LETTER TO HONORABLE WILLIAM E. COLBY FROM JOHN C. STENNIS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP76M00527R000700070005-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2001
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 18, 1974
• Content Type: LETTER

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S-,UART SYMINGTON, MO. STROM THURMOND, S.C.
HENRY M. ,u,CKEON. WASH.
SAN J. ERVIN, JR.. N.C.
HOWARD W. CANNON, NEV.
THOMAS J. MC INTYRE, N.H.
HARRY F. BYRD, JR., VA.
HAROLD E. HUGHES. IOWA
SAM NUNN GA.
JOHN TOWER, TEX.
PETER H. DOMINICK, COLO.
BARRY GOLDWATER, ARIZ.
WILLIAM L. SCOTT, VA.
ROBERT TAFT, JR., OHIO
'-Cnxfeb Zictiez Zonate
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES /~
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510 /V~ ,
Honorable William E. Colby
Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. Director:
Enclosed herewith is a copy of S. Res. 404
now pending before this committee, which is referred to
you for consideration.
It will be appreciated if you will submit to this
committee 4 copies of the recommendations of your
Department with reference to this legislation.
Sincerely,
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OLC 74-2367
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505 12 NOV 1974
Mr. Wilfred H. Rommel
Assistant Director for
Legislative Reference
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, D. C. 20503
Enclosed is a proposed report to Chairman Stennis, Senate
Committee on Armed Services, in response to a request for our
comments and recommendations on S. Res. 404, to establish a
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Policy.
Advice is requested as to whether there is any objection
to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the
Administration's program,
Sincerely,
George L. Cary
Legislative Counsel
Enclosure
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee, w/encl
~,- Leg file, w/encl
1 - OMB Liaison, w/encl
1 - Chrono, w/o encl
1 - DFM Chrono, w/o encl
OLC:DFM:cg (11 Nov 74)
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
Honorable John C. Stennis, Chairman
Committee on Armed Services
United States Senate
Washington, D. C. 20510
This is in response to your request for our comments on
S. Res. 404, establishing a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Policy. The Select Committee would be empowered to examine
intelligence operations and policies of the United States Government,
determine the role of such activities in the decision-making process,
and measure the impact of intelligence operations on national security
and foreign policy.
I have consistently taken the position that the manner in which
congressional oversight is exercised over this Agency is a matter for
Congress itself to determine. Consistent with this policy, I also
prefer not to comment on the merits of establishing the proposed
Select Committee. I am confident, however, that in effecting any
change the Senate will take whatever steps are necessary to assure
the protection of Intelligence Sources and Methods from unauthorized
disclosure, consistent with the responsibility imposed upon me by the
National Security Act of 1947 and the Central Intelligence Agency
Act of 1949.
It is noted that the proposed field of inquiry for the Senate
Select Committee is almost identical to one of the major areas
currently being studied by the Commission on the Organization of the
Government for the Conduct of Foreign Policy, which was created by
P. L. 92-352. The Commission's findings are to be reported to the Congress
and to the President by June 30, 1975, which is also the deadline for an interim
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report by the proposed Select Committee. Senator James B. Pearson
is vice-chairman of the Commission, and Senator Mike Mansfield and
Representatives Clement J. Zablocki and Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen
are members.
The Office of Management and Budget advises there is no
objection to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the
Administration's program.
Sincerely,
W. E. Colby
Director //
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