PRESIDENT EASES RESTRICTIONS ON GATHERING OF INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100620079-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 13, 2010
• Sequence Number: 79
• Publication Date: December 5, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/13: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100620079-8
I_,TICLE APPEARED THE WASHINGTON POST
OII PAGE_ L+ 5 December 1981
aJU
By George Lardner Jr.
wuhington Po., Staff wtiter
President Reagan yesterday eased
many of the restrictions imposed on
L.S. intelligence agencies since the
Mid-1970s when he signed an exec-
utive order that he said is designed
`to remove the aura of suspicion and
mistrust that can hobble" their work.
The 1 i -page order, which sup-
plants one signed by President. Car-
ter three years ago, authorizes the
Central Intelligence Agency:_to use
secret means to collect "significant
foreign intelligence" from unsuspect-
ing Americans here and abroad.
it also will allow the agency to
mount covert operations--in this
country if they are designed to sup-
port "objectives abroad" and are "not
i txnded" to influence U.S. politics,
polices or the news media.
f he executive order. was issued
after months of backstage 1debate,
punctuated by periodic1eaks, about
three earlier and more permissive.
In a statement accompanying the
Reagan said the final decree,
order
,
had been carefully drafted "to main-
taro the legal protection of all 'Amer-
ican citizens" while- giving the'U.S.,
intelligence community clear wide-
lines for its work.
"Contrary to a distorted image
that emerged during the last decade,
there is no inherent conflict between
the intelligence community and the
rights of our citizens," Reagan de-
Glared.
"'T'his is not to say mistakes were
never made and that vigilance
against abuse is? unnecessary," he
acknowledged. "But an approach'
that emphasizes suspicion and mis-
trust of our own intelligence efforts
can undermine this nation's. ability. l
to confront therincreasing challenge
of espionage and terrorism." The order reportedly incorporates
at least portions of about 15? of 18'
changes recommended this fall by
alarmed members of the House and
Senate Intelligence committees, but
lawmakers and civil libertarians nev-
ertheless issued mixed reviews -yes-
terday
House ? Intelligence - Committee-
Chairman Edward P. Boland (D=
Mass.) said he is gratified that the
order "retreats from the worst depar-
tures from the Carter order" that
had been proposed in earlier drafts.
Boland said, he still is troubled by
the provision for collection of "sig-
nificant=-foreign intelligence" from
American citizens even if they are
not suspected of any wrongdoing or
of employment by foreign powers.-
Boland" promised closer monitoring
by his committee to guard against
excesses.
The next few years, as the
new order is implemented and inter-
preted, will be important ones for
the oversight committees. If we do
our job properly, we will be in a po-
sition to assure the American people
that their rights are being safe-
guarded," Boland said
Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-
N.Y.), acting chairman of the Senate
Intelligence Committee, made a sim-
ilar point,- He said that he feels the!
order makes it clear that the CIA's
mission is abroad but that "there are
a very few provisions ... which, if
misinterpreted or stretched- beyond
the legitimate intent of their au-
thors, could pose some problems."
- The most outspoken ' criticism
came from Rep. Don Edwards (D-
Calif.), who said his House Judiciary
subcommittee . on constitutional
rights would open hearings "right
away." will be considered U S persons. The j
"It's really patty bad," the former safeguards are now supposed to ex-
FBI agent protested: "It still puts tend to all "permanent . resident
the CIA smack into secretly operat- ;aliens" whether or not the INS
ing within the United States ..: and `knows aboutthem.
vWIUC vycti W burveulance, regardless
of any connection'to foreign govern-
ments or criminal activity."
As a result of protests by the In-
telligence committees, the White,
House abandoned a proposal that!,
would have permitted the CIA to
infiltrate and to influence purely do-i
mestic organizations. But the order
would still-allow the CIA and other
intelligence agencies, aside from the
FBI, to infiltrate such organizations`
for any one of a secret list of pur-1
poses to be prescribed by the attor-
ney general. I
Under.the Carter order, CIA in-j
:filtration of domestic organizations i
was limited to a publicly stated set
of purposes including recruitment of
agents, development of cover, and
undercover participation in technical
society meetings not open to the f
general public. - _- . - : 11
Reagan's order also differs from
that of Carter in these respects: - - -
e It changes the flat rule requiring
...the head of the CIA and all other
intelligence agencies to report to the
attorney general evidence of possible,
violations of federal law by their em-1
ployes. Instead, such reports are to r
be made only when they would not-'
interfere "with. the protection of in-
telligence sources and methods."
e It revises the definition of "U.S. !
persons" -whose rights are' to be protected. Officials said the safeguards
no longer will extend to U.S. corpo-
rations "directed and controlled by,,
foreign governments," such as the
Soviet trading company, Amtorg.
In addition, because of the short- i
.comings of Immigration and Natu-?
ralization Service records, . only j
"known permanent resident aliens"
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/13: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100620079-8