COL. QADDAFI, THE CIA AND THE POST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880080-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 80
• Publication Date: November 8, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880080-8
A013
WASHINGTON POST
8 November 1985
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
Col. Qaddafi, the CIA and The Post
The front-page article ("CIA Anti- officials seem (one assumes from his Given The Post's superb record of
Qaddafi Plan Backed," Nov. 31, re- quotations) only too happy to talk. But exposing vice, inanity and ineptitude in
garding CIA efforts to undermine what can be The Post's rationale for raise the this issue: eif I too ar too man to even
Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, is electing to print such a story? What me, my agreed
a
yet another instance of The Post's factors override the damage caused to with me, I would be alartive lest a
periodic disregard for the national se- U.S. national interests? chilling effect on investigative report-
curity interests of the United States. The Post's response would surely full voices would call foraana"OOfficial
This cannot be considered quality jour- be that it has a compelling obligation
nalism, instead, it should be viewed as under the First Amendment to inform gets coAct" ddled such ap the one aitors
a serious lack of responsibility on the the citizenry about the shenanigans of has British spies and traitors
part of The Post's news organization. its government, letting -the chips fall over the years:
What possible benefit could come where they may. If it helps Qaddafi Yet, given today's climate of hos-
from making such information public? and hurts some CIA agents, that's the tility toward the press and the danger
The onl b
fi
I
ene
t
-
Y see is giving a ter- way the cookie crumbles. that the First Amendment could even
rorist such as Qaddafi another chance But there are some real problems tually be eviscerated by the self-
to draw support among other radical with this traditional approach. Con- right, I wonder if some degree ofself.
leaders against the United States (not gress, freely elected by U.S. citizens, restraint by editors should not be ac-
to mention damaging our efforts at has authorized covert action by the cepted in clear-cut cases where na-
STAT combating the Qaddafi web of interna- CIA and has created a Select Commit- tional security is E stake,
tional terrorism). tee on Intelligence to oversee such GEORGE R. PACIURD
I will watch with interest for the operations. Covert action has been Washington
next article in The Post about the de- deemed a necessary evil in a world ?
cline of U.S. intelligence-gathering where our adversaries use it regularly have ' a often eDemocrat, I
capabilities and how unfortunate it is as their major instrument of a foreign of The Ps taken find support the town
that our government cannot keep Policy, which seeks to bring down the wThere Post the taken find r attional a pastimpt is a s to
track of possible terrorist activity international order as we know it be w tu national seems to
espousing the Reagan party line. I
around the world. It is truly shameful today. We can assume there are no normally find comfort in the newspa-
that The Post must place its interests Bob Woodwards in the Soviet Union or per's presentation of opposing views
in selling newspapers through sensa- Libya performing comparable services and willingness to go out on a limb in
tional headlines ahead of the govern- for citizens there. its quest to satisfy the public's right to
ment's efforts at combating a crazed The Post, in exposing actual or terrorist fanatic. potential covert actions, can obviously y I find no comfort, however, in The
JOHN M. MOLONEY destroy them. Can this be its intent? Post's ill-advised decision to inform
Washington Should The Post arrogate to itself the not only the American public but the
? sole right to judge which secrets it will
The Qaddafi story raises serious expose, no matter how harmful that highly seworld nsitive sensi oftive what
and delicate was obvipl n to
exposure may be to the U.S. citizens gMis moee plan to
questions. As one who served briefly who have, through their representa- foreign the I defy tendencies to Pro-
in the CIA many years ago, and more fives, authorized secrecy? vide leader. defy The Post to f
recently managed a city newspaper, I I can imagine only three vide one blatantly rre po defense of
recognize that there are no simple an- types of rationale for The Post's possible such a blatantly irresponsible use of
ewers. lionn. the printed word.
There is an obvious injury to our n- 1. The tion:
Post In this single article The Post has
tional security an when a story such a- lion against opposes any U.S. ac- no doubt rendered the plan useless,
thin one is pwen; story Qaddafi and hopes that ex- damaged the images of the president,
dais gets a freblishe Muammar ar Qad- pposure will end any chance of this al- the State De
warning, U.S. affies be led covert operation's getting off partmettt, the intelligence
come doubtful about cooperation with the groom, eral, gi s and the powerful lStates in
us in intelligence matters, and the 2. The Post opposes ecu a to a pow erfu lunatic
n and
another
CIA's difficult task in carrying out its lion by the CIA and believes it has pobab to kicked off a and
legally authorized mission becomes responsibility to expose and thereba y locoed off a government
much more tricky, and more suscepti- thwart all such actions. y witch hunt to find Mr. Woodward's
ble to failure. 3. The Post is entirely neutral as to sources.
Reporter Bob Woodward clearly has the conflict between Col. Qaddafi and have The come only from good I this can articl that at may
every right to dig out a story such as his terrorism, on the one hand, and the fheadline cle is th at a
a fl pro the
this, especially 'since U.S. government interests of the American people, on words s "CIA" it and "Qaddafi" probably
Cthe other, and further believes that its ensured the sale of a much larger
adversarial relationship to the U.S. number of papers at a buck a shot than
government entitles it to print any and usual.
every secret it can get its hands on. Where does The Post draw the lute?
None of these will .stand up, in my At what point does the safety of Amer-
view.: _ scan individuals and indeed national se-
curity come before selling papers?
STEVEN A. WHITE
Temple Hdh
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880080-8