WHAT SHOULD BE SECRET?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-01022R000100180013-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 1998
• Sequence Number: 13
• Content Type: NSPR

- Approved For Re4se X01/03/06 : CIA-RDP83-011122RO 100180013-1
ret?
d bi Se
c
of Shoul
By RICITARD FRYKLUND
Star Staff writer
A secret document was once
read to this reporter by a De-
fense Department lawyer who
was investigating "security
le Another time it was a Secre-
tary of Defense who read from
a top-secret document.
In fact, almost everyone in
the Pentagon who talks to re-
porters, even casually, at some
time or other gives out infor-
mation contained in a classi-
o
m
e
-
policy changes before the of
in a
-
some
to put officials in a poor ligl.
These as c
too, but they do- not dama#
How to Prevent It?
Undoubtedly some .stori
l llla _ +~ -? V,1G114 Vaaav.w- a^
of these `officials and officers some of the information the
had
on-
i
s
on
s
are irre?pansible. On the c
Atomic Energy Commi
trary, in ' disclosing classified learned about the new series of
their
The offi-
i
ng
material, they were do
Russian atomic tests.jobs"propuly as they saw them. cial said that the Russians
This situation is cited here to knew, so why shouldn't the
point up the extraordinarily Americans?
wlt'
ttempt
i
t
ng
a
blem fac
difficult pro The reporter did no
tresses in the current House < ^^-
w use to answer the question themem-
committee i gaLlon - and the information they alau
Pentag n and d the the press:
will _to officials who were compe-
ho
this- writer personally has hear
of only one. In that case
tell the Russians too much
about a particular intelligence
operation.
h
ave
How could that mishap
been prevented? Neither the of-
ficial nor the reporter involved
in the unfotunate Xcident
realized what he was doing. Nei-
ther tighter classification rules
lr--e ? ?..
begin testifying Monday, may
say that the problem can recommended that some of the
..orters information be suppressed, and
away from classified material. About a week after the trun-
But this won't work. cated story was printed, the
nd editors will
same ma-
th
e
orters a
irtually
Rep AEC put vtend to claim that officials are terial into a press handout.
classifying too many documents Soon after, a Defense De
and depriving the public of in-
,-,.,., . uartment lawyer invited me to
nor more freedom of informa-.
tion could have helped.
As with the whole "leaked se-
crets" business, there is no easy
answer.
ivy.....- c nn i ,o ~i..,... ??_
t-7 a n?h7ir R?~t,+,Fi ' c ? oout the story, which carried
P; F -56Z 101 6`.mis reporter's name and that
UD WZ`--6Z'E-6L'Z '691 'SNf Earl H. Voss, the Star's State
:joaM sAog Sn6Jagd-1AW Department reporter.
rrti.e la,uvar said that ths
months ago a Govern-
%
-
-
nation was a "traitor" and was
disloyal" to his Government.
n fact, he continued, anyone
rmation was disloyal.
to prove that the story
Then
,
lid contain classified informal
The report was stamped "Se.
lar red letters
Approved for l elea 20011 usl P 1022R000100180013-1
in the opinion of the officials
verything
t
e
involved, but almos
he told was con
ments carrying tai ed i h g st
classification.
He divulged classified infor-
mation, but he did not give
away any vital secrets.
rl -,lly the classified in-
r
thought he was doing, ri
I~VThat -is--one for worriers ab
e
s
its pr
s
l._
o
formation going to a reporte+
Ohl