KOPPEL: GOOD EVENING. I'M TED KOPPEL, AND THIS IS NIGHTLINE.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100020109-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 21, 2012
• Sequence Number: 109
• Publication Date: May 3, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

~j Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/21 : CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100020109-9
ABC NIGHTLINE
3 May 1984
KOPPEL: Good evening. I'm Ted Koppel, and this is Nightli~
now-it-can-be-told books, people in the public eye seem ready as never before to
bare their souls between hard covers. But is the purpose really to tell all or
just to even old scores? And is there a double standard for top officials,
compared to others, when it comes to disclosing sensitive information? We'll
talk tonig:,t with recent author, Alexander Haig, and with Frank Snepp, whose
book on the CIA in Vietnam landed in him court.
K0PPEL: is one thing for a movie star or a baseball pitcher to tell all. It
can be painful, but still mostly irrelevant, when the son or daughter of a
beloved entertainer reveals another, less admirable, side to Mommy or Daddy
dearest. But our guest, Alexander\Haig, was this country's secretary of State
under an administration still in office. His new book is called 'Caveat.' It
has nothing to do with female sexuality. It is too recent, uh, Secretary Haig,
to be considered history. What, then, is the purpose of a book like this?
ALEXAKDER HAIG (Former Secretary of State): Well, Ted, it's, it's also not the
confessions of a lover. 'It is, rather, a, uh, contemporary analysis of an
atmosphere around the presidency which I believe that risks (sic) depriving this
president of the greatness he is capable of achieving. And it, it's serving a
substantive purpose, above all else.
KOPPEL: It could, I suppose, to carry on the analogy a little bit further, be
called the memoirs of a jilted lover, as one who did not get exactly the kind of
affection he thought he was gonna get when he joined this administration. HAIG:
You, you might say that, but, uh, I don't think it was a question of love or
hate cr personalities, uh, but rather, a, uh, inadequate set of procedures and
inadequate discipline for the carrying out of presidential decisions, and a'
multiclicity of voices that confuse those who are our friends and those who
don't share our, our values.
KOPPEL: Is that, General Haig, most appropriately put in a private memorandum
to the president or in a, in a book for the nation? HAIG (chuckling): Well,
that's a good question, Ted. But let me tell you, that was in a private
memorandum and repeatedly in private discussions with the president.
KOPPEL: is there anything in this book, in other words, that might give--I,
I--well, all right, let me use the old phrase, aid and comfort to the enemies of
our country? In other words, this man is still president of the United States.
The people with whom you had your differences in this administration are still
trying to, to, to... HAIG: Oh, Ted, now...
KOPPEL: ...carry the burdens of that office. HA-IG: Come on, Ted. Now you're
a big fella who's been reporting this administration for.three years. And there
isn't anything in that book that's surprising to anyone. What there is in this
book, hopefully, is some substantive relationships drawn to the, uh, problems of
staff inadequacy and improper management of foreign affairs.
KOPPEL: No, but you also... HAIG: But having said that...
Continued
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/21 : CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100020109-9