LETTER TO DAVID A. STOCKMAN FROM JOHN N. MCMAHON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86M00017R001301050012-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2009
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: May 17, 1984
• Content Type: LETTER

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The Honorable David A. Stockman
Director
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, D.C. 20503
17 May 1984
Senator Biden's Drug Czar Bill, S. 1787, is currently under consider-
ation in the House of Representatives. While I certainly favor efforts
to improve the Government's ability to cope with the drug problem, I am
concerned that certain aspects of this Bill could inadvertently have a
detrimental effect on intelligence activities.
Subsections 4 (a) (3) and 4 (b) (3) could be read as authorizing the
Board and the Drug Czar to coordinate strategic narcotics intelligence
activities abroad -- a responsibility currently exercised by the Director
of Central Intelligence (DCI) in coordination with the Secretary of
State. These activities are largely conducted by the same personnel who
are engaged in other intelligence pursuits, and the establishment of a
separate chain of authority for narcotics-related activities could
disrupt other intelligence activities and interfere with liaison with
foreign intelligence services and the conduct of foreign affairs. The
Czar's authority to evaluate narcotics information might also be inter-
preted as entitling him to make determinations as to the use of narcotics
intelligence outside of normal security channels independent of other
intelligence concerns, thereby jeopardizing intelligence sources and
methods.
Subsections 4 (a) (1) and 4 (c) (3) of the Bill could interfere with
the formulation of the Intelligence Community budget by giving the
Narcotics Board the power to fund narcotics efforts out of money appro-
priated for other intelligence projects vital to the security of this
country. I believe that robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the answer to
the drug enforcement problem. Instead, senior officials in federal
agencies involved in drug enforcement should work closely with members of
Congress to obtain the necessary funds to combat the drug problem.
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Finally, subsection 4 (c) (1) of the Bill would interfere with the
DCI's responsibilities for allocating intelligence assets -- in this
case, personnel. Because intelligence officers have multiple responsi-
bilities, having them serve two masters would cause total confusion.
Although subsection 4 (d) provides that "notwithstanding the
authority granted in [Section 4 (a)], the Board shall not interfere with
routine law enforcement or intelligence decisions of any agency," it does
not protect Intelligence Community interests because it covers only the
Board's actions; the Czar apparently is not covered. Moreover, it
protects from interference only routine intelligence decisions.
Nonroutine, indeed significant, intelligence decisions could be compro-
mised.
One way to avoid the potential problems outlined above would be to
urge the Congress to consider expanding the scope of the noninterference
provision by striking the referlence to "intelligence decisions" in
subsection 4 (d) and by adding a new provision as follows:
Nothing in section 4 shall limit the authorities provided
the Director of Central Intelligence by the National Security
Act of 1947, as amended, the CIA Act of 1949, or any other
statute or Executive Order.
I am open to any other suggestions regarding possible approaches to
resolving the issues raised in this letter. I hope that by working
together we can reach an agreement with the Congress that will improve
the effectiveness of the Government's effort against drug trafficking and
at the same time protect intelligence interests.
Sincerely,
eputy erector of Central Intelligence
cc: Mr. Jay B. Stephens
Deputy Associate Attorney General
1 - DCI
1 - DDCI
1 - EXDIR
1 - OLL
1 - OGC
1 - NI0/Narcotics
1 - ER File (Corrected fm 15 May copy)
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