ROSTOW DENIES REPORT ON SECURITY CLEARANCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP69B00369R000200240021-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 16, 2003
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: October 14, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2003/4]; c DP69B00369R000200240021-5
Rost ow Denies Report /
n Secw"ity Ckarcuic~
By the Ass aced Press
An assertion that Walt W.
Rostow, now a special assistant
to President Johnson, was. three
times denied security clearance
during the Eisenhower admin-
istration reportedly is contained
in a brief filed in a Civil Service
case. Asked about the report,
Rostow denied it.
"From 1951 onward," Rostow
told a reporter, "I had continu-
ous security clearance from var- count as outlined was:
ious agencies of the federal gov. Otepka testified that in De-
ernment'" i cember 1960-the month before
In 1951, Harry S. Truman was President Kennedy took office
President. Rostow did not say -he was called into a meeting
acciommonh ho hari in lom g
that required clearance. His bio-
graphical data in Who's Who
lists him as a staff member
(1951-1960) of the Center for In-
ternational Studies a private
transferred to the State Depart-
ment as counselor and chair-
man of the Policy Planning
Council. He returned to the
White House when Bundy left
in 1966 and is now the top White
House foreign affairs adviser.'
The brief is understood to cite
testimony Otepka gave at a,
closed hearing in. June before'
Edward A. Dragon, the hearing
officer for his appeal. The ac-
of state-designate in the new ad-
ministration, and Robert F.
Kennedy, picked by his brother
to be attorney general.
agency. I I He quoted Rusk and Kennedy
The brief in question was filed
last month by attorney Roger
Robb, representing Otto F. Otep-
ka in the fight Otepka is mak-
ing against dismissal as the
State Department's chief secur-
ity evaluations officer. The step
was part of proceedings at a
closed hearing being held by
the department.
The brief has not been made
public, and Robb declined to
discuss it.
However, a source who has
seen it said that it does make
the statement with respect to
Rostow and the Eisenhower
administration.
This informant, who requested
anonymity, said it was his
understanding that in fact there
was no question of security
involved in the Eisenhower
administration's rejection of
Rostow for certain assignments
-that the reason simply was
that Rostow did not meet the
particular requirements.
Transferred to State
In, general, the brief is said
to contend that a "get-Otepka
as saying Rostow would be ap-
pointed to a State Department
post and as asking that Rostow
be given an emergency clear-
ance without the usual field in-
vestigation.
Tells of CIA Data
Otepka said he also was asked
how he would apply the security
rules in the cases of presidential
appointees and in the case of
Rostow in particular.
The brief quoted Otepka as
having replied that in principle
he was against emergency
clearance authority and that, in
particular, he knew of certain
Central Intelligence Agency and
Air Force security documents
in Rostow's file which compelled
him to insist on a full field in-
vestigation.
The brief goes on to assert
that Rostow was rejected for
security clearance in 1955 in
a decision by Herbert Hoover
Jr., then undersecretary of
state in the Eisenhower admin-
istration, and twice later by
Roderick O'Connor, then ad-
ministrator of the State De-
partment's Bureau of Security.
Fred Mankiewicz, press see
!retary to Kennedy, said -"the
;senator does not recall" such a
..conversation with Otepka and
Rusk.
Robert J. McCloskey, State
Department press officer, said ,
after. consulting with Rusk that
"the secretary does not expect
to comment on any matter in-
volving Mr. Otepka while his
case is pending in the depart- .
ment.
fusal to clear Rostow without al' ""I"`?"' """? "`?"`' ""
meat from Rusk and Sen., Ken-
field investigation at the time nedy, D-N.Y., on Otepka's story
President Kennedy's adminis of the December 1960 meeting.
tration was taking office.
Rostow, then a professor of
economics at Massachusetts In-
stitute of Technology, was
brought into the government by
Kennedy. His first post was as
deputy special assistant, No. 2
to McGeor Bundy ~ ~~ss White
House forei pVrQMA4S' 4 F. ft6lease 2003/11/04: CIA-RDP69BOO369ROO0200240021-5