Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP75-00149R000500020067-5
Body:
Approved For Release 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000500020067-5
HERALD
E--3,814
t3 4 1966
A Watch On the CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency, alone of all federal agencies,
has, not once been subjected to formal. review by members of
Congress, The closest thing to such a review-and it is not very
.close-is the informal watch .kept on CIA operations by a special
rsubcommittee composed of Appropriations and Armed Services
committee members,,
The Central ntel]igenceAgency has, in short, been in large
4r a
ing its almost 20 years of existence
In ,,recent . years there haee been rising fears that the CIA, >?.
ar, beyond its intelligence-gathering function. The arguments
for supervision considerably outweigh the counter-argument
that anything more than casual scrutiny would undermine the
A Pause of the secretiyenatur f. its-operations,
~'Two-? proposals just ade. iu_the_., ate have refocused attention
ctrr. this matter Sen Eugene. 3, McCarthy seeks creation of a
~- ecial _.. ..q .ign Relations-subcommittee to study the
impact of Cif; activjt e _ _9g;_United. States relations with other
ouo rie Sens Stephen M. Young proposes establishment of a
per ianent Joint committee of Senate and House to oversee
operations of the CIA.
Senator Young saiLthis! "Wrapped in its cloak of secrecy, the
has in ,,ILpg _ foreign policy. In so doing, it
asurraed responsibilities which were heretofore solely
4f the president and Congress," Senator McCarthy said
? thaii because there has,en_no formal review of the CIA "it
has n%-, been possible to termine whether a valid basis exists
fir criticism 4f_ _ agency, ,or to
prevent what appear to be
ri s of the CI These. a_ re cogent points. A thoroughgoing,
udy and establishment.?of..A.. supervisory setup, both handled
' ,discretion, would b in the public interest
Approved For Release 2004/01/16 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000500020067-5