WHITE HOUSE JOINS IN WARNING ISSUED BY CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504750002-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: May 29, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/27: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504750002-2
-~ I
ASSOCIATED PRESS
29 May 1986
WHITE HOUSE JOINS IN WARNING ISSUED BY CIA
BY W. DALE NELSON
WASHINGTON (AP) _ A White House spokesman said Thursday that
reporters covering a spy trial in Baltimore should not disclose
information beyond what is released by the government and that
journalists in general should not disclose classified information.
Edward Djerejian cautioned reporters on the subject during a
discussion of a statement issued by the CIA and National Security
Agency in connection with the federal trial of former NSA worker Ronald
Pelton.
Djerejian made the statement when asked to state the White House
policy regarding a warning that journalists should not report
information not specifically released during the proceedings.
Djerejian said the statement had been cleared by President Reagan's
national security adviser, John Poindexter, and added, We are in full
agreement with the thrust of that statement.''
1'I think what the statement said was that speculation and
reporting
details beyond the information that has actually been released at trial
should be considered very, very carefully,'' the spokesman said.
11 The bottom line is reporting details beyond the information
actually disclosed at the trial. I focus you on that,'' Djerejian said.
He said the statement was ''not intended as a threat'' and he was
not suggesting that reporters would be prosecuted under a 1950 law, not
previously applied to the press, against ' disclosing any classified
information concerning communications intelligence.'' CIA Director
William Casey has raised the possibility of such prosecution in
connection with some recent news stories.
Djerejian added that ''beyond the details of specific cases''
journalists ''should not publicly disclose information that is
classified or that will affect the national security interests of the
United States.''
''We have a responsibility in the government and this
administration
to assure that there is discipline and that there are not unathorized
disclosures ... and quite frankly that is the major thrust of what is
being considered now,'' Djerejian said.
The White House is preparing for a meeting of officials of
government agencies to discuss ways to crack down on leaks of national
security information, but Djerejian said Wednesday no date has been set
for the meeting.
He added that the press and the electronic media have a
responsibility, when they do have information, to look at that
information and put it under the same standards of 'how will this
affect the national security of the United States?' We're all
Americans.''
The CIA-NSA statement said the government's case against Pelton
will include release of certain classified information involving
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/27: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504750002-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/27: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504750002-2
2.
intelligence activities of the United States ''
The agencies said the 'decision to make use of this information in
trial has been made by appropriate government authorities after careful
consideration of the demands of trial and the potential harm that
release of this selected data may cause the national security. ''
Djerejian said the government had determined that in order to
successfully prosecute, the information had to be available.''
The statement cautioned reporters ' against speculation and
reporting details beyond the information actually released at trial.''
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/27: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504750002-2