LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FROM W. E. COLBY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78M02660R000800120040-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 24, 2006
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: January 8, 1976
• Content Type: LETTER

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8 January 1976
The President
The White House
Washington, D. C. 20500
(~~ 6!l /--/-
Dear Mr. President:
preparatory to your meeting on 10 January to discuss the Intel-
ligence Coa,=unity, I would like to proffer several general observations.
Separately I have submitted to Jack Marsh specific recommendations
with respect to the different issues that will be under consideration.
The Intelligence Community has been under attack for real, exag-
gerated and alleged abuses... The lessons of the year can, I believe, be
summed up in the need for better guidelines, better supervision and
better secrecy.
A draft Executive Order hass. been developed which in my view will
provide better guidelines to ensure that the intelligence agencies remain
T
th
ese
O
within proper limits in their operations in the United Mates.
but I believe there is little sentiment
for any very sweeping limitations on the Community's activities abroad.
With respect to better supervision, various proposals have been
made with regard to the organization of the Community, and especially
of the role of the Director of Central Intelligence. On the Congressional
side, consideration has been given to improvements in the Congressional
oversight procedure through standing cor ittees, GAO audit, etc.
There has been some tendency for the need for better supervision to.
spill over into extensive recommendations for organizational and bureau-
cratic changes.
The question of better secrecy is of course a most contentious
subject. Some decry the secrecy of the past and call for greater open-
ness. Others point to the serious damage being done to our country by
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the extensive exposure of intelligence mattes, leading to the frustration
of our foreign policy aid danger to our officers.
It this situation, I make the following recommendations:
a. That, to provide better guidelines, you proceed to issue
the draft executive Order placing. restrictions on the domestic
activities of our intelligence agencies, that you indicate support
of legislation against assassinations and that you direct the
revision and issuance of National Security Council Intelligence
Directives to provide specific charters for the intelligence
agencies and their interrelationships. I recommend, however,
that there be minimum change in statutory charters pending
development of draft. legislation. by the Select Committees, which
you may then consider on its merits.
b. That, to provide better supervision, you charge the Director
of Central Intelligence, in a document addressed to Ambassador
Bush on his swearing-in, with vigorous supervision of the activities
of the Community and review of the propriety as well as the effec-
tiveness of its operations. I recommend also that you request the
Congress to consolidate in some form, such as a joint or separate
standing committee, its supervision of our intelligence activities,
thus improving the effectiveness of such supervision and ending
the proliferation of supervisors. I recommend against any aub-
stantial xnodilfication in the organizational structure of the Intel-
ligence Community at this time, prior to the appearance of
Congressional recommendations, in an election year, and before
Ambassador Bush, as well as the now Secretary of Defense and
the new Deputy Secretary, have an opportunity to make their con-
eidered recommendations on this subject. Sweeping bureaucratic
change would in my view be considered heavily cosmetic, would
create substantial turbulence in the Con unity, and is not what
the investigations were really all about.
c. With respect to better secrecy, I recommend the early
submission to Congress of the draft legislation better to protect
intelligence sources and methods, which I have recently submitted
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to the OMB. I a4eo suggest that strong reco=mendatlons be made
to the leadership of the Congress to establish some system for
the orderly handling and protection of secrets made available to
it. Lastly, I recommend that a now effort be made to articulate
a better system of protection of classified information within the
Executive Branch.
The subject of cover action requires particular attention, as It has
been and remains the main topic of Congressional interest. On this
question, I recommen4.a clear amendment to the National Security Act
of 1947 authorizing such action and providing that a single Congressional
commUtee be advised of the initiation of any such operation. I believe
it essential to terminate the present procedure of briefing six cote itteees,
which has led immediately to vast leakage and great injury to our foreign,
policy. I believe it appropriate at the same time to call upon the Congress
to state clearly its approval of the continuation of such activity, and to see
whether the Congress really wants to assume the responsibility of pricer
approval of such operations. I believe the present system of Executive
Branch decision and merely advising a Congressional committee will be
the outcome's
F espectfutly.
/8/
W. E. Colby
. Director
WEC:blp
Distribution:
Original - Addressee (handcarried by WEC for delivery to Jack Marsh
8 Jan)
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