HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE NINETY-THIRD CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON NOMINATION OF RICHARD HELMS FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ON HIS NOMINATION TO BE AMBASSADOR TO IRAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000500130001-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 110
• Document Creation Date: January 4, 2017
• Document Release Date: May 12, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 21, 1973
• Content Type: OPEN

STATINTL , c ~h` ~ ~~ ~y e,c~~ s ,~'~/
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1~~
NOMINATION OF RICHARD HELMS TO DE AMI;ASSADOR
TO IRAN AND CIA INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC
ACTIVITIES
HEARIl~TGS
CO~Il~I:TTEE ON I~~OREIGN .RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
NINRTY-THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
NOMINATION OF RICHARD IIELNIS, FORMER DIRECTOR OF
TIIE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, ON IIIS NObIINA-
'1`ION TO BE A14IBASSADOIt TO IRAN AND CIA INTERNA-
TIONAL AND DOMESTIC ACTIVITIE'?S
[The February 7 hearing was held in Executive Session and classified
Secret. It was declassified and published on March 5, 1974.]
U.5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
26-694 tiVASHINGTON 1974
CRC, 5/7/2003
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
C03IMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
J. W. FULBRIGHT, Arkansas, Chairman
JOHN SPARKb1AN, Alabama
DIIKL++' DIANSFIEI,D, Montana
FRANK CHURCH, Idaho
STUART SYMINGTON, 1lissouri
CLAIBORNE FELL, Rhode Island
GALE W. McGEE, Wyoming
EDMUND S. MUSKIE, Maine
GEORGE S. McGOVERN, South Dakota
HUBEItT H. HUMPHRP;Y, Minnesota
I
I
[Coasnsimx~u Smess NOTE That tHranmscript has sot been published.] 973, in >secutive ~ession.
GEOI{GE D. AIKEN, Vermont
CLIFFORD P. CASE, New Jersey
JACOB Ii. DAVITS, New York
HUGH SCOTT, Pennsylvania
JAMES B. PEARSON, Kansas
CHARLES H. PERCY, Illinois
ROEERT P. GRIFFIN, D1lchigan
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
lIearing days:
Page
February 5, 1973-------------------------------------------------
1
February 7, 1973-------------------------------------------------
l7
May 21, 1973----------------------------------------------------
57
Statements by-
Helms, Richard, nominee to be Ambassador to Iran
February 6, 1973-----------?--------------------------------
2
February 7, 1973---------------------------------------------
~'0
Iiehns, Richaxvl, Ambassador to Iran, May 21, 1973_________________
v7
Insertions for the record
Biography of Richard Helms_____________________________________
1
"CIA Discloses It Trained Police from 12 Agencies," article by David
Burnham, from the New York Times, February 6, 1973____________
17
Letter to Hon. Edward I. Koch., Huuse of Representatives, from John
:VI. Maury, Legislative Counsel, CIA, dated January 29, 1943______
18
"Fourteen City Policemen Got CIA Training-Learned IIow To
Analyze and Handle Information," article by David Burnham, fram
the New York Times, December 17, 1972_________________________
19
"4 Watergate Defendants Reported Still Being Paid," article by
Seymour bT. Hersh, from the New York Times, January 14, 1973___
27
Exchange of correspondence between Carl Marcy, Chief of Staff, U.S.
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Ambassador Richard
Helms, concerning exchange during Ambassador Helms' testimony,
dated November 16 and December 1, 1973_______________________
46
"CIA's Involvement Appalling," article by Carl T. Rowan, from the
Washington Star-News, May 11, 1973____________________________
59
"Watergate Case Called Broad Plot," article by Martin Schram, from
the Washington Post, January 7, 1973__________________________
EO
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
1V016'IINATION OF RICHARD HELMS TO BE AMBASSADOR
TO IIIAN AND CIA INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC
ACTIVITIES 1
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1973
li.J'V`ITI;D STATPS tir"IENATL,
CGDTDrI".I'7'LI!. ON I~ORLIGN I~1'rLATIONS,
Waslzinc~ton, D.C.
