vault backup: 2026-09-22 15:02:34

10 - PEOPLE/(N-S)/Charlie Rose.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ aliases:
   - Charles G. Rose III
   - Charles Rose
 created: 2026-05-17
-updated: 2026-09-21
+updated: 2026-09-22
 category: "Intelligence & Government"
 tags:
   - Person
@@ -42,13 +42,17 @@ In October 1993, private consultant [[Henry "Skip" Clements]] provided Rose and
 
 Charles Rose, a Democrat, represented North Carolina's seventh district in the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] from 1973 to 1997 and chaired the evaluation subcommittee of the [[House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]]. He died on September 3, 2012, at 73.[^4]
 
+On October 25, 1978, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Evaluation, Rose wrote to [[Ruth Davis]], Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Advanced Technology: "I have recently had occasion to become acquainted with some interesting research involving paranormal phenomena, specifically that relating to remote viewing. Clearly, while this phenomenon might well result in opportunities for the collection of intelligence otherwise denied us, we have a strong obligation also to learn what Soviet research is underway and what emergent capabilities they may have so that we may protect our own classified activities from this potential source of surveillance. I would therefore like to see the Department of Defense undertake those efforts deemed necessary and appropriate to investigate remote viewing and other related phenomena. As research continues in such areas it will be incumbent on us to understand and safeguard our citizens' proper concerns about their individual rights and the appropriate role of government. I am ready to assist in this venture as best I can." Davis forwarded the letter to Jack Vorona with her memorandum of November 20 setting the questions for the oversight groups DIA was to establish.[^900]
+
 ### Briefings
 
 On February 9, 1978, the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]'s legislative counsel met Rose and his aide Dick Giza at the agency's front entrance for four briefings, one of them at the [[CIA Office of Technical Service|Office of Technical Service]], the office that had funded the SRI remote-viewing work, "largely handled by the Chief of OTS, Mr. David S. Brandwein." In July 1979 the chairman of the Defense Department's Grill Flame committee, Jack Vorona of the DIA, missed its meeting because he "was briefing Congressman Rose on DoD efforts and interest in parapsychology"; Rose and Representative Young "were primarily interested in the funding of such projects within the DoD." The committee's minutes of January 10, 1980, recorded that "as a result of that interest, arrangements were made to present the INSCOM briefing," that "Congressional concern and support were expressed for funding the program in FY 80, 81, and 82," and that "Congressman Rose will be on the CIA Life Science Panel." The Army's assistant chief of staff for intelligence, Major General Edmund Thompson, wrote in an eyes-only memorandum: "Congressman Rose is a topic worth discussion. It has been about three months since he was briefed on program specifics, and we should keep in mind his oft-repeated desire to be kept up to date on a continuing basis. A situation as before in which the last briefing was done at his instigation, forcing us to be reactors rather than action takers, should be avoided." INSCOM's chronology lists him briefed on January 16, 1980, February 11, 1981, and, "on human use issue," April 16, 1981 (Watt's memorandum of the April briefing says he had last briefed Rose in January 1980, so the February briefing was given by someone else).[^5][^6][^7]
 
+At 2 p.m. on January 16, 1980, Lieutenant Colonel [[Murray Watt]] "briefed Congressman Charlie Rose (Chairman, Evaluation Subcommittee of The House Permanent Committee on Intelligence) on the INSCOM GRILL FLAME Project," at Rose's request "via Dr. Jack Vorona," with Major General Thompson, Vorona, "Jake Stewart, NSC Staff Member," and "Dick Giza, Office of Congressman Rose" present. "Congressman Rose stated that he wanted the briefing taped so that other members of the House Subcommittee would have the opportunity to review the proceedings"; "Page 3 of Incl 1 was not provided to the audience at the direction of MG Thompson." Rose "was very receptive to the briefing (which lasted a little over an hour). He stated that we had made more progress than he had realized and encouraged us to continue with our program. He expressed strong concern about the Soviet threat that might be posed in this field and hoped that the U.S. Intelligence Community would rapidly make some 'break-throughs' of parapsychology."[^901]
+
 ### April 16, 1981
 
