CIA FRONT GROUPS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00341R000100100128-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 28, 2001
• Sequence Number: 128
• Content Type: NSPR

won o t e_Central Intel-
ligence Agency as standing
outside the law in its capacity
for endangering individual se-
curity with seeming impunity,
you overlooked mention of
the even vaster possibilities
for similar type damage inher-
ent in CIA front organizations
designed to possess the ob-
vious advantage of appearing
to be unconnected with covert
activities of official inspira-
tion. In such situations, dam-
age to individuals is far more
insidious if for no other rea-
sop than the additional diffi-
culty of dragging the responsi-
ble matrix organization into
the publicity spotlight it must
preferentially shun.
;Composed of both agency
operatives and "innocents"
who are carefully recruited
used in connection with sup-
posed national security re-
quirements and projections
some of which at the-least-an-
pear to e o 1jly con
Approved For Release 2002/01/10: CIA.R JWOM28-1
c i i eir con
-1
_~9r J.J1e t gj. -exuloitation___of
their professional skills to
help mask other activities
hardly in keeping with the
publicly defined aims and ob-
jectives of their apparent em-
ployers, front organizations
can be and too often are a
serious menace to the individ-
ual liberties and working ca-
reers of their non-CIA affili.
ated employes. Many individ-
uals of this last category would
doubtless have opted not to
join such organizations if
their. true nature had been
manifest to them at the time
they were recruited.. Other in-
dividuals would ...have been
just as content to go along
with the acting role required
of them and a not insignifi-
cant number would have felt
happier about being taken
into the complete ,confidence
of those preparing to use
them ostensibly in connection,
with national., security inter-
ests and requirements.
The basic issue here-and it
is but one more. concerning
which the American public is
entitled to an answer - is
whether or not the Central In-
telligence Agency has any
moral or legal basis for using
and exploiting U.S. citizens,
whether in the United States
or abroad, without their prior
knowledge and fullest consent
in connection with covert ac-
tivities while paying them for
fulfilling legitimate roles the
ultimate success of which are
hardly ever allowed given
their,only secondary or terti-
ary importance in relation to
which may range from levels
of complete control to that of
the basic purpose of the ma-
trix organization in setting up
its. dummy front.
Worse still in its long range
implications, perhaps, is the
damage 'done to the imagery
of legitimate organizations in
the labor, religious, charitable
and other fields of overseas
activities by CIA connections
ntentioned private
"'en eavors not to mention
those deliberately set up for
such purposes are bding
JOSEPH J. PALISI,
Fnrmnrly of the A-1-iron t H_