'L'he conlmittec net, plrrsna.nt to Iloticc, at. 10' a.m., in room 4221,
Ii~_iI?ksen Senate CJflice Ifni]ding, Senator J. ~~~. Fulbright [chairman],
pros id ng.
Present: Senators Fulbright, S?yrnington, McGee, Aiken, Pearson,
and Percy.
The CI3AIPi4rAN. The'. comrn iti ee . In another area, the Iranian Prima Minister tivas
reported l)y Irturian radio as tcl].ing a group of students recently that
Iran is milit-aril,y the strongest nation uI the Middle East. I3ow do you
assess IraII's security position today and its aced for :military assrst-
ance from the I7nited States ?
About X193,000 in security assistance has been programed for fiscal
197 .
14Ir. Ilr:r,~IS. ~~'cll, I had understood, and I obviously have to learn a.
great deal more about these things, but I thought the Iranians bought
~5-hat military equipment they needed from the United ~~tates and paid
for it.. end as far as I know, there is nothing in the picture that would
require them to ask for more military assistance from the United States
than they have, in the past.
II:.~NIAN TCOIVOiVI1C DF,S'1'JLOPITI;N'r PItOGP.AM
rcna.tor Pz';rcx .Finally, there has been. a tremendous program. of eco-
nomic develop~Iient carried on in Iran, and I vas deeply Impressed with
it in my visits to that countr.?y.
What lend of progress do you see being made, and in. what ways can
we, as a Nation, contribute toward this progress consistent with our
overall. needs?
Mr. IIR1f.MS. Nell, it is my impression, and I assume it corresponds
with yours, that the Shah has made a great effort to :improve the ]at
of his people, to develop industry, to encourage foreign investment in
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
~1
an efPart to build leis country up and make a better life far the people
of Iran, and from all that I lxavc seen and understand, he has had great
success with this so far, and there_docs not seem to be any reason why
this should not progress satisfacto~'ily in the future.
CORZAITNDnTI9N OF Wi'CNESs
Senator Pi,rcY. ~VIr. ("hairman, ] would simply like to state that in
my G years in the Senate, II~c}tarcl,Ilelms has been a superb public ser-
vant. I havo never gone to his agency for impartial and factual infor-
mation without getting it. Judgments were left to us, but the facts pis
known were presented forthrightly. Some of the finest briefings I have
had around t~xe world were from Agency personnel, who reflect the very
highstandards and high quality tLtat Itii.chard Helms and his prede-
? cessors have built into the agency.
Mr. IIeltns, I appreciate your bast assistance and I loop forward
not only to voting enthusiastically for your confirmation, but also to
improved and strengthened relationships between the Iinited St~~tcs
and Iran, which is a line natior>, with, a gi_?cat potential for further
progress.
I think as the Px?esidcnt's representative there, you should contribute
i tnmensely.
1Vh?. IIrI1~s. Thank yon, Senator Percy.
crn's coNNr,c~rioNS ~vrrcr nrcrr,:rrNniioNnr, coiteorn~ioNs
The ~iiLAIP~tAN. 1VIr. Iiclms, Settat:ot? Percy raised a question about
tho multinational corporations, ~~clxiclx is a study that has begun, bttt
wo have not had any open sessiotl,5. One of the cases which was widely
publicized last year allet-ed that tl~e CIA. had a great deal to do with
and was very close to one of tlto;~c corporations, si~eciEically the ITT.
~~'ottld you care to clarify that situation 2
Mr. Ht~:r,Nts. ~'t~cll, sir?, the agency h-a-s conncctians ~~s?i-th all kinds
of com.panics and corporations It1 the United States for purposes of
the acquisition of inform~tio~n and things of this kind, and I clo not
thinly-it would. be not correct at nll to say that its relations with ITT
wex?o any different than they were with any other corporation.
Tho CrrnirvxnN. That raises a very serious question. I land hoped
that it was unique, and that you. did not have that kind of relations
with a11. of the others. ~'ott arc sa~inr? yon have similar relations with.
all of the others?
Mr. IIEa~nzs. No, sir, I am sorry if I
The CiinixatclaN. It sotmdcd that ~vay.
