TWO ISSUES AT THE CIA: LAYOFFS, 'PRIOR REVIEW'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120021-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: December 13, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

AR TIC LE AP .e1RFD
O.V PACE 11,22
Approved For Release 2007/08/20: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120021-8
WASHINGTON POST
Two Issues at the CIA: Layoffs, `Prior Review
In his criticism of prank Snepp's The massive layoffs ove
t CIA
r a
a
book, "Decent Interval," nowhere does somehow don't seem to jibe
ith th
w
e There is an issue i th Cl
ne massentra Adm. Stansfield Turner deny the a1le- tradition of fair play governing our Intelligence Agency firings that has
gallons or substance of Mr. Snepp's civil service. The style is, well, down- been overlooked-namely, age discrim-
thesis ["The CIA's `Unequivocal' Right right Stalinist. The story of the chief of ination in employment. A CIA spokes-
of Prior Review," op-ed, Dec. 71. How- station who served on a panel to select man touched upon it, perhaps unwit-
ever, his criticism is "justifiably" aimed other supergrade officers for termina- tingly, when he said that part of the
at MMr. Snepp's violation of his oath. I tion and who was himself then termin- w
ould agree;with Adm. Turner that the ated by the other panel members after up positions for younger of ers.The
r
cightto revi6w any wessirtu na- returning to his overseas post remin spokesman must obviously not be fa-
Y necessary for ded one of how Stalin appointed Com- miJiar with the Age Discrimination in
tional-security isolutel considerations. How- rade Yezhov to 'shorten NKVD Chief Employment Act of 1967, which makes
ever, a public that has been beset by a Yagoda "by a head," and then called on it illegal "to fail or refuse to hire, or to
TRA, and other Berta to get rid of Yezhov. discharge, or otherwise discriminate
calamities could reasonably be suspect Your reporting of Adm. Turner's
of the neutral detachment of the CIA against any individual as to compe of
purge of CIA operations officers was so tion, terms, conditions, or privilegel s of
reviewers in their application of na- extensive that I was struck by one large employment, because of age." The law
tional-security considerations in the piece missing from the Byzantine covers virtually all men and women be-
censorship of such works as "Decent In- puzzle- President Carter's role.
terval." This is in no way an imputation When several hundred of our highest industry tween industha ages of 40 most and 6o ie private
that
that the CIA would intentionally cover- and d most of f government
its role in the chaotic climax of the calibre, most dedicated civil servants CIA claims that under provisions of
are summarily mired, the public has the the 1947 National Security Act, its direc-
Vietnam affair, but the very nature of right to know not only what is going on tor has unlimited authority to fire em-
the organization and the sporadic nu- . but why. ; ployees. Perhaps. But experts in the
antes of former employees gives rise to AUSTIN GOODRICH field of age-discrimination law sa
a natural concern on the part of the Great Falls
Va Y pri-
,
-public as to the impartially of those vately that this issue might be profitably
t
ensorshi
.
for us. _ _ ..,?..,
p Stansfield Turner's article on the CIA age 40 who were fired-and there is rea-
A permanent citizens panel (with fails to recognize that 1) there are limits son to believe that the majority are over
proper clearances) could act as a buffer to what oaths an official may properly 40. Failing a victory by these individuals
between the CIA's desire to unilaterally require
ght well reex-
o , 2) a secret condition for
capublic em- in the courts, nnot in a amine the 1947 legislation.
censor and the right of the people to plYment agency
know the truth. Each ide couo democracy be its own judge of what to The CIA men and women have an op.
p tell the public, and 3) I, for one, am very portunity-because of the publicity po-
resent its case, and the committee unhappy that I don't know if. the CIA is tential of their cause-to make a major
would make the decision, with judicial limiting itself now to intelligence and contribution to the elimination of a form
remedies as a last resort. Unquestiona- has discontinued interfering in foreign of discrimination that is pervasive, bru-
biy there are secrets that must be kept, political and economic activities. tal, stupid and costly in both economical
but how is the public to know that con-
terns As Turner says he wants a better bal- and psychological terms.
other than national security
haven't ance between secrecy and oversi ht, I PETER CHEW
been interjected? suggest that 1) the CA replace its arbi- Washington
As a former Army officer with two
tllh
rary overa secrecy oat with an oath.
tours in Vietnam, I would be very much confined to certain critical and proper
interested in the analysis of the final. agency activities, 2) a congressional
demise of the Saigon government oversight committee exercise the prior
While I would condemn Mr. Snepp for review-of writings of ex-CIA employ.
violating his oath, on the other hand. ees, and 3) the President assure us that
were Ito run up against the opposition the CIA has given up activist interfer-
to which he alluded during numerous
It's a damned shame that certain for-
mer employees of the intelligence com-
munity feel that they can open.iy disre?
gard their promises and solemn oaths
and flaunt the security of the nation.
.JUSTIN R. SWIFT
Interviews, I might see the whole affair ence and tell us what adequate over- Washingon
in a different light. sight is in effect.
i ALLAN F. MATTHEWS
I thought Adm. Turner stated his
case quite well regarding the right of
prior review. He expressed "deep confi-
dence in the loyalty and patriotism of
the persons who have worked for us."
Isn't loyalty a two-way street?
ROBERT C. PENISTON
Washington
Approved For Release 2007/08/20: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120021-8
STAT