CONGRESS HAS TOO MANY LISTENING POSTS ON THE CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000807580005-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 3, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/23: CIA-RD P90-00965R000807580005-2 STAT
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NEW YORK POST
3 December 1985
Congress has too many
listening posts on the CIA
CIA Director William Casey attacks
the "repeated compromise of sensitive
intelligence sources and methods" in
the leaks ty the press about CIA plans
and methods. He blames this in part on
Congress' two intelligence oversight
committees - and not without reason,
If intelligence oversight is to remain
pact of Congress' work - as political
realities suggest it will - then the com-
mittess must obey the rules.
Senators and congressmen cannot
argue against some proposed covert ac-
tkx% lose the battle Internally - and
then continue to oppose it by leaks
which damage U.S, interests worldwide.
That's plainly what happened when the
CIA's plan to overthrow Libya's dictator
Moammar IDtadafy wound up on the
front page of the Washington Poss.
But it is difficult to plug the leaks be-
cause so many people are privy to serial.
tive information. The members and
staffs of the two committees total 98.
Another problem: congressional staff-
ers are usually able, ambitious and
hard-working. yet sometimes zealous
inexperienced and passionately ideolog-
it meanwanting s breaking congressional And the more people enjoy accendeL
ss to
secrets, the easier it is for a politically
motivated leaker to escape detection.
This problem is addressed by Rep.
Henry Hyde's (R-IIL) resolution call.
ing for a single joint committee on in-
telligence to replace the two existing
committees. As intelligence expert
Cord Meyer pointed out last week in
The Post. a joint committee would ac-
complish two major objectives.
It would sharply reduce the number
of people with access to really sensitive
secrets. And the restructuring involved
could replace the present bloated and
politicized staffs with a much smaller
group of trustworthy professionals.
The resolution is rightly garnering sup
port - and the chairmen of the two ex-
isting committees should not be allowed
to obstruct its progress. The present
situation is damaging to U.S. security.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/23: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807580005-2