Mi?. HPLMS. If that was the intention, if that is what came through
with yott, this tivas not what I intended. I ant not entirely sure, if you
feel that its relationship with IT'P on the part of the agency that is
different from that of relationships with other American companies,
then I am trot sure what we are t?al~ing about, sir.
The CixnatznznN. I am talking about the reports which came out,
I think, last spring, in the so-called Anderson Papers, indicating that
there was a very close relationship between ITT and the CIA or, to
put it another way, the CIA was using ITT for purposes of espionage,
collecting data.
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
10
I did not intend to raise this. Senator Percy prompted me to bring
this question up, and since you are hero I might as well ask you about it.
You are familiar with the Anderson Papers ?
Mr. Hi;Lars. Yes, sir, but the agency was not using ITT for espionage
purposes.
Tho Cu ~IRbIAN. Gathering of information maybe ? Is that a better
way to put it ?
Mr. IIELnrs. -Well, I have no doubt in the course of dis~~ussions between
members of the Embassy and ITT and Anaconda and various other
companies that information was exchanged back and forth, I have
no doubt of that, but this hardly qualifies as espionage.
Tlie (i1zAIRDi:\N. I must say it is hard to say what espionage is.
Ialsbcrg, as I understand it, is being prosecuted for espionage, but;
it is hard for me to see it is espionage, too. It is ver3~ difficult. These
semantics have become impossible. All I meant was gathering
information.
What clo ,you mean by espionage ?
i~Ir. HELMS. Well, sir, espionage, in the definition that we give to it,
is the hiring of an individual to acquire information without anyone
knowing that the individual is (a) acquiring the information or (b)
tivhat he represents.
The CIrAIRIi:lN. That reminds me of another matter you might want
to clarify and comment on.
It seems that several of the people involved in the bugging of the
~~raterg-ate were former CIA mein.
Mr. IIELrrs. Former, yes, sir. They hacl all retired, they had left.
I h are no control over anybody who has left.
The CHAIRMAN. I know you do nat. I am just asking you whether
it is true that they were former CIA men.
Mr. HELars. Yes, sir, Ilunt was, and McCord was.
The CH:~1IR11rr1N. They were both former CIA. It was clear, I think,
in the paper that they were no longer in your empl~~y.
Mr. H;z;Lars. 'T'hey had been, both been retired at least 2 years.
The CIIAIRDiAN. Two years.
Finally, in this respect some years ago we heard q~zite a bit about
the CIA aTr. IIa;x.Txs. Sir, let me xn an offoet to sort of close this, about this,
`Watergate business, you have asked all the relevant questions. I have
xxo morn information to convey and I know nothing about it. Honestly,
I do not.
The Cxx~xxx~xexv . 11nd y our people other than that one man who vas
a consultant
~,!Ir. HEL1~iS. tiWc had nothing t,o do with it, lxonestly we didn't.
The CI:[AIRMAN. Other than the training that these operatives gained
from their experience withy~rt over the years.
1llr. HI:I.MB. Canld I go ott the record a minute ?
The CIIAIIti1iAN. Yes.
[Discussion off tho record.]
Tho C1IAIxtM11N. Let the record show that on the motion of the
senator from ti' erinont all six of the nominees will be reported
favorably today, without objection.
[~Wlxereupon, at 12:0 p.tn., the committee recessed, subject to tlic
call of the Chair.]
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
CIA INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES
MONDAY, MAY 21, 1873
ITNITED STATER SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS,
Washington, D.C.
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 :05 a.m., in room 4221,
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Senator J. W. Fulbright [chairman],
presiding.
Present : Senators Fulbright, Sparkman, 1dlansfield, Syminggton,
Pell, Muskie, Ilumphrey, Aiken, Case, Pearson, Percy, and GrifFin.
The CIIAIRMAN. The committee will come to order, please.
The Foreign Relations Committee this morning is meeting to hear
further testimony from Mr. Richard IIelms, Ambassador to Iran, and
former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
I wish to make it clear at the outset that the hearing is being held
in public session. at the specific request of Senator Symington and Mr.
Helms. `I`he hearing is a followup of two executive sessions the commit-
tee held with Mr. Helms in hebruary and March, at which time domes-
tic activities of the CIA were explored. Subsequent developments have
made it desirable to clarify the record which was made at that time.
