MEETING WITH ANDY MARSHALL, NET ASSESSMENT GROUP, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, ON LEGISLATION AFFECTING CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01048A000800050004-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 14, 2005
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: August 23, 1973
• Content Type: MFR

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23 August 1973
SUBJECT: Meeting with Andy Marshall, Net Assessment Group,
National Security Council, on Legislation Affecting CIA
1. Messrs. Colby, Houston, Warner, I net with
Andy Marshall to review legislative initiatives on the Hill affecting CIA.
The meeting was requested by Marshall.
2. Mr. Colby reviewed the principal areas of congressional concern
explaining that:
a. Concern about improper domestic activities by CIA could
be met easily by a simple amendment to the National Security Act
of 1947 (e. g. , insertion of the word "foreign" in section 102(d)--
we do not want to get involved in domestic activities unrelated to
our foreign intelligence responsibilities and no harm would result
in making our statute explicit on this point (Marshall agreed).
b. The solution to concern over CIA. covert action is a little
more tricky since even some of our friends on the Hill worry
about this aspect of our business, but the problem may be satis-
factorily resolved by either inserting a reporting requirement in
the Act or preferably through legislative history reflecting that a
complete and full accounting of covert action has been and will
continue to be given to our committees.
c. Concern over the secrecy of the Agency and the intelligence
community's budget hopefully can be resolved by limited disclosures
of the totals--we have pretty much deferred to the prudency and good
judgment of congressional leadership while making the point that
publication of even total figures over a prolonged period would be
providing information on program emphasis helpful to the opposition
and harmful to us. (Marshall appeared to agree that the publication,
on a one-time basis or so, of the total National Intelligence Program
would not be harmful.)
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d. Concern over use of the Agency to circumvent the will
of Congress was made in the discussion which followed.
3. Mr. Colby emphasized:
a. that our friends on the Hill were fully seized with the
problem;
b. that we were optimistic that our continued working with
them on an informal, low-profile basis was our best bet for fore-
stalling irresponsible legislation;
c. that legislation resulting from their efforts probably
would have little if any impact on the way we operate presently;
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d. that he wanted to be sure that Timmons and others in the
White House are informed of our efforts and to be assured that
what we are doing is consistent with the Administration's thinking;
and
4. After Mr. Colby left:
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. a. Specific legislative proposals were reviewed which illustrated
Mr. Colby's earlier points (Marshall was given a listing of the bills).
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b. In response to his question, Marshall was advised that there
was general support in the Congress for most of our overseas functions
and duties, but that this was not so with domestic activities unrelated
to foreign intelligence (e. g., McClellan's position on the Kennedy/ '
Holtzman amendment to the Law Enforcement Administration Authority).
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c. In response to Marshall's question, Houston said we had
not yet arrived at completely satisfactory statutory language and
that Stennis plans to prepare for the hearings in September and
probably hold them after the first of the year.
d. Houston emphasized the importance Stennis attaches to
letting him (Stennis) handle the problem and keeping a tight hold-
down on his plans and dealings with us.
e. I said we were developing a paper on the subject for
Mr. Colby for the White House to assure that our thinking was
consistent with the Administration's.
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Associate
Distribution:
Original - Subject
1 - Mr. Colby
1-ER
1 - OGC
I - OLC Chrono
OLC /LLM: smg (23 August 1973)
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