NEWSMAKERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000500150017-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2005
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: October 31, 1983
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

ARTICLE APPEA!
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ShEEK
31 October 1983
NEWSMAKERS
Saying the honor was "long overdue,"
President. Reagan presented former CIA
Director Richard Helms, 70, the Nation-
al Security Medal-the country's highest
award in the field. The prize marks the
administration's rehabilitation of the for-
mer head spy, who left the government in
disgrace six years ago after being fined by a
federal court for misleading Congress about
his agency's covert efforts to overthrow
Chile's Marxist government. "I suppose it
has something to do with the swing of the
pendulum," said Helms, who is now a "po-
litical-risk consultant" on Middle East in-
vestments and has no remorse about his
earlier career. "I have no feelings about
vindication or exoneration," he added. "I
pleaded nolo contendere; I was never ac-
cused of lying."
Greg Mathieson-Gamma-Liaison
Helms with medal: A spy is honored
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 pE roved For Release) f61011(PMI: # -RDP91-00901Rl
ARTICLE r ~ ~~"
ON ?AGE /)- 26 October 1983
At the Parties,
Concern and
Questions
After a day of confusing cables,
calls from -.perplexed constituents
and sudden press conferences, after
a -lay of denials and disbelief and
"no further statements," Washing.
tonians lived up to their RSVPs last
night and 'went out and kept talking
about. what they had been talking
'about all day. Grenada,
"I don '.t .like it," said Nicaragua's
ambassador to the Organization of
American States, Edgard . Parrales,
while joining other envoys for am.
bassadors' night at the WVashington
International Horse Show.
"I think it was the right. thing to
do,"' former CIA: chief' Richard
Helms said at a dinner given by
Bangladesh's head of government.-
This story was reported by staff
writers Sarah Booth Conroy, Eliz-
abeth Kastor and Phil McCombs.
The Caribbean Basin countries took'
the lead and we provided the nec-
essary muscle to do what they
wanted to do."
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 .' : RED NEW YORK ^'n?s
ON AGE proved For Release 261Yl2e:CFAg~bP91-00901 000500150017-2
'elms, in Disgrace' as C.I.A. Chief Gets a Medal STAT
By FRANCIS X. CLINES
spedul to 7ue ?: _ Ym* 7icee
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 - Six years
after he was pronounced "in disgrace
Wand shame" by a Federal court, Rich-
ard Helms, former Director of Central
"Intelligence, was honored by President
-Reagan today with the National Se-
`tutiry Medal.
The ceremony was shrouded `from
.-public display, but a brief White House
j-, announcement took note of the "exce~
wtionaily meritorious service" of Mr.
Helms. The former Director pleaded
no contest in 1977 to charges of failing
to tell Congress the full truth about-the
Central Intelligence. Agency's covert
funneling of money to opponents of
President Salvador Allende Gossens of
Chile, who later .lost his life when his
Marxist Government was overthrown.
"I have to feel exonerated." Mr.
--Helms said in an interview in which,
however, he still contended that his
court .troubles reflected this democra-
cy's relentless "dilemma" over the
temptation to operate covertly. "The
intelligencecommunity has no political
constituency, you know," he said. "It's
either protected by the President or
not."
'The White House occasion was taken
`as a signal of rehabilitation from Mr.
Reagan for both Mr. Helms and the in-
telligence community since their
darker time of post-Watergate scrutiny
in the 1970's. But the event was not ex-
actly a matter of Mr. Helms's coming
in from the cold.
Condemned and Defended
For years he has been a subject of
condemnation but spirited defense, too,
from a cross section of Washington's
ruling figures who still dispute whether
,;no room to deal fully with the national
:principle of open debate.
It's a grand tradition that has to be
.-altered in specific cases," said Mr.
=Felms, hardly sounding bruised as
"the man who kept the secrets." He.
said, "There's no way to try and get
rvtmd it but to hide it_"
Join. Helms told a Congressional com-
; rtiittee in 1973 that his agency had-not
atunneled money to Chilean .insurgents.
.,ater testimony indicated that, in fact,
more than $8 million had been sent co-
vertly. After plea bargaining in the
face of a sensitive national debate, Mr.
Helms entered pleas of no contest to
two misdemeanor charges of failing to
testify fully and was given a suspended
sentence of two years and a fine of
S2,0oo.
The fine was proudly paid by retired
intelligence agents who passed around
a wastebasket in lieu of a hat.
For Mr. Helms, the short walk today
to the White House from his private
business office on K Street, where he
operates as a business and "political
risk consultant" on Middle East invest_
r erns, ended with a big grin. "its a
great pleasure," he said. "I suppose it
has .something to do with the swing of
the pendulum. "
Of his previous career, the 70-year-
old. intelligence specialist said gently:
"It's a dilemma for everyone, and you
live with it," adding that his cony ronta-
tion with Congress was merely ..one of
the hazards of working for the agen-
cy.'
"'You rust be as much a gentleman as
you can be," be said.
In opting to follow the code of his
craft rather than the Congressional
oath, Mr. Helms later insisted that he
wore a "badge of honor." In sentencing
him, Federal District Judge Barring-
ton Parker had declared: "From this
day forward, let there be no doubt: No
one. whatever his position in or out of
government, is above the law."
.Mr. Helms waved his medal happily
today as he stood in the drizzle outside
the White House.
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 Approved For Release 2006/01/12: CIA-RDP91-00901R00
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE WASHINGTON POST
21 October 1983
STAT
Former CIA director Richard
Helms received the National Security
Medal from President Reagan yes-
terday in a private White House cer-
emony attended by about. 100 friends
and members of the Helms family.
Reagan pointed out. that the medal,
established by President Truman, is
the country's highest award in the na-
tional security field. Helms has also
received the William J. Donovan
Medal and the 0A's highest award,
the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.
Some of the guests at the Roosevelt
Room presentation included Vice
President Bush, Sens. Barry Goldwa-
ter and Sam Nunn, Caspar Weinber-
ger, S. Dillon and Mary Ripley, Ed-
ward Bennett and Agnes Williams,
Clayton and Polly. Fritchey, Edwin
Meese, James Baker and Mike
Deaver...
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