PRESIDENT DEFENDS RIGHT TO PROTECT AGAINST LEAKS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100010037-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2012
• Sequence Number: 37
• Publication Date: April 10, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100010037-0
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE A _
IVLW Iuru\. LLL1LJ
10 April 1986
President Defends Right to. Protect Agai~a~eaRs
By GERALD M. BOYD
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, April 9 - President
Reagan said today that the Govern-
ment had the right to protect itself
against leaks of information in in-
stances where American troops are in-
volved in hostilities.
In defense of recent Administration
decisions to restrict press coverage of
such events. Mr. Reagan told members
of .he American Society of Newspapers
Editors that they must understand the
need fur governmental secrecy.
The President's comment came in
answer to a question that echoed con-
cerns voiced Sunday by Robert P.
Clark, the organization's president and
a vice president of Harte-hanks Com-
munications. Mr. Clark and other jour-
nalists attending the conference had
expressed concern that reporters were
removed from the aircraft carrier
Saratoga before the naval task force
retaliated against Libyan missile at-
tacks in the conflict last month in the
Gulf of Sidra.
Mr. Reagan said the Administration
had no policy restricting reporters in
such situations.
But the the President added that "I
think also that you must understand
where we believe that there is an
operation where secrecy is so all im-
portant, that you give us the right to
protect ourselves against a leak of in-
formation."
Mr. Reagan acknowledged that such
leaks had come from within the Admin-
istration, saying that "we found that
the White House is the leakiest place
I've ever been in."
As a result, he said the planning for
the operation off the Libyan coast had
been kept to a "few people."
The journalists had been flown to the
carrier to observe the naval maneu-
vers, but were retarned to Italy about
two hours before the United States re-
talitated against missiles fired by
a o fft'cia1s have said they de-
vy
=,N
ot to divulge information on the
Libyan attacks at the time because the
attacks had not been confirmed.
In the conflict, the Pentagon had de-
clined to make operational a press
"pool" under an agreement reached
after protests by the press against
being barred from the United States in-
vasion of Grenada in 1983. The pool is
designed to witness and report on a
conflict on behalf of all the press.
Later . before the same forum, Wil-
liam of Central
Intelligence, reflected a similar ix re-
strictive view. He said leaks of class
f' orma ton compromi
sensiihve sources and meteso sed
h-
erng intelli ence.
"Leakers are costing the ers
millions an even i tons o dollars."
he said. "`and more importantly putting
Americans abroad as well as a coun-
try itself at risk."
Mr. Case said the Government had
ncre erts to find and
those leakin secrets.
But the Director also said that
in his five years in the post. he a seen
numerous exam es in which the the
press has withheld stones or written
them in a wa at wou preserve the
confidentia t o intelligence sources.
He sai owever, tin press
disclosure of American ability to moni-
tor communications between terrorists
caused a valuable channel of informa-
tion to "dry up.
r. Case s ar menu were chal-
1 Howa imons a Former
a in editor o The Washington
Post. w o rects the Neiman Fel ow-
program at Harvard University.
Mr. Simons said that much informa-
tion in Government was classified and
that it was virtually impossible for a
reporter to do his job in Washington
without bumping into secrets. Addi-
tionally, he argued that the secret
stamp is often applied to cover up Gov-
ernment errors or abuses of power..
Mr. Reagan opened his appearance
with a statement that urged the jour-
nalists to tell the story of "the savage-
ness and inhumanity" of the Sandinista
Government.
On another matter, Mr. Reagan said
that Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-
Qaddifi, was a "definite suspect" in re-
cent terrorist acts in which Americus
have been killed. Hinting of possible
American retaliation, the President
said, "We're not just going to sit here
and hold still."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100010037-0