Mr. Helms, we are very pleased to have you. I want to make it clear
that while I had announced last week that this would be an executive
session, it was changed on very short notice this morning to an open
session. I want everybody to understand the circumstances.
That is correct, is it not ?
STATEMENT OF PdICHARD M. HELMS, AMBASSADOR TO IRAN
Mr. HELMS. Yes, sir.
Th.e ~iIIt1IRMAN. Would you lilic to say anything in opening before
we start questioning?
DECISION TO HOLD IIl:ARING IN OPEN SESSION
Mr. HE3.11IS. I do not think so, Mr. Chairman. I simply felt that, after
I had read stories in the newspapers that convict mo of some wrong-
doing before I had ever appeared before the committee, that perhaps
it would be better to have It in open session so that I could state
myself.
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
5U
rented in the W:Lter;ate. `~~%hy,' I asked myself alid my friends fo.r
lnolrths, `world anyone call the CIA Director in the wee hours o f
the morning after some- ton Last
May ~~ith Pico and the four Wate~;gate defendants from the Mivni area (Baker,
?tTartiuez, Frank Sturgis turd Virg~illo R. Gonzales). IIc said tl!at he believed be
and hi- frionds were waiting to s?ee someone Prom the government-he did not
know who-and that when no one showed up, they flew back home to Miatni.
While in ~ti`ashiugtou, de Diego maintained, he never met James W. McCord Jr.,
P?. IIo~aarci Hunt Jr. or G. Gordon Liddy, the other three Watergate defendauts.
McCord, the former sc^curity consultant for the President's re-election cotnmittek~,
was arx?ested inside the tVatergai:e on June 17 with the four defendauts from
Miami,
While de Diego said he had no knowledge of any sub rosy activities by the
:;roue while he was in Washington last May, other defense sources said the
grotap was quite busy during that period.
During the weekend of May 13-14, the chancery of the 1Jmba?ssy of Chile vas
bnrglarized.
{)nc source close to the Watergate defendants says now that these defendants
were behind the burglary at the embassy.
The Watergate team's activities last spring, the source said, also included the
electronic surveillance of Sens. Mansfield, Church and Fulbright and former
OAS ambassador Linowitz. All three senators said yesterday they had no
indication they had been monitored. Linowitz, a liberal Democrat, could not be
reached for comment.
IIO`V CIA 'rV=SS INFOP.MPD OF L'P.T;AI~-IN
The Cr~nlrnleN. Vas it either the FI3I or -the ~vVhite IIouse that
informed the CI~1 ?
~c-es~- ~-~- :,
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
~~
IVLI?. Hl:a.als. Informed them about what, sir ?
The CiIIAIPMAN. The Watergate breal~-in ?
Mr. HELMS. As I said just a moment ago, it was my impression we
learned about it from the newspapers.
The Ctsnln~nx. And then you were not called late at night? In other
words, Mr. Idowan's article was wrong ?
Mr. HLT,I~IS. l~ro, I was called one evelung by the Director of Security,
Mr. Howard Osborne, to tell me that-some men had been caught in a
break-in at the Watergate in the Democratic 1\Tational Committee
Headquarters, and that involved in this was one of the employees of the
Agency; a Mr. James McCord.
I did get that call, sir. I say that I did and I told you a minute ago
as to why it was a matter of pollcy that I be infortnecl about these, such
matters.
The CiIIAIRIYIAN. Why would ,you be informed about such domestic
matters? I mean it tivas not really within the purview of the CIA's
responsibility, was it?
Mr. IiI;L14is. ~rcll, Mr. C11 s. No, sir. And. Senator I-Iurnphrey, you understand tlz;at
the 40 Committed passes on certain types of opera~tion,3 but not all
operations.
Senator Hul~rrzcriF-Y. We had a. quot~ctiorz this morning, l~Tr. Helms,
from. the National Security Act of 1cJ47, and that act, I tli.nk, has same
ambiguities to it.
