CIA IS NECESSARY TO USA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R001200320001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 5, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 20, 1971
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-016
STATINTL
FALL RIVER, MASS.
HERALD-NEVIS
or, 20 1971
E - 41,'74
CIA Is Necessar to USA
The CIA or Central Intelligence
Agency has been under fire almost
since it came into existence as an
outgrowth of World War Il's OSS.
By its nature it is bound to draw the
fire of those who dislike the notion
of undercover agents and activities
except on tv. Furthermore, the
CIA's failures are certain to receive
more publicity than its successes,
since whenever it succeeds, it does so
by drawing' no attention to itself.
And to add to the list of its handi-
caps, the country has been rightly
angered recently by the stockpiling
.of information about American citi-
zens by army intelligence.
Yet the fact is that this country
Is a world power of the first magni-
tude, and it cannot possible conduct
its business without some secret serv-
ice organization. There is constant
pressure on the CIA to reveal its
secrets; when it does, it contradicts
its own nature and purpose. As a re-
sult, there is constant harassment
of the agency by those who naively
assume that the United States can
afford to dispense with it altogether.
The director of the CIA, F:ichard
Helms, has just asked the nation "to
take it on faith that we too are hon-
orable men devoted to its service."
That is a fair request, and the least
the agency- and its officers can ex-
pect. Unless the. country is prepared
to dissolve the CIA, it must expect it
to be secret and it must, as Helms
asks, take it on faith that it is made
up of honorable men.
The realities of world politics
are not always pleasant, but they
will not alter by being ignored.
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-01601 R001200320001-6