CIA CHIEF: WE'LL OBEY THE RULES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504880001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 9, 1987
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08 :CIA-RDP90-009658000504880001-9 jTAT
~ ~
Director of Congressional Affairs
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08 :CIA-RDP90-009658000504880001-9
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08 :CIA-RDP90-009658000504880001-9
CIA chief:
We'll obey
the rules
By James O'Shea
Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON-William
Webster, the newly appointed
head of the CIA, has pledged
that the intelligence agency will
not conduct unauthorized covert
actions. He said he will make
some personnel changes after
Congress issues its reports on
the Iran-contra affair later this
year.
Webster, who took over as.
head of the nation's Central In-
telligence Agency four months
ago, told reporters at a meeting
Wednesday he would strengthen
the office of the inspector gener-
al at the CIA to police act;tv~t~es
and to provide a check against
rogue operations.
A former appeals court judge
from St. Louis, Webster was ap-
pointed CIA director by Presi-
dent Reagan after illness dis-
abled Director William Casey
and eventually led to his death.
Webster had been director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Webster did not criticize
Casey, whose involvement in the
Iran-contra affair led to severe
criticism of the CIA by Con-
gress. But he outlined a course
he would implement that con-
trasted sharply with Casey's poli-
cies. Webster said he would
notify the appropriate congres-
sional officials promptly of fu-
ture covert CIA operations.
"We're not going to have a for-
eign policy of our own," he said,
"and we won't operate without a
presidential finding," or authori-
zation. Covert actions examined
in the Iran-contra affair were
conducted without proper con-
gressional notification and with
retroactive authorizations.
Webster said future covert op-
erations would be consistent
with the nation's foreign policy
interests and that they would
"make sense."
USA Today - _ _
The Chicago Tribune ~~
Date ~~~~$~
Earlier reports had said that
Webster would attempt to force
into retirement seNeral CIA offi-
cials, includingg counterterrorism
chief Duane Clarridge, for their
roles in the Iran-contra affair.
Webster said he has appointed a
special counsel to examine all
reports on the Iran arms deals
and covert aid to the Nicara-
guan rebels.
"He is not really conducting a
separate investigation; ,he ~s
planning to take all of this and
help me make sense out of it in
terms of what I ought to do
[with regard toJ .individual play-
ers," Webster said of the special
counsel. "It is vitally important
to see that any action taken by
me is seen as responsive to Con-
gress but fair to the people at
the agency."
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Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08 :CIA-RDP90-009658000504880001-9