3 ADMINISTRATIONS BACKED CIA ON NSA, KENNEDY SAYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000400330012-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2000
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: February 21, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

a
Approved For Release 20009'2AI
By United Press International
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, D-
N.Y., whose familiarity with the
Central Intelligence Agency
goes back to the Bay of Pigs
fiasco, said today it was unfair
to make the CIA "take the rap"
for secretly subsidizing private
organizations.
The former attorney general,
brother of the late President,
voiced sympathy for the CIA,
,buffeted in a wave of protest
reaction to the disclosure that it
had channeled money through
various foundations to student
and other organizations with
international activities.
With a rueful grin about
"getting into another controver-
sy," the senator said in an
interview:
"These basic decisions were
not made unilaterally by the
CIA but by the executive branch
-in the Eisenhower, Kennedy
and Johnson , administrations.
All relevant government agen-
cies are contacted for , their
approval. That includes the
White House.
'Not in a Dream World'
"If the policy was wrong, it
was not the product of the CIA
but of each administration." ?`:
"We must not forget thatt:tve
are not dealing with a dream
world, but with a very tough
adversary," he continued.
"I think it is unfair that the
CIA. should take the rap on this.
Any of.,,tpese .decisions made by
y
Johnson appointed last week to'
review CIA activities such as.
the NSA program.
Gardner said it was "a mis-I
'take for the CIA ever to entan-
gle gle itself in covert activities
close to the field of education or
scholarship or the university."
But he stressed that he felt the
error should net weigh against
recognizing the nation's need for
an intelligence-gathering agen-
cy.
Gardner said he has "little
respect for critics who give
themselves airs of moral super-
iority in attacking an activity
they know to be necessary."
CIA director Richard Helms,
another member of the review
panel, briefs members. of a
Senate Armed Services subcom-,
mittee today.
Mansfield Urges Probe
One member of the subcom
mittee, - Senate Democratic
Leader Mike Mansfield, has said
the CIA link to the collegiate.
group smacked of "big broth-
erism'.' and should be fully in-'
vestigated by the group.
Sen. Milton R. Young, R-N.D.,
ranking Republican of the'
special watchdog subcommittee
on the CIA, defended the agen-
cy. He told the Senate "we need
the CIA and badly" to compete
with Russian espionage.
Rep. Wayne Hays, D-Ohio,
charged in a House speech that
the White - House and State
Department knowingly allowed
the CIA subsidies to the NSA,
which amounted in some years I
to .Ann Ann , .
FOIAb3b
First Returns on CIA Meet a Dissent.
Pogo A-2
Asia Foundation Calls Meeting on
CIA Case. Page A-8
Cold War Ideological Era May be
Over. Page A-16
Church Council Got Aid From Foun-
dations Linked to CIA. Page A-21
CIA had to have been approved
by others."
Kennedy called the CIA an
"invaluable organization."
"It performs many useful
functions to protect the security
of the country. It has some of
the most able, dedicated public
servar's in the government."
He said he did not wish to
discuss specific cases of CIA
involvment. and had no ready
answer as to how. financial
support of private international
activities helpful to the nation
should best be handled.
While Kennedy voiced sympa-
thy for the CIA, Vice President
Hubert H. Humphrey said he
was "not at all happy" with the
CIA's covert support of the
National ' Student Association
and other groups.
Humphrey told students at
Stanford University that the
CIA's infiltration into the colle-
giate' group was "one of the
saddest times our government
has had in terms of public
policy."
"I'm not all happy about what
the CIA is doing," Humphrey
said. "I regret that the CIA was
involved in this. I think we ought
to keep our democratic institu-
tions free of government coer-
cion."
He said the CIA needs "closer
supervision" and should be
"confined to its intelligence-
gathering activities."
Humphrey's comment fol-
lowed similar criticism in a
statement issued by John W.
Gardner, ' Secretary of Health,
Education and Welfare, who is a
member of ? a panel President.
Approved For Release 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP75-00149R000400330b1,2-2