LEAKPROOF?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100060003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 18, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

S7 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/24: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100060003-2
C;[RISTI.N soIEi`rcE ','ONITOR
18 December 1980
A United.. States ambassador tells us he refused to sign such an affidavit, "a presump
never puts anything in ,a cable that be tive statement that says I'm a good boy." He:
wouldn't mind seeing .in public print. It's not offered one reason for leaking:.
exactly like the corporate. executive who says "There are some people there [the Whitei
he never conducts business that he wouldn't House), who are major leakers themselves,f
mind his children seeing on television.. The se- . who think the only way reporters get a story is
crecy of official cables is not automatically to through a leak. They think reporters are clods
conceal matters embarrassing to the govern- and animals, and that you simply feed them..
ment. It is to permit discussion of often deli-. Insofar as reporters fit that image, they'
cafe-diplomatic,subjects:before, conclusions may lend themselves to the motives of the'
are ready to be announced' . ; - leakers. However, the damming of leaks is
That is why the recent leaking of Ambas not up to reporters but to those in the govern-1
sador 'Watson's messages from -Moscow.. ment responsible for maintaining legitimate
wouldtiave'been outrageous even if the leaks secrecy. We were glad to hear Richard Allen,
had-not apparently-been selectively engi-' often mentioned as the . next.nationalsecurity
neered, to distort.-and :,discredit Senator adviser, condemn the leaks of Ambassadors
Percy's long-known. moderation. on Mideast Watson's- cables in the strongest terms: To
policy.. And that is why it is to be hoped the Hodding Carter the National Security Council
Reagan team follows through on its criticism had been responsible for the "most subs
tan-+
of leaking in respect to thePercy episode. tial.-leaks." If that was so- in the past,.',N
,Thewholeproblem.of--leaking"flared dur- - ?. Reagan has a chance to launch an admims-
ing-. the campaigrr= when Republicans raised tration that is leakproof, at least at the top.
the question of administration leaks of intelliWe do not know who did the leaking of thej
gence information for political purposes. It is Watson cables, but Reagan officials property
a kind of rule of thumb to Identify leaks with . took the occasion to warn their transition as-
-thosewhostand to benefit,from them. sociates, who had been given access to them.-?
Earlier,the'White House-was conducting Among the important reasons cited for not.
its own inquiry_into4eakworr such matters as leaking cables was the need. for. trust by for
military-aid to Morocco. It seems safe to say eign leaders that their conversations with
that there are better ways to stop leaking of Americans could be kept in confidence.
this sort than to demand. affidavits of inno- . Mr. Reagan in office will be challenged to i
cence- from men-at, the top, such as national remember that the democratic goal should al-
security adviser ~ Brzezinski,.. CIA chief ways bean open government with a minimum
Turner.: and then Secretary of State Vance. of secrets from the public it represents - and
After State: Department' Spokesman Hodding with the ability to preserve those secrets that
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/24: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100060003-2