'LEAKING' FOR POLITICAL GAIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100060028-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: August 29, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

S1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/24: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100060028-5
DES- b10INES REGISTER
29 AUGUST 1980
,eamMm', i br - , . fo- r'' p- 0 c- "a .1, ",a i n
JEFF MkNELLY, RICHMOND NEWS LEADER
Journalists don't:. usually suits your purpose to breach
report and tell. This time, one security, then you leak the infor-
did, and he provided a revealing mation; if the information is em-
glimpse into the world of Wash- barrassing, -then you hide it by
ington "leaks" and the way. invoking national security and by
national security is used for punishing the leasers.
partisan political purposes. An example of the selective in-
Benjamin: F. Schlemmer, vocation of national security is
editor of the- Armed Forces the way the Central Ir, elligerce
Journal, told: i House subcom- Agency for years censored works
mittee how he was contacted by by former agency employees to
the Pentagon- and offered an ' keep information from the public
exclusive briefing-on the secret. that was merely embarrassing.
Air'Force "Stealth" aircraft The Carter administration,
program. Schlemmer said he was which leaked the Stealth story so
encouraged to write about the assiduously, recently subjected
program,and was told that other' some of its highest officials to an?
reporters.' 'would not 'be. briefed FBI investigation and required
until after his article appeared. them to., sign affidavits in a
Defense Secretary., Harold search: for the source of leaks
Brown released information on about"the sale of arms to
the program at a news confer- Morocco. President Carter- was
ence last Friday, two days after reported to be enraged- by that
Schlemmer's article was secrecy breach. The administra-
published. Brown said he:was tion seems to have little or no
doing so in part because , of interest- in tracking down the
articles about the. subject. Brown source of Stealth stories. -
said that the development, which Which brings 'Xs, to - national
is supposed`.--,to enable - U.S. security and-. the, political
aircraft to elude Soviet radar,` campaign. Charges of missile
would neutralize Soviet air. gaps and the like invariably
defenses. "This alters the surface during a presidential
military balance significantly," election. The stress being laid by
boasted Brown: .. Republicans on preparedness
The Pentagon says that other. means . that. national security-
stories about 'Stealth prompted issues will figure heavily in the
Brown -to hold his conference. If , campaign. A 'portent of things to
so, why the. special briefing for come was Defense. Secretary
Schlemmer? Why;.*:,.w_as Brown's appearance at the Dem-
Schlemmer told,.-that Brown ocratic National Convention.
would ''wait; until. his article National security. issues are;
appeared?- 'important and complex.. They
.This has all the earmarks of a deser.ve~ informed debate. .
staged, leak'-'to enable the ad= Americans- won't get it if `'the
ministration to pat itself on the issues are treated as just another
back. It's another-example of the subject for political manipula .
misuse of "secret" labels. If it lion. ;
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/24: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100060028-5