CIA DIRECTOR CONFRONTS HIS CRITICS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404440173-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 173
• Publication Date: September 14, 1974
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/29: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404440173-6
NEWSDAY
1 ,. S E P 1.974
i~~~tor COflffOflt
atlc
Combined News Services lasted about three hours. He showed :no emotion when
Washington-Facing a hostile audience, OA di- several of the .panelists accused him: tq. his face. of.
rector Willims E. Corby denied yesterday- thatibis lying, 'br. when members of the audience called. out'.'
agency took part in the- Chilean coup last-year' but such epitihe.ts as "war criminal."
acknowledged' that the CIA "did look forward to a The questions covered ,the whole range of CIA ac-
clrange of government". in Chile. tivities from Chile to Incbodiina to Greece. Colby ae-
Colby's comments came in answer to reports that rued , any role in the - government overthrows in - .
the CIA covertly spent several million dollars to de- Greece, or on Cyprus. One of the conference panelists
stabilize the Marxist regime of,.Chilean President Sal- was. Daniel Ellsberg, who was responsible for the Pen-
vador Allende. Allende's government was overthrown tagonpapers being made public.
in the military coup and Allende lost his life: Colby Press reports this week quoted Colby as saying in
defended CIA' undercover operations as vital to secret, congressional testimony last April that CIA
American security. covert activities in Chile, had included a multi-million.
l-J c was the final speaker at a tto-day confer- dollar campaign to obstruct the-Allende regieme.
ence--dominated by CIA critics--sponsored- by. the Rep.. Michael -Harrington .(D-Mass.).squestioned y
Cr,rter for National Security Studies, supported by__. Colby. about the. CIA role in Chile. "The-;CIA had.#>
grants from three foundations;
Following a prepared statement, Colby submitted
to critical questions from about two dozen conference
panelists, and then a series of hostile questions from
the niabence. In all, his unusual public appearance
no cohnect.ion with the- coup of 1973,'x_ Colby-said.
"We did look forward to a changeoffgovernment, but
? a democratic change."..
When the discussion turned to Vietnam, a member
of. the audience uhouted: "How many, .did you kill?"
Colby, unflustered,- replied: "I didn't kill anyone." At
another; mint, when he said the 'CIA had reenact fox
human life, he' was answered by laughter:
Colby said secret operations of, the CIA ahFoed
were necessary to keep the nation from being. over-
come by its enemies. "... Irl a world which can de-
stroy itself -through misunderstand1ing or miscalcula-
tion, it is important that'. our leaders have a dear
perception of the motives, intentions and strategies of
other' powers," Colby said: "These )finds of insights,
cannot be obtained only through technical means or .
analysis. From cloned societies they can only be ob-?. I
,tained by secret itrtelligence. operations, without...'
wnich our: country must risk subordination to ppssihla'
..
adversaries.'- Z
A State Department official meanwhile aclcnowI-
edged receiving a warnring from- Ambassador Daniel:
P. Moynihan .that disclosure of, CIA activities in
Chile had. confirmed Indian Prime Minister Gandhi'a,
"worst suspicions and genuine fears" of U.S. .policy;
toward her country.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/29: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404440173-6
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