CIA DIRECTOR CALLS LEAKS WORST THREAT TO AMERICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100200084-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 15, 2007
• Sequence Number: 84
• Publication Date: April 18, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/06/15: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100200084-0
FORT LAUDERDALE NEWS
18 April 1980
CIA director
calls leak
worst threat
America
By Sally Ann Stewart'-
Warning that the CIA must be?
protected from public scrutiny, Di-'
rector Stansfield Turner. said leaks of
secret- information undermine the of
fectiveness of the agency.:.;
Stone asked Turner if he. had
changed his mind about using news- i
paper foreign correspondents as CIA j
spies.. At a convention of the Ameri-
can Society of Newspaper Editors
last week, Turner said he did not find.
the practice harmful.
The remark last week drew sharp.
criticism from newspaper editoriall
writers. The New York Times called
Turner's remarks a "threat- to (re-
porters'). safety," and argued that re-.
porters ' need to be. independent
seekers, of truth.
Turner responded to ,Stone's ques
tion yesterday by saying thew editori=l
- 'als had not swayed his opinions- al
worked- with reporters for at.least.
four years. ,. .
"Leaks are the most serious threat
to American survival today," he said.
Turner, speaking, yesterday, at the
last Palm Beach Round Table- dis-
cussion at the: Paramount Theatre,
was joined by FBI director William
Webster, and Marvin Stone, editor of
U.S. i tiews_and World- Report.
Turner; who has headed the CIA
since March 1977, continued his drive
for legislation to free the agency
,,from.- the Freedom: of :' Information
Act. He also is pressing for legislation
to. allow prosecution of,.those who
disclose foreign agents' names or
identities
Turner' said he has asked Congress'
to cut the number of formal oversight
committees from eight to two..
The two-hour round table, attended
by about 1,004 persons;. focused on
relationship of press.to the two in-
telligence agencies,. the CIA and FBI.
Noting that there has.. "always been
an exchange" of information between
said, "All- my colleagues feel it would
the "media profession" currently are
supplying information to the Federal'
Bureau of Investigation because "we
believe we are entitled to that in-
formation."
had vorunteered their-information
;,-and the plan was approved by the U.S.
Approved For Release 2007/06/15: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100200084-0