NOT A MATTER OF 'BETRAYAL'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100050040-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2012
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: June 12, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

ST Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/09: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100050040-2
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12 June 1981
I YOU - Mattel, 01
By accusing journalists `who use leaked to the misdeeds of..the CIA and the FBI 'is
classified information of accepting "stolen rife with examples of- the secrecy stamp
property" and of "betraying" their country, being used to deceive the public and to-cover
Presidential counselor. Edwin Meese has up atrocities and illegalities. The release and
shown that he has learned neither the law publication of classified information that
nor history lessons of .the last 10 years.;.,:..' -exposes government wrongdoing,. far from
"property."';.interest in sgovernment Some". classification -to. protect vital
information, the courts have notdefinitively . military information is necessary. But the
tj
_
upheld.the?validity, of such a legal concept. jl, , process is ':vastly. 'overdone throughout
'
By logical inference, officials
cannot.acquire~ government, often merely, to avoid possible
"property"` in 'a . commodity (information) ,,,official embarrassment as classifiers
that in effect belongs, to the public and is themselves. have admitted. No doubt the
government.:' - when some Reagan administration official-
In his remarks. on the NBC program, will find' it. useful ,to leak classified
secrecy conferred by classification somehow the public or to counter opposition. The most
gives information}a sanctified :status,:: the hopeful thing that can be said with regard t
act on_tne part or the leaxerard the leak the usefulness . of leak-,' will 'cause the.
-recipient:. Yet recent history from the- administration to abide by his promise not to
Pentagon Papers to the Watergate scandals use "repressive tactics' to stopthem
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/09: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100050040-2