Project Aquarius FOIA Rebuttal

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 dissuade 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.