STAFF MEETING MINUTES OF 29 FEBRUARY 1980

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00130R000600010260-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 22, 2007
• Sequence Number: 260
• Publication Date: February 29, 1980
• Content Type: REPORT

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29 February 1980
Staff Meeting Minutes of 29 February 1980
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The Director chaired the meeting.
Lehman reported resistance from DIA re the current draft NIE 11-3/8 25X1
and paper underway on "Soviet Policies in Southwest Asia." He
said DIA is complaining that language in these documents does not hit the
Soviets hard enough. He noted this has been somewhat traditional with DIA
but has become more emotional this year. Lehman advised we brace ourselves
for the possibility of this conflict finding its way into the public arena
with probable press debate. 0 noted the current issue of Aviation 25X1
Week reflects the same kind of problem which occurred in 1976 re NIE
11-3/8. Clarke said he has been in discussion with General Tighe but has 25X1
not yet seen Tighe's suggested rewording of the draft summary.
Stein reported briefly on the following:
--Thailand's Prime Minister Kriangsek's resignation amid widespread
criticisms of his government's economic policies. Stein suggested
it is likely this step by Kriangsek is an attempt to save himself
for another day.
--Dissemination to the Intelligence Community of a compilation of
Soviet activities in Iran including reports that (1) the Soviets
believe U.S. military forces may enter Iran, and (2) increased Soviet
subversion in Iran designed to permit Soviet military entry into that
country when needed.
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W
Fitzwater reported U retirements including supergrades for the
month of February which raises the total since ear y December tol
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Hetu reported Newsweek's David Martin is preparing a feature article--
"What After Snepp?" Hetu said Martin queried him on our current status re
Stockwell and Joe Smith and asked if the Agency would sue former Agency
officials, e.g., Ray Kline, for not clearing their public speeches involving
CIA. The Director advised Hetu to make difficult Martin's pursuits in these
areas.~I 25X1
Hetu called attention to today's Executive Summary attachment on
the legality o his secrecy agreement re a arge DOOK manuscript
submitted for Agency review. Hetu advised we give careful attention to
this case where the ACLU is obviously hoping for decision conflicts from
two different Courts of Appeal. Relatedly, the Director noted he has read
that Snepp has a second book underway. In response to a query from the
Director, Silver explained our current action with the Department of
Justice re Stockwell. The Director advised we pursue a policy of "no
comment" to the media while such cases are in the process of litigation.
Clarke reported yesterday's SCC meeting on SALT II was inconclusive.
He said discussions centered on how best to return to the pursuit of rati-
fication noting the SCC was generally agreed the U.S. would be better off
with a treaty than without one. He said it was also agreed that timing
for action this year is made especially difficult by political conventions/
elections and the likelihood of treaty renegotiations with the Soviets if
ratification is delayed until 1981. It was noted at the SCC that in his
European trip, Secretary Brown found indications that Europeans want SALT
kept alive. In response to a query from the Director, Clarke said there
was no discussion on how we might dissuade Soviet violations in the interim.
The Director suggested to Clarke that the SALT Support Staff might examine
ways to continue coordination with the Soviets, e.g., upcoming sea trials
of their new Delta-class submarine and our launching of the nuclear sub-
marine 0HI0.~~ 25X1
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Clarke reported that SCC discussion focused also on the current
situation in Cuba and that David Aaron would be chairing a follow-up
meeting today to deal with the timing of reporting latest information to
Congressional Committees--and by whom, State or CIA. He said yesterday's
discussion leaned toward reporting by CIA.
He said we s ou not e
ourselves be stampeded on this when our confidence factor is only 75
percent pending further target coverage and analysis. He said he is not
satisfied with our analysis and said he noted this to the task team last
evening. Unless there is new information, he said our current analysis
is not sufficient to make a convincing case to Congressional Committees.
The Director discussed with Clarke the problems involved.
Hitz noted HPSCI is the only committee which has not yet given
its final blessing He said this 25X1
could be handled simply by a phone call from Mr. Carlucci to Chairman
Boland and advised against written correspondence in this regard. Hitz
noted Boland's preference that we move slowly re Iran at this time. Mr.
Carlucci suggested and Hitz agreed that the HPSCI delay reflects not
Boland's but Representative Aspin's concerns on this matter. The Director
said he had phoned Representative Aspin yesterday to complain about Aspin's
reported statements in a recent Christian Science Monitor article dealing
with CIA covert action and subversion, and Aspin's recent letter demandin
answers re the use of DCI waivers relating to journalists, etc.
