PRESIDENT REAGAN PRAISED THE WORK OF CIA DIRECTOR WILLIAM CASEY AND THE SPY AGENCY'S EMPLOYEES THURSDAY AS "AN INSPIRATION TO YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS AND PEOPLE EVERYWHERE," WHILE THE WHITE HOUSE SAID REAGAN RETAINS FULL CONFIDENCE IN CASEY.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92G00017R001100230058-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 16, 2014
• Sequence Number: 58
• Publication Date: May 24, 1984
• Content Type: MISC

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/16: CIA-RDP92G00017R001100230058-8
ASSOCIATED PRESS
_411--- _ 24 -May .1984 ? ?
REAGAN TRAVELS TO CIA, HAILS CASEY
BY TERENCE HUNT
LANGLEY, VA.
President Reagan praised the work of CIA Director William Casey and the spy
agency's employees Thursday as "an inspiration to your fellow Americans and
people everywhere," while the White House said Reagan retains full confidence in
Casey.
The president traveled to CIA headquarters for a ground-breaking ceremony
one day after a House subcommittee accused Casey of playing a major role in an
organized and possibly illegal political espionage effort in which Carter
administration documents were obtained for use in Reagan's 1980 election
campaign.
Casey, waiting to greet Reagan at a helicopter landing zone here, refused to
talk to reporters about the congressional report. Gesturing toward a network
television crew, Casey said, "I don't want to talk with those mikes."
Stepping from his helicopter, Reagan shook hands with Casey, and the two men
climbed into a waiting limousine and rode several hundred yards to the ceremony.
White House spokesman Larry Speakes said the trip to the CIA "was long
planned. It's certainly an endorsement of the role that the CIA and the role
its director is playing there."
While saying Reagan still had full 'confidence in Casey, Speakes added, "I
don't think the president can pass judgment on the (congressional) charges
because he hasn't read it or been briefed on it."
Hundreds of CIA employees left their work and sat on a sunny hillside near
the agency's main building to catch a glimpse of Reagan.
"Without you, our nation's safety would be more vulnerable, and our security
fragile and endangered," the president told the crowd.
"The work you do each day is essential to the survival and to the spread of
human freedom," he added. "You remain the eyes and ears of the free world. You
are the tripwire over which the totalitarian rule must stumble in their quest
for global domination."
Reagan said that the CIA "cannot operate effectively unless its necessary
secrets are maintained even in this, the most open and free country on Earth.
"We cannot expect you or your informants to endanger life and work because of
carelessness, sensationalism or unnecessary exposure to risk," Reagan added.
Contintei
npriacsified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/16: CIA-RDP92G00017R001100230058-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/16: CIA-RDP92G00017R001100230058-8
in ABC WORLD.NEWS TONIGHT
--7.7.7L-77.77.77 ?2.777 24 .May719 8477" -711.7:177- 771-
CIA/WILLIAM
CASEY
JENNINGS: The CIA is planning to build an addition to its
headquarters building in Virginia. The dedication
ceremony would not usually attract national attention, but
this was the day after a House subcommittee put something
of a cloud over CIA Director William Casey for his part in
the Carter briefing book affair. . As Mike Von Fremd
reports, Mr. Casey and the president were together today.
VONFREMD: The last thing Director William Casey expects
to face inside CIA headquarters is a reporter and roving
camera crew questioning him about the briefing book
controversy. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you gonna stay
on your job, sir? WILLIAM\JACASEY (CIA Director): I
don't like to talk about (unintelligible).
VONFREMD: Casey said he'd have a statement later, but
then decided against that, apparently hoping.that the
controversy will just blow over. And the CIA public
relations director was doing his best to leave the
. impression that the president's visit means Casey's job is
safe. UNIDENTIFIED CIA PR DIRECTOR): I think it's a
great show of support for the CIA.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What about being personal?
UNIDENTIFIED CIA PR DIRECTOR: Mr. Casey is a big part of
the CIA.
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER'(introducing speakers at dedication
ceremony): Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the
United States, the vice president of the United States,
Director Casey.
VONFREMD: And President Reagan was at Casey's side in the
middle of CIA headquarters in front of hundreds of
cheering employes. Camera crews were asked by the CIA to
take only wide shots of the staff to protect all
identities. But the agency clearly wanted shots of this,
the ground-breaking of the $190 million building to help
these people do what President Reagan called their
essential jobs. PRESIDENT REAGAN: You are the tripwire
over which the totalitarian rule must stumble in their
quest of global domination.
VONFREMD: While other aides listened, the president's
chief of staff, James Baker, whose testimony is at odds
with Casey's, chose not to attend. And while the
president heaped praise on the CIA, he declined to
directly praise Casey. But as one White House adviser
said, quote, 'This just wasn't the time or place where the
president needed to say 'I'm behind you 1,000 percent.'
Mike Von Fremd, ABC News, the White House.
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It ?
"When historians look back on all of this," Reagan said, "I'm sure they will
conclude that no one has played a more important role in this exciting new era
than all of you here in CIA.
"Your work, the work of your director, the other top officials have been an
inspiration to your fellow Americans and to people everywhere."
Reagan used a silver shovel to turn over dirt for a 1.1 million-square-foot
addition. which will double the size of CIA headquarters.
Chuck Wilson, the agency's deputy director of information, said the
additional room is necessary because the CIA is adding so many computers that
people are being crowded out of offices.
STAT He said the addition will permit CIA employes scattered in offices
throughout the metropolitan Washington area to work at the main CIA complex.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/16: CIA-RDP92G00017R001100230058-8