CIA CHIEF WARNS TRIAL WOULD BE DAMAGING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120105-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 105
• Publication Date: September 29, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/08/20 :CIA-RDP99-004988000100120105-6
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' By Robert Timberg . ? .
~~ Annapolis~The head of the Central In-
telligence Agency warned last night that
the agency would have to release secrets
damaging to national security if one of his
predecessors is brought to trial
Adm. Stansfield Turner, the CIA direc-
~`toi, issued his warning"dt31'l~pear-
` ante before the 4,300-member Brigade of
Midshipman at the Naval Academy.
? Admiral Turner was referring to the
case of Richard M. Helms, former direc-
tor of central intelligence, who allegedly
lied when he told a Seaate committee in
1973 the agency had played no role ink
. bringing about the overthrow of the biarx-
' ist government of Salvador Allende in
Chile. ~ . ~ ''
It later came to light that the CIA had
,spent some ;8 million to weaken the-AI-
lende regime. -~
,. ? A federal grand jury in Washington is
reportedly considering indicting Mr.
Helms for perjury, but the final decision
on whether to try him now rests with Grif-
fin BeA, the Attorney Geneeal.
`Asked last night by a midshipman- if a
ttrial of Mr. Helms would create serious in-
. telligence problemsa Admiral'Turner re-
plied; ? _
"If Mr. Helms comes up for "public
;trial, we, the CIA, will have to release in-
formation, the release of which will be
damaging to the national ~security_ inter-
ests..: - .
~:"~ . ?"Therefore, a decision must be made
t by'the Attorney General-~of the United
States? as to whether the overall nationals
'.~ interests .will be furthered by prosecuting)
;'this case :.. or to. waive the trial in order
to preserve the se~iets." .:.:rte :_ _.:
~~~a~ ~~i~9 ,
'Admiral Turner said he~ has ahead
made a recommendation on the matter,
but he refused to reveal it.'He also failed
to chazacterize the nature and magnitude
of the threat to national security which a
trial of Mr. Helms would pose. - ~ .
-The final decision, he said, will have to
weigh his views against .`.`the good that
. would be done by prosecuting"
`.'I have made my views known on how
damaging itwould be," besaid. -' . ?
Admiral Turner, who graduated from
the academy in 1946 with? President Car-
,:ter, was named duector of. central intelli-
gence in February. His powers. were ex-
~panded in August to give him budget au-
' thority and task-setting responsibility for
? the entire intelligencecommunity, -
' He was hit by a barrage of questions
;concerning:illegal buggings a~ political
assassinations following . ~ a 30-minute
.speech last night in which be reminisced
? about his days at Annapolis. and told the
"midshipman they must think boldly about
their future and the Navy's H they're to
meet future challenges ~ . .~ -
He drew sustained applause when he
~said,in response to a question concerning
,assassinations, "We will not da it and have
no thoughts or plans to da it."?, ? ~ ?~ ~.
'_;~~ Concerning eleetrossic surveillance, he
said the agency will "comply with the law
precisely, minutely and absolutely," ?.
,_..~._. ~ _. _ ~ y~.~~_