STAR-NEWS EDITORIAL: KISSINGER AND ELLSBERG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-259-6-3-5
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: November 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 5, 1974
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/11/22: LOC-HAK-259-6-3-5
.FM THE. STT11ATION ROOM
F.`'a "J"L AS
TO HA !K69
DELIVER TO BI RE: ;ER/RODMAN FOR THE SECRETARY.
Mw~MNd"k ~~wrM M `~h :4W
'
STAR--;`wE`'=`. EDITORIAL l w,.;F
MORI/CDF per
C03344678
KISSINGER AND ELLSBERG
FORil!F C'? ',,WHITE HOUSE AIDE CHARLES COL SON ONCE SAID HE WOULD
t+,`t`.,! K OVER HIS GRAND (?1OTHER IF, IT WOULD HELP PRESIDENT NIXON.
CQW IT'S MBECItNNING TO LOOK AS IF HE MIGHT ALSO WALK OVER
SECRETARY OF STATE KISSINGER TO HELP HI1SELr~.
COLSO a, WHO IS AMONG SIX INDICTED IN THE 3F.'E_AK-IN AT THE OFFICE
OF DANIEL ELLSBERG'S PSYCHIATRIST, HAS HFILED AN AFFIDAVIT
I",? COURT S'UCDESTING THAT EISSINGER WAS HIP-DEEP IN THE PLANNING
LED TO .rBTASLISHMENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE "PLUMBERS". THE
o ;TENSIBLE:: PURPOSE OF DRAGGING KISSINGER INTO THE MATT . IS TO
SHOW THAT THE. BREAK-IN, WHICH WAS CARRIED OUT BY THE PLUMBERS,
WAS MOTIVATED BY CONCERN OVER NATIONAL SECURITY.
IT .:'OT ONLY IS POSSIBLE, BUT VERY LIKELY, THAT CONCERN OVER
AI ' ID ~P L SECURITY WAS THE REA SON PRESIDENT NIXON ORDERED
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PLUMBERS UNIT. COLSON'S AFFIDAVIT INDICATED
THAT ,.,'. N' 1,'~,ON WAS LIVID ABOUT LEAKS OF CLASSIFIED MATERIAL TO THE
PRESS AND WANTED THEM STOPPED "WHATEVER THE'. COST." AND THERE
IS EVERY REASON' TO BELIEVE THAT KISSINGER, WHO THEN WAS MR.
NIXON"S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, WAS EXTREMELY DISTURBED BY
THE NUMEROUS LEAKS, INCLUDING THE MASSIVE LEAK BY ELLSSFa:IG OF
THE PENTAGON PAPERS. COLSON'S AFFIDAVIT SUGGESTS THAT THERE
WERE A N,UMBER OF FEDERAL INVESTIGATIVE (REPORTS AT THE TIME THAT
RAISED A "SUSPICION THAT DR. ELLSBERG WAS ACTING ON BEHALF OF A
FOREIGN GOVER%llENT IN RELEASING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION"-THOUGH
NO PROOF OF THAT HAS EVER BEEN FORTFHCOMiN'r
THE UNFORTUNATE ASPECT OF COLSON'S AFFIDAVIT IS THAT IN
LINKING K1`3 ,SINGER AND THE PLUMBERS, IT CARRIES THE IMPLICATION,
WHETHER INTENDED OR NOT, THAT KISSINGER WAS IN SOME WAY iRESPONSILE
FOR THE BREAK-IN OF THE PSYCHIATRIST'S OFF" ICE. WHETHER KISSINGER
PARTICIPATE;) IN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT LED TO ESTABLISHMENT OF
THE PLUMBERS UNIT IS NOT THE ISSUE HERE. PERHAPS HE DID,
BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN HE KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THE ACTUAL. ACTIVITIES
OF THE PLUi`ISERS OR THAT HE CONDONED THEM; HE HAS REPEATEDLY
E'i'IED THAT HE DID.
AS MUCH AS A DEFENDANT IN A CRIMINAL CASE IS ENTITLED TO
DEFEND -HHIMSELF, IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE IF KISSING E R'S
F EPUTATION WERE TO BECOME BESMIRCHED IN THIS FASHION. KISSINGEh,
OF COURSE , IS NOT INDISPENSABLE.. BUT HE ONE; OF THE FEW
I{O?N ADMINISTRATION FIGURES TO COME OUT OF WATERGATE WEARING A
w' ITE. HAT, AND HIS TIRELESS AND DISTINGUISHED EFFORTS IN THE CAUSE
OFti?,~?ORLD PEACE ARE RECOGI,,II .cD BY N,E,Ai