PEACE CORPS'S SAFE DISTANCE FROM C.I.A., ET AL.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200900003-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 24, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 16, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/24: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200900003-7
A-:TICI,E AF1PEMED
ON PAGE 3Oj NEW YC_iK PuhL.S
P eac Co r s's Safe. Dis ce Frpm...LA e al.:..
To the Editor: - I F.
As the principal Senateof guy' the controversy over Mr. TotheEditor: -
sponsor Pauken's nomination arose not because Despite Donald Thorson's claim, the
legislation to separate the Peace Corps he is a Vietnam veteran, as Mr. Thor-: Peace Corps has always had and con-
from the Action agency, I was aston- son falsely suggests, but over the ques- tinues to have a strict prohibition
ished by the letter (Nov. 27) from Don- Lion whether the .__P -2
Thorsonwhoisinaccurate -
M
r. Thorson states that it is "rot
true" that the Peace Corps has a strict.
prohibition against former intelligence
agents within- its -ranks: The truth is ?
dmt ever since its Inception in 1961 the
- Peace Corps has had a policy designed
to preclude even the appearance of a
after leaving
frig as a Peace Corps volunteer or ern-'
the?intelligener.r elated.
pioyee.?And it strictly prohibits anyone agency and that after the 10-year peri-:.
I
e
d
el
f
se
rom serving if he or she has ea-. o
; considerations of Peace Corps em.'
serv_ g if - or she ::~
lo
m -
p
y
Thomas Pauken, director of Action; Tom A en's employment by- the Loret Ruppe, director of the Peace ~? ~+a
oe ~?eace Corps seems to have bees i
+
r
r
keeping with this. sp
; The
Corps, and William Casey, director of his servi
e
i
e
ce
n militarp Intelli
the C.IA, have said that they intend to fated - ga vio. strict prohibitions'. on corps res employ"
condnuethispolicy. or appeared to violate - a merit of former -avents-
Policy at Thomas `noes of thindispensable to the effective. and other employees of intelligence:
Bower sewed in Army cuuntetirntelli- ~, if not to its related agencies are still in effect.
Bence 13 very survival. The Foreign Relations It is important that these
years before he became Committee narrowly voted for his can- and their continued appli reelect
deputy director of the Peace Corps in firmation, lO to7. - known
cability be.
I-"- Ho9rever, no information to that Making the. Peace Corps an inde.. Peace Corps volunteers in service in
effect. was brought to the attention of pendent agency will reaffirm its funda- ? the third world have frequently been
the Senate at t the time of Mr. Houser's mental policyof keeping free of all taint exempted from manifestations of :
Mr. Thorson also claims that of an intelligence certnectioa." It is a Americanism because it has been .
rating the Peace .Corps seqa- sorry state of affairs that a high official -? clear that they are working indissputa..
rom -' in his detbraztnation to keep bly outside intellioersce.gathering ef-
w uld ''cost the to`cpa more the petite Corps within that agency at . forts, which tend to
money." The evidence points in ex- any cost, is willing to penetrate every
f
actly the opposite direction. Internal policy intended to protect jeopardize the a a facet ea American presence.
integrity abroad. A brealsdo~rn in this wader-'
Peace Corps -budget. documents esti- of the Peace Corps and the safety of its standing could, lead to dangerous
mate that, while separation will cost volunteers and staff.
about VM,00t1 in terse-year administra- situations for Peace Corps volunteers
16 December 1981
Washmgtot vacua au r-1-maw mngnL Otter The "strtct
_Dec a 1981 pr
hibiti
" L____ .
o
on
within its agency
Forme
C
I
r
.
.A. employees may
never work for the.Peace Corps. Hoy
? ever, there are many other agencies
and offices of the Federal Government
that deal in one way or another within.
search which does no intelligence'
gathering.
wmue to serve a purpose,
I%ir. Thorson's remarits about' the.'
"independence"-of the Peace Corp
also provide no correction: Noone has
ever contended that the Peace Corps is
independent of. the State:Department_,
j What is being. sought is iadependeaee
from Action, a superstructure created
by the Nixon Administratioon in wMc'
the identity of the peace Corps. has.
been submerged to the extent that
-many Americans -wonder whether it ?
still exists..
? :,cz~ ?~
-It does exist, and it t 7 '
lively in its role as a e .:
foreign i~ of theAmert~
can policy establishmenL.The
Peace Corps will continue to perform
effectively as long as.:it;remains
;clearly free. of intelligeaosaatbedng
connotations and is minirially a aim.
: bered by a-wasitingtou lacy,
~' Na 1 Committee
Returced
or. thus We or office, the rule Is
that no employee may work for the
STAT
PeaceCorpsVolunteers
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/24: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200900003-7