ROTH BUCKS REAGAN LINE ON NAMING AGENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000605630005-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: March 17, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605630005-8
By JOE TRENTO
Staff reporter
Delaware Sen. Willia;r_ V. Roth Jr. sur-
prised Republican colleagues by announc-
ing his opposition to a White
House-supported amendment that would
allow the goverrkaent to criminally prose-
cute reporters who disclose the names of
intelligence agents.
WILMINGTON NEWS (DE)
17 March 1982
i n g. a,0% g a
The legislation was first intro-
duced to prevent publications like
the Washington-based Covert
Action Information Bulletin from
releasing the names and locations
of CIA and other intelligence opera-
tives. In a recent issue, the the bul-
letin said it would not publish any
more agents names because of the
pending legislation.
Former CIA agent Philip Agee
has supplied names of his former
colleagues to Bulletin Editor Louis
Wolfe from exile outside the United
States, according to Wolfe.
Agee first became a controver-
sial figure when he wrote an unath-
orized book about life in the CIA
called "Inside the Company: CIA
.Diary."
Following the 1975 publication of
that book, and the machine gun
assassination of the CIA station
chief in Athens, Greece, Robert
Welch, the CIA has been lobbying
for legislation to prevent the disclo-
sure of agents names.
Because of CIA wrongdoing
chronicled by the Senate Intelli-
gence Committee in 1975 and by
reports in the media, serious legis-
lation to protect agents did not
develop strong political support
until the final ? year of the Carter
adminstration.
The bill before the Senate will
allow for fines of $15,000 and sen-
tences of up to three years in jail for
private citizens who disclose'
names, should it pass. For former
government official who disclose
names as Agee did, the penalty
could be $50,000. and 10 years in
jail.
Roth said of his turnaround:
"Something had to be done to pro-
tect our agents. When you co-spon-
sor you agree with the the thrust of
legislation, but maybe not all the
details.
"But as I studied this I realized
that two basic goals came into con-
flict, the freedom of the press and
the saftey of our intelligence agents
and their families. Both are critic-
ally important to the welfare of our
Roth said Tuesday he will support a nar-
rower version of the bill as amended in in
the Senate Judiciary Committee by his
junior colleague, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr.,
D-Del.
Roth joined Biden in calling the proposed
administration amendment to the bill
unconstitutional.
Roth said: "I believe the modifications
made in the Judiciary Committee, at the
instigation of my able colleague from Del-
aware, Sen. Biden, preserve the basic pur-
of the bill while eliminating any
poses
chilling effect that the threat of prosecu-
Lion could have on legitimate news report-
ers and organizations."
A Republican Senator, who supports the
amendment, and asked not to be identified,
said of Roth's decision: "This happened at
the worst time. We just had no warning. . .
White House people counted on him .on
this."
Biden and Roth are both members of the
Senate Intelligence Committee. Roth's
departure from the administration,line on)
the bill and his expertise as a mem-
ber of the-intelligence panel is
expected to make the vote on the,
? amendment extremely close. Roth
~ said in a telephone interview that
"it could go either way. The leaders,
of both groups are trying to time,
the votes when less of the opposi-
tion is on the floor."
Roth's abandonment of the
administration bill, which he origi-
nally co-sponsored, comes as the
full Senate is set to vote today
on the proposed Intelligence Identi-
ties Protection Act and the amend-
ment.
Roth said he believes the admin-
stration version of the bill might
'"blunt the vital watchdog role of the
press in seeking out and exposing.
wrongdoing by government off1
cials or agencies."
Biden's version of the bill - the
one the Senate will vote on -
requires that the goverment closely
examine the intent of anyone who'
has identified intelligence opera-
tives names before considering
prosecution.
Biden said the "intent question is
the heart of the debate. A reporter
charged with naming an agent can
defend himself by saying his pur-
pose was to expose corruption ...
but with the amendment what the
reporters motives are mean noth-
ing."
The administration proposal,
which will now be introduced as an
amendment to the Biden bill, allows
prosecution of anyone if "there is
reason to believe" the individual
disclosing names intended to dam-
age the United States intelligence
gathering efforts:
Roth called the language of the
proposed administration amend-
ment "uneccessarily broad, and
that it could tend to deter legiti-
mate news organizations from pur-
suing and reporting information the
disclosure of which would be in the
public interest."
Biden said in a telephone inter-
view Tuesday night that "I am hop-
ing for a vote [today] ... frankly
that is when I am sure most of our
votes will be in town."
Biden said he believes he has four
more votes that are solid for his bill,
then for the amendment, but that
the outcome may depend on the
vote of several moderate Republi-
cans.
Bideri said that he had talked to
Roth last week about his change of
heart on the bill and "his decision is
a real help." ?
Biden spent Tuesday on the Sen-
ate floor attempting to convince his
colleagues to vote down the admin-
istration amendment.
The adminstration version of the
bill passed the House of Represen-
tatives on Sept: 23 by a 354 to 46
'vote. The original bill introduced in
the House was successfully
amended to include the broader
y.
administration preferred. language.
U.S. Rep. Thomas B. Evans Jr., people who came before the intelli-
gence committee and to several
R-Del., co-sponsored and voted for; ntfnrnPve T --ma dtwrn on the sid&
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605630005-8 ti'
But after listening to the
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