SENATE VOTES BILL TO GUARD IDENTITY OF COVERT AGENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201080009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 11, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 19, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/11: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201080009-3
Id.EW YORK TIME'S
19 MARCH 1982
'SENAE VOTES BILL
i0 GUaRD IDcN'fITY
OF COVERTAGENTS
CourtTestlsExpected .
The bill, which has been criticized by
press` and civil liberties groups, Is ex-
pected to face a swift court test- Several
members of the Senate have said that
the restrictions on the press are uncon-
stitutional.
"Obviously, this legislation is not de- i
signed for legitimate news-gathering or-
gcnimtions which have published de-
rogatory information about the C.I.A.
I but have managed to do so with no dis-
closure of names, or with very iew ex-
ceptions." :
In - on ;
ive t: emo-
the mom vote the bill
Approval Follows Long Debate
Over Freedom of Press and
National Security Need
By DAVID SHRIB.NMN
SpeeialtoTbeyr>Ycwknma
WASHINGTON, March 18-The Sen-
ate, ending a debate over the balance
between press freedom and national se-
cta-ity approved a bill today that would
make 'fa crime to disclose the identities
of American intelligence, agents in-
volved in covert actions abroad. '
The bill, which is nearly identical to'
one passed last September by the House
of Representatives, has strong White.
Rouse support and is all but certain to'
become law:
Before sending the measure to a con-
ference with the House, however; the
Senate defeated an amendment that
would have-restricted prosecution to
people whose "main direction" was to
expose the identities of American intelli-
gence agents. .
Wide and Bitter Dlfferences
The final passage of the Senate bill by
a 90-to-6 vote masked the wide and often
bitter differences over one of the bill's'
major elements, a provision. that ex-
poses to prosecution those people, in-
cluding journalists, who have "reason to
believe" that.their disclosures would
hinder American intelligence activities.
The Senate accepted that language yes-
terday. .
In voting for the-bill, the.- Senate l
sought to-, protect American covert
agents operating abroad. Intelligence
officials maintain that the identification
of covert agents compromises their.
work and exposes them to harm. :
Such disclosures have been' blamed
for the 1975 slaying of.Richard Welch,
the Central Intelligence Agency's sta-t
lion chief in Athens, and fora number of
attacks on American intelligence per-
sonnel in Jamaica. ? . .
,
The American Civil Liberties Union is
oats and one Republican were opposed. already preparing to challenge the bill l Tel Democrats ;ere Senators Bradley,
in court. Jerry J.. Berman, legislative! Biden, Alan Cranston of Califortra,
counsel to the group, described the-, Gary Hart of Colorado and Daniel Pat-
measure'as an "unconstitutional, over- rick Moynihan of New York. The Repub-
broad bill that is unnecessary, .unwise 1 lican was Senator Larry Pressler of
and-that will chill legitimate investiga- t South Dakota..
Live reporting on foreign policy and in- Thy Senators did not vote. They
telli gence activities, even if they're were Howard W. Cannon of Ne-rada and
violations of the law." Russell B. Loz:g ' of Louisiana, both
Democrats and Charcs McC. Mat=s
Approval of the bill vas all but as.. Jr. o f Margland, a Republican.
sured after the Senate. voted today
againstthe amendment offered by Sena-
tor Bill Bradley, Democrat of New Jer-
sey, that would have restricted proseeu-
lion to those whose "main direction"
v:his ' to "identify and expose covert
agents."
The Bradley amendment, which was
defeated by a vote of 59 to 37, was
prompted by a colloquy involving Sena-
tor David F. Durenberger, Republican
of Minnesota, and Senator John H.
Chafee, Republican of Rhode Island.
In the colloquy, Senator Chafee gave
assurances that the bill was directed at
those whose main purpose was to expose
the identities of covert agents and not at
those who wished only to expose wrong-
doings or report the r*ws. "Nobody,
need fear prosecution other than those
in the business of naming names," he
said.
1 That discussion ;vas at the heart of the
debate that preceded the voting on the.
Bradley amendment, with Senator Jo- .
seph R. Biden Jr., Democrat of Dela-'
ware, arguing that the language of the
amendment was consistent with the
agreement in the colloquy.
"Now we're about to vote down that
language," Senator Biden said. "We're
going to vote do nthatcolloquy."
Senator Chafer, in a refer nce to intel-
ligence newsletters that have exposed 1
the identities of covert agents, replied: I
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/11: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201080009-3