LETTER TO WILLIAM CASEY FROM GEORGE V. LAUDER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B00443R000903760030-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: May 15, 1986
• Content Type: LETTER

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Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C.
[phone]
George V. Lauder
Director, Public Affairs
15 May 1986
Herewith for your information is the latest
correspondence between myself and Strobe Talbott,
Washington Bureau Chief of TIME Magazine.
George Y. Lauder
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TIME
1050 CONNECTICUT AVE,N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036-5334
[phone]
STROBE TALBOTT
BUREAU CHIEF
May 14, 1986
Dear George:
Thanks for your cordial note. I think we're
putting this episode behind us, which is all to
the good. Henry Grunwald is traveling in Europe
and won't be back until May 28. (I understand the
Director tried to call him yesterday.) As soon as
Grunwald returns, he'll see a copy of your letter
to me, along with my suggestion that we resurrect
past efforts to get the Director up to New York for
what I'm sure will be a constructive discussion of
a variety of important issues.
Regards,
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Phone: [phone]
13 May 1986
Mr. Strobe Talbott
TIME Magazine
1050 Connecticut Avenue
Suite 850
Washington, D.C. 20036-5334
Strobe,
Thank you for your thoughtful letter of 9 May. I greatly appreciate the
tone in which it is written and understand the concerns expressed in it.
I want you to know that the CIA did not "float" any kind of accusation
against TIME Magazine. During a confidential discussion--one of several--with
Ben Bradlee on a subject of critical national security importance, the
Director mentioned en passant the concerns that the intelligence community has
regarding the damage done to national security by stories in certain
publications. The Director's focus, however, was on THE WASHINGTON POST and
the story that it was about to run which could critically damage certain vital
intelligence collection capabilities. He did not intend to have his remarks
become public. Bradlee, of course, published the Director's confidential talk
in order to whip up support among the media for the POST when it makes public
the information it holds. An old gimmick. It was Bradlee, not the Agency,
who "floated" the story in Lardner's article.
I am strongly in favor of a dialogue with you and other intelligent and
objective leaders in the media about our problems, and welcome the prospect
that, as you suggested, the Director and I might at some point come to New
York and talk to senior TIME officials about these matters. As I mentioned to
you, my previous efforts to arrange such a meeting met with, shall we say, a
less than enthusiastic response.
Best regards,
Geo V. Lauder
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TIME
1050 CONNECTICUT AVE.,N. W.
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20036-5334
[phone]
STROBE TALBOTT
BUREAU CHIEF
May 9, 1986
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George V. Lauder
Director, Public Affairs
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, DC 20505
Dear George:
I've received your letter and passed a copy, along
with the enclosed material, to Henry Grunwald.
I think it's important to clarify a couple of points,
one having to do with our concern at Time Inc. about the
Agency's position and the other having to do with the
Agency's concern -- as expressed by the Director and
yourself -- about the problem of national-security leaks.
On the first issue: the Director was quoted in the
Post as alleging that Time Magazine had violated the law
and could be subject to criminal prosecution as a result
of an article or various articles we have published. In
my telephone conversation with you, you confirmed that
that was the Director's belief, although you also said
that it was uncertain whether criminal charges would be
brought against us. Naturally, we take this extremely
seriously. We also believe it to be unfair and inappropriate
for the CIA to float this kind of accusation against Time
without specifying the basis for it -- i.e., without telling
us what we did that you believe to have been a violation of
the law. Mr. Grunwald asked the Director, and I asked you,
to tell us what you considered to be the offending material
published by Time. When I made clear that I was reiterating
this request formally and officially, and that I hoped you
would go back to the Director on the matter, you said you
would, but that the Agency's position was, and I'm quoting
you here: "We don't discuss cases that are in prospective
litigation." Hence Mr. Grunwald's statement to the press,
which did not reflect any claim to "omniscience" on his
part; rather it reflected our conviction that Time has
violated no law and that, if a responsible government
official asserts otherwise, we have a right to know the
basis of the charge.
On the second issue, concerning the problem of
national-security leaks in general: while there is room,
I'm sure, for honest disagreement in specific cases, Mr.
Grunwald and other editors of our company believe
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that the Director and you have raised a legitimate issue
about the conflict between the public's right to know and
the press's right to publish,,on the one hand, and the
government's need and right to keep secrets on the other. Both
in the way that it has aired this issue in its pages and
in the way it has handled sensitive stories, Time Magazine
has shown itself to be responsible in this regard. Indeed,
it is largely because we take pride in that responsibility
that we were so upset over the Agency's vague, unsubstantiated
and, we believe, groundless charges against us.
Let me say finally that I would have regretted this
exchange whenever it might have occurred, since I have a
high regard for your enterprise and have valued my good
relations with you personally and with your colleagues
over the years. I particularly regret this episode coming
right now, so soon after I have had other occasion to be
in touch with you. I look forward to a restoration of the
friendlier tone of the recent past.
Respectfully
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