THE SENATE AND THE CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00957A000100030004-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 28, 2005
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 7, 1974
• Content Type: NSPR

vrx.M.tYGTON P033'
7 OCT 1974
Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP79-00957A000100030004-3
The ,Senate and the CIA
THE HOT AND. HEAVY protests whichfollowed
disclosure of the CIA's subversion in-C. have
produced an official affirmation of "dirty tricks" of
unprecedented scope and explicitness. Mr.- Ford .reacted
two weeks ago op& by acknowledging an American
role in the overthrow of the Allende governmentt
by declaring -his readiness to take. future. "actions In
the j ote genre feId"-'No--American -'Pr.esidennt 1 lad
previously either defended a particular operation or
justified such operations as a whole. To be sure, it was
not the substance of what Mr.-Ford said bait his: public
statement of it that was new. It is not surprising that
a President. would support established presidential pol-
icy. But .thal..response of Congress is something else
again.
We print on this page today excerpts from a histori-
cal Senate debate of last Wednesday, "historical" because
it marks..the first time that either house of Congress
has conducted an open debate and openly voted on
whether the United States should engage in secret
foreign operations in peacetime, intelligence gathering
aside. A leading student of the CIA,. Harry Howe
.Ransom, wrote recently that "one searches in vain In
the public records.... for any evidence of congressional
Intent er acquiescence to assign the functions of foreign.
political action or subversion to the CIA." The "search" .
can now end. Last Wednesday the Senate considered
an amendment by Sen. James Abourezk (D-S.D.) to end
dirt;; tricks completely. The amendment was swamped,
68 to 17.
The CIA-and its suppottprs can now claim-fairly,
n e believe-that for the first time ' e agency has , a
congressional mandate, if only from one house, for
to?,et rations. No Longer can IA operations be
regarded as an unauthorized presidential habit or cold-
uie uu~ is not-immune .jour.
politicaal -,usage the fading of the cangression"aI ra~%
tionalist9?'w oT live -protected the CIA from critical
congressioJac y--all these factors have opened
up the issimin-a major way. Sen. John Stennis (B-Miss.), -
one. of the leading, traditionalists, remarked on . the
change last Wednesday,, "It is not an easy job that I have
.had on. tliis~matteir," be said. "I will not relate the
incidents that have come up. It was my duty, and that
was it,. After all, we are working for the same. country."
Just-what the new attitude personified by Sen.Abour-
ezk,--viii finally lead to is, of course, uncertain. It is
noteworthy, however, that since the Chile affair became.
known, the administration _ .has bin coad~:a kind
of preempttva rretreat by oiferin; eertuin- coilcESS oz s
to Congress on "oversight." Its latest :agog in to promise
timely briefings on operations to. the House Foreign
Affairs Committee, as well as to t;ie .o-ers';ht committee
of the At -ined Services Committee-'Tis broadens the
circle of those who can offer the -CLA their advice on
operation's, though the . ency s!.i11 does not ask for
legislators consent. It. als?r broadens the circle of those
whom the CIA can sweazr to secrecy. A legislator so
sworn, who finds himself opposed to a proposed opera-
tion, will still face the intolerable choice of breaking his
oath or swallowing his best judgment.
We do not think there is a good way to square the
circle: to hav effective public oversight of secret
operations. It is a humbling, contradiction for a demc+-
cratic society. Sen. Abourezk's answer-to abolish secret
operations and to meet all foreign threats openly and
publicly or not'at all-has the virtue of consistency but,
in our view, falls short in terms of policy. The portions
of the debate published here today indicate, if nothing
else, just how difficult the issue is.
Approved For Release 2005/07/13 : CIA-RDP79-00957A000100030004-3