LETTER TO JIM WRIGHT FROM DICK THORNBURGH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 11, 2013
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: September 8, 1988
• Content Type: LETTER

Declassified and Approved For Release 2014/04/21 : CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0
WinenitiplUttorneOppnal
Wasilingtonila. al. 20530
8 September 1988
The Honorable Jim Wright
Speaker
House of Representatives
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker:
The Administration strongly supports and urges Congress to
act swiftly to adopt effective and responsible legislation to
combat drug abuse. United States law enforcement and
intelligence agencies have devoted and will continue to devote
substantial efforts toward achievement of the vital national
objective of halting the flow of illegal drugs.
The amendment proposed to be offered by Congressman Bill
Alexander to the Omnibus Drug Initiative Act of 1988 (H.R. 5210)
will weaken the hand of the United States in the battle against
illegal drugs. The Alexander Amendment is both unwise and
impermissibly encroaches on the President's constitutional
authority.
The amendment requires Executive Branch personnel obtaining
information about "illegal foreign drug activities" to forward
such information promptly to the head of their agencies. In
turn, the agency heads must furnish it to law enforcement
agencies specially designated by the President and, upon request,
to any committee of the Congress or the General Accounting Office
(GAO). If the agency head personally determines that disclosure
of the information risks specified damage to national security or
law enforcement interests, he need not disclose the demanded
information to a congressional committee, but he nevertheless
must furnish it to the GAO. The amendment also provides for
lawsuits by the GAO against Federal agencies to secure
information covered by its provisions.
The Alexander amendment would diminish the ability of the
United States to collect narcotics intelligence. Sources of
foreign narcotics intelligence, including cooperating foreign
government agencies, would be less likely to share sensitive
narcotics intelligence with U.S. agencies if it must be
disseminated on demand to the General Accounting Office and, in
nca-Imccifiari n c-i Approved For Release 2014/04/21 : CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0
Declassified and Approved For Release 2014/04/21 : CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0
- 2 -
many cases, to multiple congressional committees. The proper
executive-legislative arrangements for handling sensitive
narcotics intelligence in a responsible and secure fashion are
those specified by Title V of the National Security Act of 1947,
under which the Director of Central Intelligence and the heads of
intelligence agencies keep the congressional intelligence
committees fully and currently informed of intelligence
activities, including narcotics intelligence.
The prospect of lawsuits between the GAO and intelligence
agencies over some of the most sensitive national security
information in the possession of the United States presents a
substantial danger of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive
information. Congress recognized this danger when it enacted the
General Accounting Office Act of 1980 that provided for the
exemption of intelligence information from the GAO's current
authority to bring suits to obtain information.
The inter-agency reporting requirements established by the
amendment will disrupt effective, carefully crafted mechanisms
for secure dissemination of narcotics intelligence within the
U.S. Government. These mechanisms ensure that sensitive
narcotics intelligence is disseminated to law enforcement
agencies and that the information is properly protected from
unauthorized disclosure.
In addition to its practical flaws, the amendment
impermissibly encroaches on the powers of the President under the
Constitution to faithfully execute the laws, to supervise his
subordinates in the Executive Branch, to preserve the integrity
of executive deliberations, and to protect national security
information.
We urge the House not to adopt the Alexander Amendment.
z
Sincerely,
William H. Webster
Director of Central Intelligence
cc: The Honorable Bill Alexander
Dick Thor
Attorney
enera
anri A nnroved For Release 2014/04/21: CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0
Declassified and Approved For Release 2014/04/21 CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0
II 0
OffirrnitipAttnnwvOntnal
Iv ttfillingten,11. (t. 20530
8 September 1988
The Honorable Robert H. Michel
Minority Leader
U. S. House of Representatives
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Mr. Leader:
The Administration strongly supports and urges Congress to
act swiftly to adopt effective and responsible legislation to
combat drug abuse. lUnited States law enforcement and
intelligence agencies have devoted and will continue to devote
substantial efforts toward achievement of the vital national
objective of halting the flow of illegal drugs.
The amendment proposed to be offered by Congressman Bill
Alexander to the Omnibus Drug Initiative Act of 1988 (H.R. 5210)
will weaken the hand of the United States in the battle against
illegal drugs. The Alexander Amendment is both unwise and
impermissibly encroaches on the President's constitutional
authority.
The amendment requires Executive Branch personnel obtaining
information about "illegal foreign drug activities" to forward -
such information promptly to the head of their agencies. In
turn, the agency heads must furnish it to law enforcement
agencies specially designated by the President and, upon request,
to any committee of the Congress or the General Accounting Office
(GAO). If the agency head personally determines that disclosure
of the information risks specified damage to national security or
law enforcement interests, he need not disclose the demanded
information to a congressional committee, but he nevertheless
must furnish it to the GAO. The amendment also provides for
lawsuits by the GAO against Federal agencies to secure
information covered by its provisions.
The Alexander amendment would diminish the ability, of the
United States to collect narcotics intelligence. Sources of
foreign narcotics intelligence, including cooperating foreign
government agencies, would be less likely to share sensitive
narcotics intelligence with U.S. agencies if it must be
disseminated on demand to the General Accounting Office and, in
norinQQifiad and Approved For Release 2014/04/21 CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0
Declassified and Approved For Release 2014/04/21 CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0
- 2 -
many cases, to multiple congressional committees. The proper
executive-legislative arrangements for handling sensitive
narcotics intelligence in a responsible and secure fashion are
those specified by Title V of the National Security Act of 1947,
under which the Director of Central Intelligence and the heads of
intelligence agencies keep the congressional intelligence
committees fully and currently informed of intelligence
activities, including narcotics intelligence.
The prospect of lawsuits between the GAO and intelligence
agencies over some of the most sensitive national security
information in the possession of the United States presents a
substantial danger of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive
information. Congress recognized this danger when it enacted the
General Accounting Office Act of 1980 that provided for the
exemption of intelligence information from the GAO's current
authority to bring suits to obtain information.
The inter-agency reporting requirements established by the
amendment will disrupt effective, carefully crafted mechanisms
for secure dissemination of narcotics intelligence within the
U.S. Government. These mechanisms ensure that sensitive
narcotics intelligence is disseminated to law enforcement
agencies and that the information is properly protected from
unauthorized disclosure.
In addition to its practical flaws, the amendment
impermissibly encroaches on the powers of the President under the
Constitution to faithfully execute the laws, to supervise his
subordinates in the Executive Branch, to preserve the integrity
of executive deliberations, and to protect national security
information.
We urge the House not to adopt the Alexander Amendment.
Sincerely,
William H. Webster
Director of Central Intelligence
cc: The Honorable Zill Alexander
Dick Th
Attorn
neclassified and Approved For Release 2014/04/21 CIA-RDP90M00005R001500070013-0