AUTHORITY TO DISPOSE OF SAT AND AIR AMERICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000400050012-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2006
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: December 14, 1973
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2006/, /Q9; , ,-ClA-RDP75B00380R000400050012-4
14 December 1973
SUBJECT: Authority to Dispose of SAT and Air America
:L. I met this afternoon for approximately one and a half
hours with William M. Jones, Staff Director, Subcommittee on
Government Activities, House Committee on Government Opera-
tions, and William H. Copenhaver of the Committee staff at their
request to discuss the question of the legal authority of the Agency
to dispose of Southern Air Transport and Air America. I showed
them a copy of the attached classified legal opinion which concludes
that we do have such authority. They did not wish to accept a clas-
sified document and requested that we furnish them a sanitized ver-
sion,.
2. In addition to the above, they want the following items
of information:
Approved For Release 2006/02/Q9,-z -GIA7, DP75B00380l1000400050012-4
25X1
25X1
 Approved For Release 2006/ CIA-RDP75BOO38OR000400050012-4
Fr's. n a
3. Copenhaver seemed a little disturbed that the Agency
had not responded to the letter from GSA to the Committee, a
copy of which was sent to us. He felt that if we were wrong on
our view of authority to sell and if the sale had been consummated,
this could have caused a cloud on the title of the purchaser. I
pointed out that I ad been in oral contact with Bill Jones
and we were not ignoring the GSA letter nor the Chairman's letter,
but a problem is posed in terms of responding since SAT and Air
America are referred to and this would require a classification
problem in our response.
4. I advised them I thought we could get all the additional
information by about next Tuesday. This Office will pull it together.
25X1
JOHN S. WARNER
Acting General Counsel
Vic: OLC
Approved For Release 2006/02/0.4."'; 1A-RDP75B00380R000400050012-4