COLBY OPTIMISTIC ON CIA PROBES EFFECT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00418R000100100036-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 21, 2012
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: March 2, 1975
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

, Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/21: CIA-RDP99-00418R000100100036-2
Colby
By Daniel F. Cdirnore
vte.:> . .1.'411
CIA Director William
2 VIRCII 1975
I I? 0 ,4 . ? irl lir A ir--) -v
pcimitstle oil b 1.A. r. roibes
.....
ity. I have a commitment to CIA essentially give .a picture 0 AI A ee
;0 not have the author- various alleYai:ons about the 1-1 ofbe
E. ow senate of the united of an organization was
:olby. whose agency is under States that I will retuse. if it a threat to our freedom and a
nvestigation by two emigres- should come to that. I would . danger to the republic. en-
;ional committees and a presi- really go get another job. I gaged in uncontrolled activi-
lential commission. said yes- don't need this one t h at, Colby said.
:erday the CIA "will come ? much."' "I think the investigations
brough" the probes and he Although he admitted the
las no Intention of resigning. 'agency committed some im-; will rather clearly indicate
-I really have never felt proprieties. Colby denied be- that- the CIA has adhered Cs-
hat I've wanted to walk away- fore Senate and House corn- ? sentially to its toreilm intelli-t
from a fight." he 7:aid in an in- minces last month that the gence mission and its activi2
ttajsa,? CIA had conducted a "massive ties were controlled and
-I try to stick to it. If I illegal domestic intelligent op. within the limits of its proper:
think it's right. why I'll defend eration" against antiwar and authority and proper approv-.
it. If I think I'm wrong. dissident elements in recent als at ?various times, with ai
probably try to admit it. years- few esWeptions--few and far:
Theres no use fighting about lie said the agency had done between?an things that now
something that's wrong. some counterspying to deter.: appear questionable or. even
"Obviously. I serve at the mine whether American dissi-, in some very few cases latly
pleasure of the President. so dents had links with foreign !wrong."
it's not up to me alone But I 'Anvers. but said the operation. All this will "come into pro-:
certainly don't have any temp- was "neither massive, illegal.,; portion," he said, "and will
ii
tation to throw in the towel nor domestic." ; weighed against an anormous
.myself" The nub of current contro-; improvement in our intelii-
ksked if he would refuse a versy over CIA activities is gence knowledge of the world.
presidential order to carry out that its charter forbids it from, and the enormous contribu-
an operation he thought im-, soy ing on Americans within, tion that CIA makes to the se-
Colby said: the United States. "I think the curity of our country. to the
welfare oi our citizens, to,
!,,ace in many parts ut the
world."
Colby. 53. an intelli,2enc:e of-
ficial since World War 11 and
CIA chief since 1937, said the
agency's character and nature
has-changed in the last 15 or
20 years.
"It is not the same thing. as
he old image. It's an intellec--
on! process. proc-
"Yes it stilt hPs its more
Vcri! jiipects. Cut the
ex????:,,e,-.t of int;-:I:iellee
r.!:.ys is in the
tia4. ;And technological kt7-`11
physical fields. It isn't just
old Mata Hari and Nathan
Hale days. It's a big affair:
now."
proper,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/21: CIA-RDP99-00418R000100100036-2