Hitz called attention to difficulties with the SSCI in resolving
confusion re Charters Legislation dealing mainly with the matter of
"prior notification" and "full access." Mr. Carlucci said Bill Miller
will be meeting with him on this next Tuesday and that Cutler has prepared
a piece designed to resolve the issue. Hitz advised we move slowly on
this matter and the Director advised that the DDO be brought into this more
deeply, i.e., to see if they can live with what Cutler has prepared. The
Director suggested a piece be prepared which would grant generic and cate-
gorical authority for the Director re "prior notification" to Congress--this
is to avoid the difficulty of having to go to the President for notification
approval in every instance. Silver said he doesn't believe the Director's
suggested approach matches what he thinks Cutler has in mind. Hitz again
advised we move slowly on this to let things settle more clearly.
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Silver said re Snepp and Stockwell that we are under no obligation
to be consistent in our dealings with others of their sort in pursuing
litigation. Noting his acute awareness of an unholy alliance among the
media ready to pounce on us, he said we should be very selective--
circumspect if necessary--in choosing cases for litigation. He advised
we consider every case on its own merit to ensure attainment of our long-
term objective in this regard.
said Silver will follow up on these with IOB's new Counsel Jim Dick.
Silver reported on the reorganization in OGC and said a notice would
be circulated soon. He announced as the new De ut General
Counsel and 0 as the Associate Deputy General Counsel
In response to a query from Briggs, the Director briefly described
his meeting yesterday with the IOB and said Governor Scranton was unable to
attend because of illness. He noted the Board's concerns re questions of
legality, propriety, and the Director's format for ensuring his consultation
with OGC, DDO, DDS&T, et al., on certifications and sworn affidavits. He
The Director briefly addressed the following:
said he had nothing of particular importance to report for the 25X1
DDA. The Director asked that the DDA provide him with an analysis of
Washington Post columnist George Lardner's article today (attached) dealing 25X1
with CIA's handling of FOIA. (Action: DDA) 25X1
Briggs reported on a bomb scare yesterday in ODP and suggested
circulating information on the event when the Office of Security report
is complete.
--Press reporting that Secretary Brown has confirmed U.S. involve-
ment in Afghanistan, e.g., U.S. arms being supplied via Pakistan to
Afghanistan rebels. In response to a query from the Director, Hetu
said he has not seen much press play on this item but will check it
out.
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--Noting continued disagreement within State on the Soviet troop
count in Afghanistan, the Director called attention to State's Morning
Summary today which reports another division being deployed from the
Kiev Military District which adds to the count--and that this conflicts
with any suggestions of Soviet withdrawal. Clarke said Community
representatives are meeting every Tuesday to arrive at a commonly
agreed figure for Soviet troop strength in Afghanistan.
--The Director asked that we check into reports the Soviets are 25X1
using chemical warfare in Afghanistan. He noted reports include
details of chemical cannisters.
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0 WASHINGTON POST*
CIA Asking Hill`to Cut Back
Public Access to Agency's Files
=Bp George Lardner Jr-
Wuhinaton Poet Staff Writer
Ot~ June 8, 1965, a CIA security offi-'
cer' met with an informant in the Hil-
ton Hotel in downtown Washington'to.
discuss the progress-of his spying- on
the civil- rights movement and espe-
cially on the Rev. Martin Luther King
Jr.
-The meeting, which lasted nearly
four hours, dealt with "highly deroga-
tory information" involving King and
allegations of "communist-directed in-
filtration into the movement," accord-
ing to a nine-page memo prepared the
next day for the chief of CIA's' Secu-
rity Research Staff. The highly placed
informant, who had "long provided in=
formation on the Negro civil rights
movement and its leaders" to the CIA,
promised. to stay in touch. He empha,
sized he did not want to be "down-
graded"' by being asked to report to
the FBI.
The CIA's' spying- on King; which
'produced`a file including some of his
haberdashery bills, Diners' Club re-
ceipts and notes listing phone calls
and appointments, was never dis-
ci 5ed in the extensive congressional
or executive branch investigations of
'the agency conducted in recent. years.
It has come to light solely as the re-
sult of litigation under the Freedom.
of Information Act (FOIA).
Thousands of. documents on CIA ac-
tivities--from reports on President
Kennedy's assassination to controver-
sial mind-control/ experiments land
other. excesses-have been made pub-
lic under FOIA since the agency was
effectively brought under the law five.-
years ago.
