ACCESSION NUMBER:246653
FILE ID:EPF417
DATE:10/08/92
TITLE:POW PANEL TO EXAMINE SATELLITE IMAGERY, COVERT OPERATION (10/08/92)
TEXT:*92100817.EPF
*EPF417   10/08/92 *

POW PANEL TO EXAMINE SATELLITE IMAGERY, COVERT OPERATION
(Article based on Select Committee news release)  (230)
By Jane Morse
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- Markings on buildings and the terrain in Southeast Asia will
be evaluated as evidence of possible links to American POW/MIAs at hearings
on October 15 and 16, Chairman John F. Kerry, (Democrat of Massachusetts)
and Vice Chairman Bob Smith, (Republican of New Hampshire) announced
October 7.

The Committee also will examine a covert operation mounted on the basis of
such information.

The witnesses, yet to be announced, will include DIA and JSSA intelligence
analysts and others.

Portions of the October 15-16 sessions will be closed, including the portion
dealing with the covert operation.  Decisions about what information must
be examined in secret are made by the Executive Branch.  The Committee says
its members have worked to keep the hearings open, and they will meet with
reporters following the hearings to answer whatever questions they can,
within the rules governing classified information.

At issue are markings examined by the DIA and the CIA in 1973, 1976, 1980,
1987, 1988, and 1992 to determine whether they could be distress signals.
Number and letter codes were given to pilots during the war to help recover
downed pilots and identify possible detention sites.  Typically, these
codes were classified and changed periodically.

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