CIA INFILTRATED BLACK GROUPS IN WASHINGTON DURING THE '60S

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-01208R000100150173-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 173
• Publication Date: March 30, 1978
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/22 : CIA-RDP90-01208R000100150173-6
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE A-1,3
THE WASHINGTON POST
30 March 1978
fid Mad, G
io 11-K
In Washi
1`e:'60s
.Black Groups--
PA Infiltrated
ere :in, the .'60s
By Bill-Richards
The: Central Intelligence Agency ins
filtrated black groups, the Resurrec.:
tion City encampment here and ttie
D.C. Public school. system in the late
1960s despite its own internal findings
that "black militant" groups at the
time posed no physical threat to- the-
agency.
Documents released by the ' CIA un-
der the Freedom of Information Act
to the Center for National Security in-
dicate that in March 1969 the agency
had an informer planted within the
D.C. public school system who was
warning of growing militancy among
blacks in the city schools.
The informer, who is not identified
in the CIA documents except as "a
teacher and head of department," told
his CIA contacts that many high
school students were carrying fire-
arrns "and will probably use these
weapons at the slightest provocation."
In addition, CIA informers also- re-
ported to the agency's Langley, Va.,
headquarters from the Resurrection
City encampment here in 1968 and
took photos of a speaker at a Malcolm
X Day rally in the District during the
same perod. The intelligence agency
also maintained an almost minute-by-
minute log of, street. activity in the
riot areas during the 1968 disturb-
: nces following the death of Martin
Luther King Jr., according to newly
disclosed-CIA documents.
CIA officials told both the Rockefel-
ler Commission and the Senate Intel-
ligence Committee investigating CIA
abuses that they undertook certain do-
mestic surveillance activities under
the code headings of Project Merri-
mack and Project Resistance to pro-
tect the intelligence agency's property,
and personnel. .
The Rockefeller Commission noted')
In its report in 1975 that "the agency's
infiltration-of dissident groups in the
Washington area went far beyond
steps necessary to protect the agen-
cy's own facilities, personnel and op-
erations and therefore exceeded the
CIA's statutory authority."
In its report a year later the Senate
committee said the surveillance
"illustrated fundamental weaknesses
and contradictions in the statutory
definition of CIA authority." . ?.- . .
Neither report indicated the extent
of the CIA's surveillance of black
groups or the disavowal of any threat
they posed.
Protective surveillance by the CIA
was allowed under federal law at the
time and is still allowed under the
presidential order regulating the U.S.
intelligence community signed by
President Carter. Legislation pro-
posed by the Senate Intelligence Com-
mittee would limit protective surveil-
lance in the future to the immediate;
vicinity of CIA facilities.
Among the documents released by
the CIA was one analysis prepared by
the intelligence agency for the head
of its special activities division, which
was overseeing the Merrimack and
Resistance projects.
The document, which was prepared
in January 1969, cites source material
gathered from local, state. and federal;
'.governmental agencies as .well as
.news reports to conclude that they;
"
do not indicate that CIA, and/or its
personnel and installations are consid.
ered at this time to be a primary or j
sole target by any of the numerous!
black ffiilitant organizations or by in-
Another 1967 CIA memorandum
whose contents. were made available
to The Washington Post notes that
growing hostility toward the CIA by!
Fume black power groups at the time
posed "a new threat to its operations
abroad and its. image in the United
The memo does not mention any
threat to CIA property or personnel:
,by the. groups; but notes that the
agency had compiled lists of black i
militants and organizations "whicht
'.must be of our official concern."
- Nevertheless, the CIA cited" pote
tial threats to its property and em
ployes as the reason for broad surveil-
lance and infiltration is the late 1960s
of black groups. The scope of the CIA's- domestic
'surveillance was spelled out in a 1968
memorandum on Project Resistance
prepared for "headquarters" by a sen=
for agent in one of the intelligence
.agency's West Coast domestic offices.-
".While the original intent ? of the-
project, which was. to gather informa-
tion in support of our recruiters,
:seems to have developed into a desire
-to gather as much information as pos-
sible pertaining to racial, student and
subversive organizations,'- the agent
wrote, "obviously we are only scratch-
ing the surface generally in this effort)
at the present time."
Officials of the District school sys-
tem said yesterday . they were not
aware of any CIA informer on the .
Former school " board member)
Charles Cassell, who is named in one,
report by.the informer as being activei
during a period of turmoil in severali'
schools, said yesterday he was not sur-I
prised by the penetration of the CLA
into the local school system...
"I wouldn't be surprised. at this
point to hear, they had informants
anywhere," said Cassell. "I'm hon-
ored to be in the company-of many
,people I respect and admire who are
in their files.:.'
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