WASHINGTON - CIA DIRECTOR WILLIAM COLBY WOULD WELCOME RESPONSIBLE CONGRESSIONAL SUPERVISION OF THE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY'S ACTIVITIES BUT LEAKS OF SECRETS MUST BE PLUGGED IF THE SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES IS TO BE PROTECTED AND THE DANGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100090049-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 49
• Publication Date: January 30, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT '
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/24: CIA-
BAL T IP-MORE 1IE41 S A?lE.'R ICA:
30 JANUARY 1970
s
This is the third ii a sesf fo = whelmig i
ieri-ourn articles based on an. exclw,vve Interv e o m Commentary congressme;
w
with ~o:r er CIA Director .William. E.-: taro a stron
Colby__ '," ~t .: z. service, inel
.. r.-: ..-. -- y ,., b
TteHearstNeNSpapeis?;:'._":=, ns~c.;ecmbers to stno leaks which harm He is cortt,dent Congress as a whole`
Baia Colby would `welcome responsible".' the olives 'of its patriotic intelligence pervasion of the CIA and adopt a respon-
congressional supervision.-of they intel!i" agents and weaken- American Iead rship' sable' attitude . He towards the plugging of
gerce -agency's activities- but :1efiks of , of the free world z,. intetti;ence leaks recalled that both
secrets must be plugged if-the security of He' else feels .strongly that -severe the Senate and Haase voted by a 3 to I
the United-States is to be protected'and criminal' sanctions-. should;: be : applied ,;ma;oriry against banning the CIe~'s cov-
the danger of nuclear war averted:"- against: 'congressional: staff members ert operations and by a margin'of 2 to 1
in favor -of. keeping the-CIA budget,
The leaks by a small number of sonar who leak intelligence secrets: given- in secret. t - : ,-_
tors and- congressmen-and their. staffs, confidence - to; members---of Congress. `. Following is a condendenseedd totext of the
which 'already. have: cost America the Similar penalties should; in his opinion third part of the a co few with
".loss--of. important: foreign . intelligence .;' be imposed on those CIA employees who.
`-contacts, are_ undermining the. covert 'leave the service and then betray their the CIA director
-operations of what has'proved to:be the ;_' clleagues-'and'-country'by`disclosing
.Q _' Sen.-Fran, Church has proposed
'-best intelligence service in the world;. names and-other highly confidential'in- oversight committee of 9 senators and
34-'-These were the impressions gathered -. formation to which they had access` possibly some additional members of the
during an hour-long exclusive interview 11 while'serving' under-oath with the - -House: If you have a dozen or more
with the man whose 25 years of service _ agercy. meow rs of Congress getti g the secrets
in. American intelligence work have The World.Wa Il hero,:who Para- of your intelligence-operations, can you
earned him a reputation among his peers chuted behind. enemy lines in both prevent lea';s~ = f
as "outstandingly capable." France and Norway to help block Ger , :.
-Colby believes that Congress, which. '' man troop movements ? believes an over- 1 could get it. down to 9, 1
t.: tWould be yery happy; The problem now
lsthat anything we do-?otherthan intelli-
sgence- gathering'musr: be:.briefed to six
comniittees'oI the Congress.:That means
something'like 30 to 50 senators and con-
gressmen:-Practically- everything we'
have briefed'this year has been leaked to
the news media.l'-:;._
What: abobtl thg?:congressional
staffs?.. ~.1:..~ :?ta? c
aye; A - "Theoretically; the s'taffs:are not
supposed~to-bean on it but of course the-.
embers tell their staffs.:';':'
Q '-Would It be practical to limit the'
4members-of Congress who are'given se-1
`cret Information to' the chairman of the'
tSenate Intelligence and foreign relations
committees; and.-the similar-House,
{committees? ?,
{.~,.A _'There'are two'aspects'of these
-crecy problem: One is secrecy as it`ap.
plies. to'..employees and former'
employees of the CIA, Our laws are be. {
weak on that. We need some`good laws.;
with criminal sanctions for peopi-who'?
join'the intelligence business, learn
se-?
crets while they are employed, Viand then
go cut and reveal them. }?''_-#
t "Ninety nine percent of the C!A em
ployees want such laws because they areF
professionals- and they believe, proles-Y
sional discipline, is necessary ? in thi
business;Those who don'rrabide? by the ~l
.discipline should be punished. 'Otherwise'!
we cannot run our profession effectively:'!
"The: other side of the problem is:
Congress. Congress never has really ar-
ticulated arty systematic way of keeping
secrets .:.They never had to do so because
in the'nncr. rr,e
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/24: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100090049-9