TIGHTENING INTELLIGENCE SCRUTINY
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP90-00965R000604900015-0
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
K
Document Page Count:
1
Document Creation Date:
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date:
May 4, 2012
Sequence Number:
15
Case Number:
Publication Date:
April 2, 1987
Content Type:
OPEN SOURCE
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Body:
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/04: CIA-RDP90-00965R000604900015-0
WASHINGTON POST
2 April 1987
Tightening Intelli'ence Scrutiny
Proposal for Change Sparks Sharp- Debate at House Hearing
By`'David' $ ~ Q'ttaway '
Washington Poet Staff Writer
The House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence began
hearings yesterday on a bill that
would require the president even in
extraordinary circumstances to no-
tify Congress within 48 hours of any
"significant" covert activity and to
provide in advance to the Senate
and House intelligence committees
a copy of each directive authorizing
any operation.
The bill, introduced by the com-
mittee chairman, Rep. Louis Stokes
(D-Ohio), and by Rep. Edward P.
Boland (D-Mass.), a former chair-,
man, provoked sharply conflicting
reactions about the wisdom of
changing existing law, which allows
the president in certain cases not to
give prior notice and to inform Con-
gress later, "in a timely fashion."
The bill was introduced in re-
sponse to President Reagan's fail-
ure, for well over a year,.to notify
anyone in Congress of his secret
initiative to Iran. It is cosponsored
by all Democrats of the House in-
telligence committee and 49 other
House Democrats.
The committee debate yesterday
appeared to mark the start of an
agonizing reappraisal of whether
congressional oversight of White
House-initiated covert activities has
broken down and of what changes,
if any, should be made.
Appearing before the panel's sub-
committee on legislation yesterday
were House Speaker Jim Wright
(D-Tex.) and House Minority Lead-
er Robert H. Michel (R-111) who
took strongly opposing views on the
issue.
Wright said that "the colossal
misjudgments" made by the admin-
istration in the Iran arms deal con-
firmed the need for what he called
two "very simple changes" in the
statutes govering prior notification
of covert actions and the presiden-
tial directives-called "findings"-
that approve such operations.
"We must define what constitutes
'timely notice,' " Wright told the
subcommittee.
Michel sharply disagreed, warn-
ing that the proposed new require-
ments are "the functional equivalent
of a foreign' policy straitjacket" for
the president and would weaken his
hand in dealing with the Soviet
Union.
"What I question is the wisdom of
Congress, acting in the emotion of
this Iran-contra affair, placing re-
strictions upon the very institution
of the presidency itself, restrictions
that are in my view constitutionally
dubious and strategically danger-
ous," Michel said in a prepared
statement.
The Stokes-Boland bill would
change Section 662 of the 1961
Foreign Assistance Act to require
the president to send a copy of each
written "finding" signed by him "pri-
or to the initiation of such opera-
tion" to the Senate and House in-
telligence committees, the vice
president, the secretaries of state
and defense, and the director of
central intelligence.
Two former CIA directors, Adm. 4,
Stansfield Turner and William E. 1
C a so es Tied yg av. both ,
warning against any hasty changes
in the existing law.
Citing President Reagan's new
commitment in his March 4 address
to the nation to make the congres-
sional oversight process work,
Turner suggested that "at this par-
ticular moment, discretion on the
part of Congress may be the better
part of valor."
In a directive issued Tuesday to
implement the recommendations
made by the Tower commission,
Reagan ordered that the National
Security Council study what steps
should be taken to ensure "that all
requirements of law concerning co-
vert activities, including those re-
quirements relating to presidential
authorization and congressional no-
tification, will be addressed in a
timely manner and complied with
fully."
Colby testified that the machinery
for tufcient congressional oversight
o covert activities already existed if
it was used properly.
The hearings are to continue
Wednesday, when administration
witnesses are scheduled to appear.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/04: CIA-RDP90-00965R000604900015-0