WATERGATE REACTION ENDED SNOOPING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-01208R000100240056-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 25, 2011
• Sequence Number: 56
• Publication Date: October 22, 1975
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/25: CIA-RDP90-01208R00
22 OOt1 3T_.?D I ?-
Y i at e r 2 a V tY ~+. .
E. - 'e dd
E v Laurence Stern
was i?n:, 1'On P St Sta?f ~Vn'rr
The man in charge of the
Central Intelligence Agency's
illegal mail-snooping against
American citizens told Senate
investigators yesterday that
the operation was shut off is
response to the Watergate
scandal.
"It came to the attention of
a lot of people in the light of
Watergate that the govern-
ment shouldn't be doing
anything illegal," the retired
CIA director of security.
Howard Osborn, told the
Senate intelligence com-
mittee. .
Figures released by the
committee yesterday showed
that 211.3 million individual
pieces of mail, most of them
from Communist-bloc
countries, were siphoned into
the surveillance program
during its years of operation
from 1953 to 1973.
Of this number. nearly a
quarter of a million had their
contents photographed and
scattered through the various
agencies of the intelligence
community.
Osborn' and other CIA
witnesses conceded that the
yield from the surveillance
operation was of little value to
the CIA and that as long ago as
IrO51 a- review showed "no
,tangible benefits" to the
agency's Division of Soviet
Affairs.
>u instead 'of recom-
mending that it he ended. the
CIA inspector general's office
proposed ?an "intensive
a!nation" and the
preparation of a cover story in
0110 OPM I
Inc event that the ma
-no' _ing operation leaked
tuht_~ide the agency. Thomas
Abernathy. formerly of the
CIA inspector general staff,
t?tified.
Anoti;rr review in t969 found
the operation to be of dubious
value not only to the agency
but to the rest of the in-
telii.5ence community, . and
this time there was a
recommendation that it be
ended, according to former
CIA official. John Glennon.
Nonetheless, two years
later. according to internal
Ci:1 -socuments reieased
yesterday. CIA Director
Richard Helms met with then-
:attorney General John N.
Mitchell and then Postmaster-
General Winton Blount to brief
them on the continued mail
snt,.)ping.
Helms reported to CIA
colleagues that -Mr. Mitchell
fully concurred in the value of
the operation and had no
'hangups' concerning it."
The memoranda reported
that. "Mr. Blount's reaction,
trr). was entirely positive
regarding the operation and
its continuation." Blount, the
memo went- on. "rejected a
momentarily held thought of
his to have someone review
the legality of the operation as
such a review would, of
necessity: widen the circle of -
witting persons."
All the witnesses before the"
Senate committee yesterday
acknowledged that they were
.vavs aware of the illegality.
of themaii surveillance.
In a speech Monday night to-
thte Navy League, -CIA
Director William E. Colby
de ouncecl the resumption of
the mail-snooping in-
vestigation with the strongest
broacside he has vet delivered
at Congress.
are about. to have o!ir-
fn?th rc-run of the great trail
rf.:riine: storyColby- com-
pta`o ed.r "1s- Intelligence to
P,t:c %n;ea mere theater for the
3ausement or amazement of
the people rather than being
preserved and protected for.??-
thebenefitofall, '."
0100240056-6
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/25: CIA-RDP90-01208R000100240056-6