-At 10:30 that morning Lieutenant Colonel [[Murray Watt]], the project manager, briefed him at Fort Meade with Thompson, Giza, a committee staffer, Annette Smiley, and officers of the Army's congressional liaison. "Congressman Rose opened the meeting with the comments that he was concerned that research into this field had to continue in an orderly manner and that the program had to be funded properly." He had lately visited SRI and been briefed by [[Hal Puthoff]] and the DIA representative there, and "had come away with the impression that perhaps the Army would like to break off future contacts with SRI-I"; Thompson and Watt "informed the Congressman that Army was still very much interested in working with SRI-I," and Thompson said that [[Ingo Swann]] "had expressed similar thoughts to him." Rose "stated, again, that Remote Viewing potentially was a most valuable asset for the intelligence community and that work in that area had to continue," was "willing to help in any way that he could, but mentioned the commitment one makes when one 'signs his name on the line,'" and "expressed concern with us being operational on what might be a premature basis." He "told us to keep-up the outstanding work," and the meeting ended at 11:45.[^6]
+At 10:30 that morning Lieutenant Colonel Murray Watt, the project manager, briefed him at Fort Meade with Thompson, Giza, a committee staffer, Annette Smiley, and officers of the Army's congressional liaison. "Congressman Rose opened the meeting with the comments that he was concerned that research into this field had to continue in an orderly manner and that the program had to be funded properly." He had lately visited SRI and been briefed by [[Hal Puthoff]] and the DIA representative there, and "had come away with the impression that perhaps the Army would like to break off future contacts with SRI-I"; Thompson and Watt "informed the Congressman that Army was still very much interested in working with SRI-I," and Thompson said that [[Ingo Swann]] "had expressed similar thoughts to him." Rose "stated, again, that Remote Viewing potentially was a most valuable asset for the intelligence community and that work in that area had to continue," was "willing to help in any way that he could, but mentioned the commitment one makes when one 'signs his name on the line,'" and "expressed concern with us being operational on what might be a premature basis." He "told us to keep-up the outstanding work," and the meeting ended at 11:45.[^6]
 
 ### Afterward
 
@@ -69,3 +73,5 @@ In October 1993 the Florida consultant [[Henry Skip Clements|Henry "Skip" Clemen
 [^7]: Thompson, E. R., Major General, memorandum "GRILL FLAME Steering Committee" to Dr. La Berge, eyes only, undated, CIA-RDP96-00788R002000250013-0. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. US Army Intelligence and Security Command, "List of Events from September 1977 to January 1986," CIA-RDP96-00788R001100020001-8. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.
 [^8]: *Omni,* 1979, and press accounts of the November 1995 disclosure, seen only in search summaries; the CIA file quoting him was not read.
 [^9]: Witkin, Gordon, Peter Cary, and Angel Martinez. "Through a glass, very darkly: Cops, spies and a very odd investigation," *U.S. News & World Report,* December 27, 1993; Keeney, John C., memorandum to Larry A. Potts, October 26, 1993, as cited on the vault pages for Clements and The Finders.
+[^900]: Davis, Ruth M., Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (Research and Advanced Technology), memorandum for Dr. Jack Vorona, "'Remote Viewing' Project," November 20, 1978, with the letter of Charlie Rose, Chairman, Subcommittee on Evaluation, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to Davis, October 25, 1978, CIA-RDP96-00787R000500240017-5. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection. Title only for the 1980 briefing.
+[^901]: Watt, Murray B., memorandum for the record, "INSCOM GRILL FLAME Briefing for Congressman Rose, 16 January 1980," CIA-RDP96-00788R001100190001-0. Read in the archive.org mirror of the CIA FOIA Reading Room STARGATE collection.