FDIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B00443R001203970120-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 120
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP88B00443R001203970120-0
EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
Routing Slip
ACTION
INFO
DATE
INITIAL
1
CI
2
DD
3
EXDIR
4
D/ICS
5
DDI
6
DDA
7
DDO
8
DDS&T
9
Chm/NIC
10
GC
11
IG
12
Compt
13
D/EEO
14
D/Pers
15
D/OEA
16
C/PAD/OEA
17
SA/IA
18
A0/DCI
19
C/IPD/0IS
20
E S
21
22
SUSPENSE
Day
ecufwe ary
Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP88B00443R001203970120-0
 Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP88B00443R001203970120-0
14 September 1982
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of External Affairs
FROM: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: FOIA
1. Can you have someone prepare a succinct letter to use in responding
to newspaper stories which distort or disagree with our position on the
Freedom of Information Act. (See the attached NEW YORK TIMES story and get
the CHICAGO TRIBUNE story of about a week ago.) It should deal with:
a. The perception of public availability;
b. The enormous cost and the leakage which occurs;
c. The consequent loss of our ability to keep a secret;
d. The marginal benefits and danger of misinformation
arising from the fragmental and selective nature of
what can usually be disclosed;
e. The fact that accountability and oversight is fully
provided for by Congressional oversight.
2. Let's try to get a satisfactory simple letter in layman's language
prepared for me to clear before I leave on Friday.
RiW81ORPR8074
Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP88B00443R001203970120-0
 Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP88B00443R001203970120-0
~,~:ic APPZ
0.1 PAGE ~'~
0
Topics
NEW YORK (TITS
12 SEPTEC~B 1982
is
Pious Deceptions
C.I.A. Disinformation
William Casey, the Director of Cen-
tral Intelligence, is continuing his at-
tack on the Freedom of Information
"Act by posing a false choice between
an open society and a secure one. "I
-question very seriously," he told the
'American Legion recently, "whether
- a secret intelligence agency and a
Freedom of Information Act can coex-
' st for very long." That's because the
law lets anyone, including foreign in-
? telligence agencies, "poke into our
jfiles," he says. His solution: "Get rid
? of the Freedom. of Information Act."
The C.I.A. and the F.O.IA. have
.coexisted handsomely since 1566 with
:'immense benefits for democracy and
no demonstrated harm. That's be-
cause the act specifically exempts
from disclosure Government docu-
ments that are legitimately secret.
Before any outsider can poke into a
file, officials pore over it .to see
whether all or part of it is classified.
The danger is not from over-exposure.
but over-classification. -
TA still undocumented threat to na-
tional security is said to be the reluc-
tance of foreign intelligence services
to share their secrets, and the fear of
some individuals to risk lives and
reputations to help the C.I.A. Instead
of nourishing paranoi-, Mr. Casey
could ease those concerns by explain-
ing to everyone how freedom of infor-
mation reallyaorlm
Approved For Release 2007/06/08: CIA-RDP88B00443R001203970120-0