -lbl ( C,) :.0 1? . J . 86 - 30

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT

Memorandum (b ) ( 3 )-P.L. 96 -36

TO : Tl4 I I· DATE: 3 September 1970

PR.OM : Bl In reply refer to: Bl/342/70 hff

( b ) ( ]. )

SUBJECT: Response to Queries Regarding the EC-121 and USS Pueblo Incidents

(t ) (3 ) - 50 u ~~ 41S (t i 13) - P . L . q 6 - 3ti

Copies of the I lme_ssage cited in the first page of subject questions have been forwarded to you. The comments below pertain to the USS Pueblo seizure as addressed in the second page of questions. These comments are listed below the specific questions being addressed.

Was such a message intercepted? If so, by whom? Was-·uss Pueblo informed of that intercepted message? If so, at what time was USS Pueblo informed? If not, what, if anything, was done with that

intercepted message?

1. . A SIGINT report ...._~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----'

issued at 230605Z or 1505! (approximately 3 hours after time

of intercept}. contained the information quoted as a "message"

by the Washi~gton Star. The description of the ship was

reflected in plaintext voice while the S0-1 position was

derived from a position report passed by the North Korean

vessel.

2. The D report constituted the initial product

reporting of North Korean communications related to the Pueblo

seizure. The Pueblo would have received the above report

had shore to ship communications been functioni~g routinely.

However, the Pueblo had been boarded by 0540Z and had ceased

~ /

1 :t,MBt.E vv~ •x·.: :.:; :·r c.: :: .: ::-.:~:1..1 c r~!..Y

nf.{I' T.T.S. St711fr'.a.r Ormr!.1 l~r.11,?dat"(v r•'1 tf1p r(/_mlll S,11•h1.11..• fJ/,m

DOCID: 4092101 .

iblO·I (b) (3)- 50 IJSG -4.0 3 (b)(3)- 1 8 USC B B (b) (3)-P.L. 86-36

communicating at 0532Z. Therefore, the Pueblo could not

have received the information in question or any other

subsequent SIGINT reflections of 23 January North Korean

communications. In fact, the ship was at that time being

escorted toward W'onsan. ..

3. The report in question was, of course, automatically

forwarde~ via established communications channels to the

normal recipients ofl __ lproduct, including 5 Air .Force,

sso Korea, CINCPAC, CINCPACFLT, COMNAVFORJAP.AN, DIA, JCS

and DIRN~A. (See Attachment for complete list)

Fact #224, page 37, Court of Inquiry -

Was the position report the only information in that message

Were any other messages of the ~orth Korean ships inter-

cepted on January 23 prior to seizure of the USS Pueblo?

If so, what was the text of those messages?

Was anybody informed of those mes·sages?

4. The position report passed by SC-35 at 230310Z was

the only information contained in that particular message.

5. There were other messages passed by North Korean

ships on 23 January prior to the Pueblo seizure at 0540Z.

These messages consisted of position reports and plaintext

voice conversations reflecting: (1) the SC-35 approach to

the Pueblo; (2) descriptions of the Pueblo; (3) relay of

! ... · ... :·:-:--. """! .• • . ._ .... _: r;.• ·• • --:-: I "':'7:'"""':1

DOCID: 4092-101."

(b'){.) ) (b i (j )'-50 use 4 0 3 I b l I 3 I - l>l iJsc· 7-9 8 (b ) ( 3 )- P . L . 8 6 - 3$

instructions to the boardi~g party; (4) firing orders anq

(5) description of crew and. gear after boardi~g.

·· ... 6. The Pueblo was not informed of the above messages

for · ~~:~~~~ citec;l in para 2 above.

7. The ~~forxn~t:i.on con,tained in these messages was

.·

disseminated t?. norm.al r~cipient~ df I I product ref_)orting

on Nqrth Korean Navy activity. ~.:i.?lceLJwas the only source.

of this intercept, the processing and report!ng cycle obviously

had to be completed prior to any reporti~g of subject activity.

'

cc: Chief, B

• DOCID: 40921.Pl'

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)- P . L . 8 6 - 3 6

..........

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-----------,..-----~------~-···-··-··--- ·-·

DOCID: 4092101 . -~ ..

-··

lNCLOSURB 2

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SECRET .M"C .. ~ -

HANBLB VIA eeMIH'f CHANNEf.aS EUH.sY

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- Respcnsi ve -.. .:

-·---- -· -·- --·~~-~---------------:-::. --~-. ·--=-=··=-----:--· -=-----=-=· ::-::-... ----:-. -=::: ... :---:.:----=.:--:-.. -======:...

DOC ID: 4"0""9"2101 ____ _ .··.

SEeRET6 ...... .... , ... .

IIANflfiB • .. tii\ C6MIM'f Ctfl\MMELS OMLI" 2

SEC.RET

tJon - Responsive

. ~:. ...... . .: . :. . ··-· .. - -·

DOCID: 4092101; . - Re s ponsive

Attachment