CARTER SANCTIONS USE OF REPORTERS AS CIA HELPERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020048-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 48
• Publication Date: April 13, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020048-7
ARTICLE APPEaiLZD
ON PAGE_ _CL___.
THE WASHINGTON POST
13 April 1980
Carter Sanctions
Use of .Reporters.
As CIA Helpers.
United Press International
President Carter, jn? an interview
made public yesterday. by the White
House, endorsed using reporters as
CIA operatives overseas under., "ex=
treme circumstances" involving .U.S.
security.
'The use of"journalists by 'the. Cen-
tral Intelligence Agency is a, sensitive
issue. News media officlals''have com-
plained
that the' practice endangers
all correspondents- abroad- ''and-. casts
suspicion on them.
The president was asked about CIA
Director. Stansfield Turner's disclos-
tire last Thursday that on three oc-
casions in the past three years Ameri-
can 'journalists were approached by
the CIA and agreed to- cooperate.
None of those-covert actions was ever
carried out, however, Turner said.
`'In a rapidly changing, interna-
tional situation where, on occasion,
our - nation's own security, or exist-
ence might be threatened, -we do, not
want to publicly foreclose the option
of taking certain action that might be
necessary," Carter told a group of
editors and broadcasters at,the-,White
House.
"I think Adm. Turner expressed
the policy accurately." Carter said.
"We are not now using. any news-
people," he said. "This would be'done
under only extreme circumstances and
the personal approval of either Adm.
Turner or myself would be required."
The president prefaced his remarks
by noting that "we have a question,
obviously, on how to announce public-
ly what we will and will not, do, and
there is a similar question with people
like clergymen or schoolteachers and
others." ?''`
Press secretary Jody Powell ;said
the president's remarks applied only
to the use of reporters. Powell ac-
knowledged that he himself could "see
it as a? problem. But on balance, I do
not see that because someone happens
to be a reporter that there should be
a law saying they ... should not act
in the-interests of national security.'.'
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020048-7