U.S. PROBING LEAKS OF PLANS TO UNDERMINE KADAFI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201490003-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 10, 2012
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: November 5, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/10: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201490003-6
BALTIMORE SUN
S November 1985
U.S. probing leaks of
plans to undermine Kam
By Lyle Dmn*m 1982 presidential directive. and dls-
and Nancy J. Schwertler ciplinary action could be taken
YVashirrgoan Bureau of The Sun against an employee who refused to
take a test. Members of Congress
WASHINGTON - The Reagan and their aides. however. could not
administration has begun an appar- be forced to-take Lie-detector tests.
ently broad investigation of leaks to The intelligence panels have pm-
the press of secret Intelligence re- mary responsibility for overseeing
ports discussing a plan to weaken Intelligence agencies and in authori-
the regime of Libya's leader, Col. ration of covert operations. However.
Musmmar el KadafL other members of Congress are per.
The Justice Department's inter- mitted access to secret data.
nal Security Section reportedly Is P Chairman David Durenberger.
leadliid with act
l
tua
R-Minn., of the Senate intelliaerlee
tigatam being done by FBi agents.
A White House spokesman said
the administration would pursue the
Investigation to the end" and could
use polygraph tests to learn the
source of disclosures of secret Infor-
mation.
In addition, leaders of the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence an-
nounced that the panel had begun
its own Internal Inquiry into any
possible committee role in the disclo-
sures. even though there was no
indicattion that the Senate commit-
tee had oompromised any sensitive
intelligeite information.*
The leak surfaced over the week-
end when The Washington Post
quoted from secret papers on a plan
for a covert operation to undermine
the Kadafl regime.
The White House spokesman.
Larry M. Speakes, said that the ad-
ministration inquiry would use a
number of ways- to probe the source
of the disclosures, and he noted that
an executive order governing intelli-
gence operations *does permit poly-
graphs" to be used in Inquiries.
Lie-detector tests are autl rued
for government employees un a
Of the
think cam -Morn Inside the ad-
ministration some
-
ly nappens from their si e n ours."
fin. In Nickles, R.Okla.. who is
npt a member of the intelligence
panel. condemned the Libya disclo-
sures, saying the possible leak of se-
cret material was 'a complete out-
rage." He said that any member of
Congress involved in a leak of secret
Information should be censured 'or
actually expelled."
It is unclear, at this point, wheth-
er the government probe will lead to
criminal charges. A number of
probes of press leaks have been
made In the past, and no criminal
prosecution resulted.
However, the leak and Its investi-
gation comes right after the Reagan
administration won a major test
Se complet
leaX
case in Baltimore last month. with
the conviction of a Navy intelligence
analyst, Samuel L. Morison. for
handing over secret documents and
photographs to a British publication.
and their Although members of Congress aides generally enjoy im-
munity to official Investigations for
their legislative actions. the Su-
preme Court has made clear that the
lawmakers and aides may be Inves-
tigated about possible criminal con-
Ina 1972 nullIna case Involy.
Ing Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel's public
disclosure of the contents of the se-
cret '
Pentagon
Papers' study of the
War, the court said that
constitutional Immunity to Investi-
gation or prosecution would not ap-
ply if a member engaged in " republi-
cation of classified papers- in
violation of federal law.
Correspondent Robert Timberg of
The Sun's Washington Bureau
contributed to this article.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/10: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201490003-6