Now the CIA is seeking to halt all
but the most limited disclosures. Un-
a bill pending in both the House
and the Senate, the agency has asked
for an extraordinary exemption that
would put its operational and techni-
cal files almost. completely' beyond
/reach of,FOIA. Even illegal activities,
It appears, could be legally covered up._
Public inquiries could- be rejected
without any . inspection - of the docu-
-ments- sought. Lawsuits. would be
.fruitless. The files would be immune
-from court. action, except for individu-
als seeking records about t?emselves:
The CIA'has described the proposal
In more modest terms; According to
.CIA Deputy Director Frank Carlucci.
the bill would provide only "a limited
exemption to protect 'our most sensi-
tive:information." He-maintains: that.
`the loss to -the public frorp the re-
moval- of these files from the' FOfA
process would be minimal." ---
Despite such assurances, the' law
has forced the-CIA to. release a' great
deal of information that would still be
-buried in the agency's files if the bill
it wants had been the prevailing rule.
Some documents that have been
made public expand, or contradict,
what the CIA reported in the 1975-76
investigations. Some deal with issues
that the investigators never touched,
such as the CIA's spying on Dr. King..
(That was. disclosed in an,FO-1A law-
spit - brought by author-critic ,Harold
Weisberg of Frederick,. Md.)
.Item: The Rockefeller Commission,
apinted b_,PPesident Ford;3n._1975.
to 11
investfga'm'-'CIAri'actlviltes!'iu~ the
United'States, dime:across.a program
started in 1967 by the CIA's Office of
:Security "to identify threats to CIA-
-personnel, projects and installations,'
:especially those stemming. from. the,
antiwar. movement on college cam
puses.
The: commission was satisfied that
the operation "used no infiltrators
-penetrators .or monitors" and reliedi
..primarily on press clippings, camp ps i
officials 'and police authorities: ;.
Records' later released under- 'the;
Freedom of Information Act about the
program, which the CIA styled "Pro-
ject Resistance," show that it used
confidential 'informants repeatedly in:
Texas, California, Washington, . D.C.,
and elsewhere. The CIA file even in-
eluded 'a blank "Confidential Infor-
mant Identification" form for Project`
Resistance.
Item: The Senate investigating com-
mittee headed by Frank Church (D-
Idaho) said- in Its final report that Pro-
ject Resistance, ' which lasted' until
1973, eventually developed"a.nation-
wide' index of 12,000 to 16,000 names.
But according to records later made
public under FOIA; the CIA's. Office
of Security indexed 50,000 members
of the California Peace and Freedom
Party alone, primarily college stu-
dents in just two counties.
Item: The 'CIA told the Church
committee that the records for MK-
liLTRA,_.the, agency's... premier mind
control program, had been destroyed.
in 1973, reportedly with concurrence
of then-director Richard Helms.
Some 16,000 'Pages of~ records' deal-
ing with MKULTRA and other .CIA.,
experiments, with-;exotic drugs. were
subsequently unearthed and turned.
oyerAto' o1uJ! Marks, a former State
.Department employe and-'frequent,
CIA critic; under the Freedom of In-
formation. Act
Testifying;`about some of the newly
discovered documents in 1977; CIA Di-
rector StarAfield Turner said they
showed the-;CIA carried out 149 pro.
lects involving: drug testing, behavior
modificatioxi and secret administra-
tion of mind '.altering drugs at 80
American and. Canadian universities,
hospitals, research.' foundations and
prisons. But he_ Ossyr2d Congress that
the mind. . c,0ntko1-work had been al-
most completely phased , out in the
mid-1960s..
According to . Marks,-, who kept
pressing for more documents as he.
wrote a book on the subject, the CIA
replaced MKULTRA with another
wide-ranging, supersecret behavior
control project that continued into
the 1970s under the agency's office of
i Research and Development. The CIA
told Marks in June 1978 it had discov-
ered "130 boxes" of mind control ma-
terial, in response to his. inquiry about
the,ORD project, but lie is still wait-
ing to find out what is in them beyond
a: -few "trivial documents" that were
released.,.
"They've been 'diddling me ever
since," Marks says. "In effect, they've
already repealed, the FOIA, at least as
far as mind control is concerned."
Item: The CIA's view of its once-se-
cret war in Laos was reflected in still
another release under FOIA: Its posi-
tion':was.set down Oct. 30,-1969, in a
memo . from CIA General Counsel
Lawrence. R. Houston regarding con-
gressional inquiries on the. issue, espe-
cially from Sen. J: William Fulbright
(D-Ark.).
"If Sen. Fulbright were right in say-
ing-that we are `waging war' in Laos,
we would indeed have a constitutional
question," Houston advised Helms. "I
know of no definition, however, which
would consider our activities in Laos
,as `waging war' except Sen. Ful-
bright's. We have no combatants as
such, although the Air Force pilots do-
ing the bombing come close...."
Such documents will no longer be
made, public if the CIA has Its way, at
least not under the Freedom of Infor-
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