TRANSCRIPT OF PRESIDENT'S NEWS CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC MATTERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP09T00207R001000020099-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 99
• Publication Date: September 17, 1974
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2011/08/09: CIA-RDPO9TOO2O7ROO1000020099-5
17 SEP ia1p
l4anscript of .President's News Conference
on Foreign and Domestic' Matters
yloiiot:ing is a transcript of Presi- 19. Intervention Abroad
dent Ford's broadcast news confer- Q NI,- President under what irtzr
7. Intelligence.. Activities
Q. Mr. President,. recent Congression-
al testimony has indicated that. the
C.I.A., under the direction of a commit-
tee headed by Dr. Kissinger, attempted
to destabilize the Government of Chile
under former President Allende. Is it
the policy of your Administration - to
attempt to destabi1iza the governments
? of other democracies?
A_ Let me aawer in general-I think
this is a very important question.
Our Government,. like other govern-
ments, does take certain actions in the
intelligence field to help implement for-
eigsr policy and protect national security.
I am informed reliably that Commu-
nist nations spend vastly more money
than we do for the same kind. of pur-
poses.
Now, in this particular case, as I
understand it and there's no doubt in
my mind. our Government had no in-
volvement in any way whatsoever in
the coup itself.
In a period of time,, three or four
years ago there was an effort being
made by the Allende Government to de-
stroy opposition news media, both the
writing press as well as the electronic
press. And to destroy opposition politi-
cal parties.
And the effort that was made in this
case was to help and assist the preser-
vation of opposition newspapers and
electronic media and to preserve opposi-
tion political parties.
I think this is in the best interest of
the people in Chile, and certainly in our
best interest.
Now, may I add one further comment.
The 40 Committee was established in
1948. It has been in existence under
Presidents since that time. That commit-
tee reviews every covert operation un-
dertaken by our Government.
And that information is relayed to
the resonsible Congressional commit-
tees whre it is reviewed by House and
Senate committees. It seems to me that I
the 40 Committee should continue in
existence and I am going to meet with
the responsible Congressional commit-
tees to see whether or not they want
any changes in the review process so
that the Congress as well as the Presi-
dent are fully informed and are fully
included in the operations for any such
action.
national law do -we have a right too
attempt of dcstshili a the constitution='
i ' ally elected government of another
country. And does the Soviet Unio**~
have a similar right to try to 'dam;
stabilize the Government of Canada,
for example, of the IIpi.ed States.
A. I'm not going to'pass judgmela,
on whether it's permitted or authoriz
under international law. It's a reco nized fact that historically as well , presently, such actions are.. taken the best interests of the- countri
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