CIA 'COVERS' RANGE FROM OFFICIAL TO DEEP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01314R000100650003-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 14, 2004
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: January 12, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

THE HOUSTON POST
Approved For Rele eJA 7d/ 8yTg;IA-RDP88-01314R000100650003-1
Donald Morris! an analysis
CIA `covers' range from official to deQp
. Part 3 of a 4-part series. Donald Morris
served with the CIA 17 years. He has been a
columnist for The Houston Post since his re-
tirement from government service In 1972.
The great majority of CIA officers over-
seas serve In their true names, using docu-
mentation which Indicates they are civilian
employees of the government. A large
number of these will be civilian employees of
the Army; only on the rarest of occasions will
a CIA official be in uniform. (In such cases
he Is usually an actual military officer "lent"
to the CIA for a tour.)
Such "official" cover does not - and. Is not
intended to - fool anyone in our government,
the host government or any foreigners who
have much to do with our official colony. The
j Soviets, for example, can easily Identify
l about 95 percent of CIA officials under such
cover. The "cover" Isn't supposed to "hide"
anyone, contrary to popular belief; it is only
supposed to give the official "cover for.
status," or a valid excuse to be in the coup-
At the outside, one In 50 CIA officers may
be under '"unofficial" cover,. still using true
Identity and American citizenship, but no
longer having any overt connection with the
U.S. government. Such cover makes the offi-
' cer harder to Identify as an intelligence offi-
cial (especially if he has never served under
official cover), although it limits his utility-
he no longer has direct access to communica-?
Lions In the embassy or to the files, and he
must be supported by clandestine contacts
limits an intelligence official's utility. "Deep cover" Is al-~-;- =
out of 50 cases involving CIA officers, and such, cover
fool anyone. "Unofficial" cover may be used in only one
valid excuse to be In the country, and is not Intended to
The' usual CIA "official" cover overseas. is simply a'
served in long ago under his true identity, for National Widget has - say - 200 employees
a second tour without alerting the local gov- In the Karachi office, there is little problem;.
ernment to the fact that he has returned. our, friend is an insurance investigator or
The CIA maintains a "Central Cover" divi- something which keeps him out of the office
sign; to arrange for unofficial cover. in cities most of the time. In some cases the man may
"
employed" Americans, this is little trouble -
maintauung cover," at which he may or
talent, time or training but will account for a ? ? Over the years, the CIA has put a number
modest income will do. Everything from a of Its overseas officers under unofficial-cover
rich wife to a legacy from a notional deceas- as journalists, or on. the fringes of the jour-
ed uncle ("Sam," one officer claimed when nalist world. Ali such arrangements were laid
pressed) has been used. on with the appropriate officials at the top of
Writing Is obviously popular, especially if the ladder, and most of them worked out very.
the officer has actually published something.. well. They included one or two actual news
He can always claim he is researching traces bureaus and at least one major news weekly,
of Viking influence in the Seine valley, or
some -such. He may. refer to himself as a
and a number of, national enterprises were
created and existed only to provide the-cover.
In all these. cases, the cover' was handy, .;~
In cities not noted for great numbers of nalistic circles. in no case was such cover
permanent unofficial American' residents, used to write stories and Insert them in the
rate sponsor. Central Cover arranges for One CIA official;:: serving under official
"employment" with National Widget, or cover in Germany, was Henry, Pleasants,
whatever starting at the Mn The )voce an., _ whose hnhhv is music.*Pleasants is extraordi
with officers under official cover. ,? ..:.` personnel section and.the manager of the. ;'about the musical. world. The New York
ed overseas under:a false identity, is so rare.` ? "hired" and. goes overseas as a company and reviews. The paper then discovered
as to be almost non-existent. I have known of man, with the CIA covertly reimbursing the Pleasants was a CIA official. It no longer
two cases only, both in Western Europe. It is company for his salary and expenses.. publishes him - apparently you can't be too:.
Approved For Release 2004/10/28 : CIA-RDP88-01314R000100650003-1