DCI BRIEFING OF THE INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE OF SENATE APPROPRIATIONS - 6 MARCH 1974

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01482060
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: March 8, 1974

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CONFIDENTIAL J f SECRET 1
EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
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Executive Sqsretary
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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
OLC 74-0452
8 March 1974
SUBJECT: DCI Briefing of the Intelligence Operations Subcommittee
of Senate Appropriations - 6 March 1974
1. On 6 March 1974, the Director appeared before the Intelligence
Operations Subcommittee for a world wrapup briefing and discussion of
the Agency's involvement with Senator Baker and his staff on Watergate.
A technical sweep of the room, 1223 Dirksen Building, was conducted and
the room was kept under technical monitoring throughout. No transcript
was taken. Discussions included TK material.
2. Present from the Committee were:
John L. McClellan (D., Ark.), Chairman
John Stennis (D., Miss.)
John 0. Pastore (D., R.I. )
Milton R. Young (R., N. Dak. )
3. Present from the Committee staff were:
James R. Calloway
Guy McConnell
4. Accompanying the Director were:
Carl Duckett, DDS&T
William Parmenter, DD/OCI
OCI
George L. Cary, Legislative Counsel
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5. In his opening statement, the Chairman indicated that the Sub-
committee wanted to get a briefing on recent developments in the Watergate
matter but he asked that the Director give his world wrapup briefing first.
The Director covered his prepared text on the Soviet Union and Detente
and began to summarize the material on Soviet strategic weapons when
he was interrupted at 11:00 a. m. by a floor vote. During the first
portion of the briefing, several matters of interest were discussed:
a. Senator Pastore talked at some length about the
areas of technology in which the Soviets are interested and
also questioned the Soviet strategy in permitting Solzhenitsyn
to leave the USSR. Pastore feels he is more effective in his
attacks against the Soviet Union and more dangerous to them
now that he is outside of his homeland, and questioned the
wisdom of the Soviets in allowing him to leave. He also expressed
interest in what he referred to as the Soviet's "parasite" satellite.
b. Senator Pastore interpreted the Director's statement
that he did not believe the Soviets had a first-strike capability
to mean that there would not be a surprise attack by the Soviets.
The Director attempted to clarify this and pointed out there
were both psychological and technological reasons why we felt
the Soviets did not feel they had a first-strike capability.
c. Senator Pastore asked if the Soviets wouldn't be
better off by putting some of their assets into wheat and
other materials rather than to devote so much to military items.
The Director said that from the Soviet point of view their military
strength was more important. In this connection, Mr. Duckett
pointed out that the Soviets were determined they would never
again allow themselves to be placed in a position of having to
back down in the face of a military threat as they did in the
Cuban missile crisis.
6. When the members returned, the Chairman suggested that the
Director interrupt his wrapup briefing in order to cover the latest Watergate
developments. Using the attached briefing aids, the Director mentioned the
number of recent requests we have received from Senate committees in
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addition to our involvement with Senator Baker on the Watergate matter.
In this connection, he mentioned that thus far 25 employees or former
employees have appeared before Baker since early February and Ambassador
Helms is scheduled to appear tomorrow. The Director then mentioned the
subjects which have been covered by Baker's inquiry. (Pastore was not
present during this part of the briefing, but Jim Calloway said he would
advise the Senator that the Director would be happy to brief him privately
at his convenience. )
7. Chairman McClellan questioned the Director about the destruction
of the tapes and the Director responded that since these tapes had served the
basic purpose of memory aids and were no longer needed, there was no
reason to retain them indefinitely, except for the Hunt/Cushman tape.
He asked how the log of these tapes was reconstructed and the Director
explained this was done by checking the tape dates with the calendars of the
officials who were involved.
8. Senator Stennis asked if the Agency had any connection with the
set up" in the White House which was headed by Admiral Wellander. The
Director said we had no connection with this spying incident, adding that
we knew of the existence of the office in the White House in which Yeoman
Radford worked, but our contacts were direct and not through this office.
He pointed out, however, that undoubtedly some CIA material was involved.
9. Chairman McClellan pointed out that some months ago he had asked
that a full search be made for any documents relating to Watergate and they be
forwarded to the Committee, and added he could not understand why some
documents were still filtering in. The 'Director said we had in fact conducted
several searches and added the IG was currently engaged in another search..
He said he was embarrassed by the fact that documents kept being surfaced at
this late date but attributed this problem to the compartmented system under
which the Agency operated.
SECRET
E C632tiE L. CAR
egislative Counsel
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