WASHINGTON POST GETS U.S. WARNING OVER PUBLISHING INTERCEPTED SECRETS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100110066-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 9, 2012
• Sequence Number: 66
• Publication Date: May 8, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/09: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100110066-7
~i PJitIE
BALTIMORE SUN
8 May 1986
t ~ ..: ~?~: avw v 00 ry Gi 1i111,'
over publishing intercepted secrets
WAS in6hm Pest IIPtc TT .Q
.,.
Lyle Dennlston
Vas drigton Buresu of The Sun
Casey - the same day that Mr. Cas-
neportedly discussed such prose-
cutions with a high Justice Depart-
ment official.
Mr. Downie said that the CIA di-
rector had said that he was not
threatening the Post or any other
news outlet, but that he personally
was satisfied that a 1950 law
against revealing such ins
um Deen violated
The editor added that Mr.
had said he would recommend
ecution of the Post if it went ah
so-called "communications intei i-
gence." Mr. Downie would not dis-
close the contents of that story or
say whether the Post planned to
publish it.
At the Justice Department,
which would handle any criminal
prosecution under federal law, offi-
cials were making an effort yester-
day to avoid Involvement in the new
government-press controversy. A
spokesman, Patrick Korten, said
that Attorney General Edwin W.
Meese III 'ants us to give a 'no-
comment' on anything having to do
with this."
The Post's
or
of The Washington Post said yes- manaifinor editor
terday that the newspaper has been
warns said the warning
warned that it and other news orga-
crimes for publishing stories ??~???~? w.71s? s salmi
with U.S. Interceptions of other CIA DirecU r
Leonard Downie Jr., the Post's WMiam J. Casey.
managieditor, said the warning
came last Friday from Central Intel-
ligence Agency Director William J. The spokesman said that 'there
WASIIINGTON - A senior edit
is no clear indication as to at we
the department will do, if any-
Mr. Korten would not confirm a
report by Post editors that Mr. Casey
had met with Deputy Attorney Gen-
eral D. Lowell Jensen to talk about
Possible prosecutions for disclosures
Of U461*11ce."
The CIA referred all calls about
the matter to the Justice Depart-
Oay it at all; spokeswoman
Foster said.
Mr. Downie said that he and Post
ee xec ve editor Benjamin C. Bradlee
met Casey last Friday, at
Mr. ,Casey's request, the
preparation ofrre un-
published story about communica-
tions interceTtions.
was one of a number of in-
stances In recent months, Mr.
Downie said, in which government
officials have "called to express con-
cern" about potential Post stories
be" national those
. The aad-
Itor
Post editors have decided
against publishing some stories and
in favor of publishing others.
While talking over a specific fu-
ture story with Mr. Casey, according
to Mr. Downie,. the Post editors were
told "out of the blue" that the govern-
ment had identified stories already
published by the Post and four other
news organizatons as "absolute cold
violations" of federal law.
It became clear in the conversa-
tion. Mr. Downie said, that Mr. Cas-
ey was talking about alleged viola-
tions of a 1950 law that makes it a
crime to publish anything -concern-
ing the communication intelligence
activities" of the United States or of
any foreign government, when pub-
lication is done in a way that is'prej-
udkW to the safety or interest of the
United States." The law carries a
maximum penalty of 10 years In
prison and a $10,000 fne.
No news organization has ever
been prosecuted in a criminal can
for an alleged violation of that law,
or for violation of any other federal
law designed to protect U.S. secrets
and intelligence-gathering tech-
Mr.
Mr. Casey, according to Mr.
Downie's account of their Friday
luncheon conversation. described as
violations of the 1950 law stories in
the Post and Newsweek magazine
about U.S. interceptions of secret
messages from the Libyan govern-
ment, and unspecified stories invdv-
Th -comntunfications iIntelligence- in
The New York Times, The Wash-
ington Times, and Time magezine.
Mr. Downie said he understood
the conversation to be part of an ef-
fort by the Reagan administration
"to crack down" on publication of
government secrets. Mr. Downie
laid that an editor of the newspaper
Kelso had been told by National Secu-
}ity Agency Director Gen. William
m - under circumstances Mr.
]government was "dusting off" the
950 law as a way of dealing with
eaks to the press. An NSA spokes-
refused to comment on that re-
rt.
Meanwhile, In another new gov-
ernment-press controversy. Justice
Department officials indicated that
they had no plans to try to force the
NBC-TV network to disclose the lo-
cation of Its interview this week with
Mohammed Abbas. who is the target
of an arrest wan-ant issued by U.S.
officials in connection with his al-
leged role in the hijacking of an Ital-
ian cruise ship, the Achille Lauro.
American was mur-
dered
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/09: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100110066-7