LETTER TO HONORABLE JAMES ABOUREZK FROM W. E. COLBY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A000700040015-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 18, 2006
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: September 23, 1974
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2006/09/18: CIA-RDP80MOO165AO00700040015-8
,`.:.;fit M AL IN i ZLLTGA-, AG NC
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
23 September 1974
Honorable James Abourezk
United States Senate
Washington, D. C. 20510
This is in response to your letter of August 27, 1974, concerning
your amendment No. 1511 to S. 3394 (the police training amendment)
approved in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. You noted therein
my objection to expanding your amendment to prohibit the use of funds
accruing "under any other law.
In my letter of 31 July 1974 to Chairman Fulbright, I stated that
such an amendment would adversely impact on the Central Intelligence
Agency's relationships with foreign intelligence and internal security
services and would impair programs important to the national interest.
I stated, also, that the amendment would appear to restrict activities
now undertaken by the Central Intelligence Agency under the National
Security Act of 1947 for the purpose of obtaining foreign intelligence
information from cooperative foreign security and intelligence ser .??ces,
some of which are within national police forces. In addition, in many
areas of the world the protection of U.S. personnel, installations and
security interests depends heavily on the effectiveness and support= of
foreign internal security services, as does effective action to counter
terrorist activities and narcotics traffic.
An essential ingredient of many CIA relationships with foreign
security and intelligence services is some limited and specialized
training and other support, as well as the exchange of information and
advice. If the Agency were restricted in these activities, our ability
to perform our assigned intelligence mission would be severely curtailed.,
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 Approved For. Release 2006/09/18: CIA-R DP80M00165A000700040015-8
Activities of the Central Intelligence Agency such as, those
described in general terms above are authorized by section 10Z(d)(5),
(50 USC 403(d)(5) ) of the National Security Act of 1947. Under this
statutory authority the National Security Council has issued classin d
ai.rectaves and instructions to t he Central Intelligence Agency outlining
the conc:uct of the national foreign intelligence effort.
It is my understanding that your interest in expanding the
amendment to funds "under any other law" is to prohibit any other
Federal agency from funding programs terminated by the narrower
language. It is the intent of this Agency to fully comply with the
underlying policy of the amendment not to perpetuate programs of
other agencies terminated as a result of its enactment and to limit
CIA's activities in this field to those related to intelligence.' My
concern with the broader language relates to its adverse impact on
the traditional intelligence functions of this Agency as described above.
Thus it would seer, that the addition oz the phrase "under any other law"
is unnecessary in the absence of some other specific statutory autiao;.,i7~at'a.o ..
I hope this is responsive to your needs. If I can be of rug ther,
assistance, please do not hesitate to call on me.
Sincerely,
L/ cr
W. E. Colby
Director
.uraciosure
Copy of National Security Act of 1947
Approved For Release 2006/09/18: CIA-RDP80MOO165AO00700040015-8