JOURNAL - OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R001800100043-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 43
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Release 2006/08108 Off ti V '4R001800100043-5
ANT6
Journal - Office of Legislative Counsel Page 4
Thursday - 23 February 1978
Latimer, Staff Director, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelli-
gence, to discuss with him a constituent letter from Chairman Edward P.
Boland (D. , Mass.) concerning alleged CIA activities in South Africa.
I told Mr. Latimer that the pamphlet is seventy odd pages long and contains
literally hundreds of names, and that a thorough job of research would
take several weeks. Mr. Latimer assured me that all he wanted was a
one page letter that Chairman Boland could send on to his constituent
assuring the constituent that CIA is not doing things in South Africa that
the pamphlet alleges. I told Mr. Latimer that we would have a response
over to him by the next week (March 3, 1978). This has been dis-
cussed wi OLC, who has the action on the letter.
Mr. Latimer told me that Representative, Les Aspire (D., Wis.) is
ready to hold open hearings on CIA and media and would like to have the
DCI testify sometime between 15 and 21 March in the morning. While the
focus on the session would be on the DCI's regulation on CIA's relationship
with the media, there will probably also be some questions on stations'
relationships with Ambassadors and the cable exchanges relating thereto.
I told Mr. Latimer that I would look into the DCI's availability and get back
to him.
Mr. Latimer also said that he and Loch Johnson, of the Committee
staff, want to have a meeting, if possible, Thursday, 2 March, with John
McMahon, DDO, to structure hearings on closed and, when possible, open
hearings on: (1) the mechanisms whereby covert action is approved, and
(2) how good is propaganda and how is it assessed. Mr. Latimer admitted
that he and particular) Loch Johnson. a Committee staff, have been
well briefed byl and even the Director himself
on the subject. However, Mr. Latimer said that subsequent discussions
with persons unnamed at the NSC revealed that there are some different
perceptions on what the mechanisms for approval of covert action really
are. I said that I would look into setting up an appointment with Mr. McMahon
and get back to him.
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Approved For Release 2006/08/08: CIA-RDP81 M0098GRO0180100043-5