DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN:

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00261R000100050003-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved Ff' a WO&1/e 'IXt.Ci 'ERUaa -10261 R000100050003-7
Intelligence Community Staff
The Honorable Frank Church
Chairman
Select Committee to Study Governmental
Operations with Respect to Intelligence
Activities
United States Senate
Washington, D. C. 20510
DCI/IC 75-3886
In view of the public attention which has already been focused
on certain activities of U. S. intelligence organizations, I am '_
concerned that Congress, in an effort to ensure that the constitutional.',
rights of U. S. citizens are not put at risk in the future, might
consider legislation which would restrict certain intelligence activities
in a way in which the Congress might not intend. As a matter of
urgency prior to the drafting of any such legislation, I encourage the
Committee's earnest consideration of the Central Intelligence Agency
mission and the impact which any new legislation would have upon
the effective functioning of the Agency.
Enclosed is a listing of 43 activities of the CIA within the
United States or involving U. S. citizens which I consider can be
labelled "core interests" or "core activities. " In most cases these
activities are presently legal; in some few instances, legislation
would be required in order to clearly legitimate the activity.
All of these activities have been identified as being of
importance if the CIA is to accomplish its mission.
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 Approved For R ease 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP81-0261 R000100050003-7
I fully recognize that there is a legitimate need to reassure
the American people that their rights are being fully protected.
There is a concomitant need to reassure Americans that their
intelligence organizations retain the ability to carry out their assigned
responsibilities.
Respectfully,
W. E. Colby
Enclosure:
As stated
Distribution:
Orig. - Addressee (w/enclosure)
1
- DCI (w/enclosure)
1
- DDCI (w/enclosure)
1
- ER (w/enclosure)
l
- (w/enclosure)
25X1A
ICS/CS Chrono (w/o enc)
Cmte Chrono (w/o enc) .
1 - IC Registry (w/enc)
DCI/ICS/CS/ ba/4401 25X1A
(9 December 1975)
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