There seems to be an its face same conflict of authorit ~. I+'or e~am-
~>le, you were required to---
Correlate and evaiaxate intelligence reltafiing to nationo.l security, and provide
far the appropriate dissemination aY such intellir,ence r~ithin iiie Gowex7unent
using, where arpropria.te, esistiur a;ancies and facilities : Provided, Tba.t the
al;enc;~ shall ixave na police, subpoeaxa, law enforcement powers, or internal
t~ciu?ity functions : Provided further, That, tlxe departments and other agencies
of the Government shall continue to collect, evaluate, correlate, asd disseminate
departmental intelli?;ence. *
And then the latter part to which Senator Symington referred--
xlnd Provided Further, That the Director of Central Inteiligence steal. he re-
lronsible far protecting intelligence sources and methods from unatvthorized dis-
closure * *
Now, does that conflict with your responsibility, I mean with the
prohibition of na internal security functions?
iVlr. Hr:LTrs. Well, Senator Ilumphrey, I am not a lawyer and, there-
fore, I donot know whether it actually conflicts.
I would simply say that that charge, the last one yoU. read, about
protecting intelligence sources and me-thods from unauthorized dis
closure, has been a very di.flicult charge on the Agency 'because it has
left a kind of a gray area here.
Senator HUbTPII:ItPY. As to whether or not it is your responsibility or
that of the Federal Bureau of Investigation?
Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/05 :CIA-RDP91-009018000500130001-1
77
Mr. IIT~;~MS. tiVell, our responsibility, domestic ar? foreig7x, and this
whole thing is rather gray.
Senator HurrrlTx~?:Y. Do you not generally assunxc that the activities
of the Central Intelligerico ~~gency are directed toward forci.gn areas
and foreign activities. `
IVIr. I3FLMS. l do indeed, Senator.
Senator IIuMrrxrzFY. ~1nd dornc~stic or internal security matters aro
in the hands of the Federal I3urcau of Ixxvestigation?
Mr. HLLMS. Yes, sir.
Senator HuMrrrrrT;Y. You have a close relationship?
Mr. HELM6. Yes, sir.
Senator IIu:MPr3RTY. You try to keep that differentiation or that
delineation clear ?
Mx?. ~Irr,MS.:4s clear as we can and when the lines have gotten wavy,
as they sometimes do in human -life, we have worked together to txy
to keep them straight anal have au understanding as to who was doing
tivhat.
ritrsuT~rrrrov or r3~sr5 ar :~trrrroTrx7?Y rox wur>`r: Trousr~: rrr.Runs7`
Senator Hu~u'rrrr:r. When you get a request frarxr a White House
staff member, 1VIr. Helms, as yotr havo aver th.e years, what is the pr?e-
sumption of that request as to tlxe basis of authorrty ?
Mr. HPLMS. The, presumption is that it comes front the President.
Senator IItrmrrTnrrsr. That ~~~ould bo particularly true of the Chief of
Staff ?
Mr. IIr:LMS. Yes, sir.
In other words, Senator Humphrey, most of the telephone calls that
the agencies of Government get from the- Wlrite IIouse are through
staff assistants, they arc not from the President hinTSel.f.
Senator IIuMrrTru:Y. That is normal. operatin,~? procedure, is it not?
Mr. IIrsr,nrs. Ycs, sir, and it lias been mxdex? several. adminrstrations.
T~T?;T:rTVr cry ou7' or: noarr;s?rrr, roLT7~xos
Senator IIiJ~rPrII;1SY. Is it your juclgn"rent that agencies life the Cen-
tral Intelligence ,gency, the Federal. I3nrcau of Inti-estigation, the Se-
cret Service, ought to be above participation in irivol.vement in domes-
tic politics ?
Mr. HELMS. Yes, sir.
Senator IIuMrrrrrrr. I)id you. take all. steps possible, as fax :ts your
directorship was concerned., to keep the CI 1 out of the domestic irohti-
cal arena ?
~4~Ir. IIT:T,nrs. I did, sir,~tu the' ~?cry best of Tn-y ability.
:1rT:. l I T"\'1'~s 7:1?T.:1Tra\ ',T 1 TP W I'r'r f c 1Lt, wTII`L'r~; TTOTJSE
Senator TTuarrrnzEY. Vas :'~Ir. Tlnnt a member of the (~I ~ staff" ~~: hetT
he asl~e