LETTER TO MR. RONALD K. PETERSON FROM RICHARD F. CELESTE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89-01114R000100010030-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 13, 2002
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: March 31, 1980
• Content Type: LETTER

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Peace COrpS
March 3l, 1980
Mr. Ronald K. Peterson
Office of Management & Budget
7208 New Executive Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20503
I am herewith transmitting for review, a prepared
statement I would like to submit to the Select
Committees on Intelligence of the U.S. House of
Representatives and U.S. Senate, in connection
with their consideration of H.R. 6588 and 5.2284.
It is my understanding that both committees will
be continuing hearings soon after the Easter
recess. I would like to be in the position to
submit my statement to them at that time.
I would appreciate your review and clearance of
this statement. Please feel free to contact the
Peace Corps' Counsel, Jonathan Marks, or me if
there is need to discuss the statement.
Many thanks.
With best regards,
Richard F. Celeste
Director
STATINTL
cc: Keith Hall, OMB
ep-xlual
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I want to express my firm support for Section 132 (b)
of Senator Huddleston's Bill, 5.2284. That provision prohibits
the intelligence community from using the Peace Corps, among
other public and private organizations, as a cover- for
intelligence activities.
My support for this measure does not stem from any
current problems between the Peace Corps and the intelligence
community. In fact, since its inception, the Peace Corps
has enjoyed the full cooperation of the intelligence
agencies in maintaining its total separateness from any
activity even remotely associated with the gathering,
interpretation or dissemination of intelligence information,
or with covert activities carried out by such agencies.
Nevertheless, I see this provision as a logical and useful
extension of public pronouncements made since 1961 by the
President and other administration figures, which have
consistently emphasized the need for a sharp separation
between the activities of the Peace Corps and those of
the CIA and other intelligence agencies. The most recent
statement of this policy was by Secretary Vance in a cable
to all diplomatic and consular posts in March 1978. In
this message on State Department-Peace Corps relations,
the Secretary of State asserted that. the "separation
between the Peace Corps and intelligence activities must
be complete and absolute. Peace Corps staff should not
Eove be included in meetings where defense or intelligence
issues are discussed."
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Peace Corps' great concern with maintaining a total
separation between our personnel and programs and those
of the intelligence community derives from the certain
knowledge that our most important asset in providing
assistance to developing nations is our credibility.
There have been forces throughout the history of Peace
Corps who have sought to discredit our. efforts and force
our expulsion from various countries by characterizing
our programs as a cover for the activities of the CIA,
and our volunteers as. spies and CIA agents. Serving in
remote, often inacessible areas, our volunteers are
extremely vulnerable to such irresponsible attacks.
I am convinced that one essential factor which has allowed
us to continue to serve in the face of such charges is the
fact that in the 19 years of the Peace Corps' existence,
no one has ever been able to produce a shred of evidence
indicating that any Peace Corps volunteer or program hasp
any connection whatsoever with any United States Government
intelligence activity.
Section 132 (b) of Mr. Huddleston's Bill, taken
together with the statements of successive Presidents and
Secretaries of State, serves to underscore the totality
of the United States Government's commitment to maintain
the Peace Corps' integrity and separateness from intelligence
work. It will enable Peace Corps volunteers and staff to
respond to those who seek to undermine our programs by
noting that the United States Congress had made interference
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by the intelligence community in the affairs.of Peace Corps
a violation of American law.
Thus, while I want to emphasize that we have received
full cooperation from the various intelligence agencies
through their commitment to avoid involvement of any
sort with our programs, I strongly support this unequivocal
expression of congressional support for the maintenance
of the policy of isolating Peace Corps from intelligence
activities. This limitation is a small but essential
element in devising a proper charter for America's
intelligence activities.
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 19
1 PART D-LIMITATIONS ON INTELLIGENCE AUTHORITIES
2 PROHIBITION ON ASSASSINATION
3 SEC. 131. No person employed by or acting on behalf of
4 the United States Government shall engage or conspire to
5 engage in assassination.
6 INTEGRITY OF PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF THE UNITED
7 STATES
8 SEC. 132. (a) The President shall establish public guide-
9 lines for the intelligence activities of the entities of the intelli-
10 gence community to protect the integrity and independence
11 of private institutions of the United States in accordance with
12 constitutional principles.
13 (b) No entity of the intelligence community may use, for
14 the purpose of establishing or maintainin cover for any offi-
15 cer of that entity to engage in foreign intelligence activities
16 or special activities, any affiliation, real or ostensible, with
17 any United States religious organization, United States
18 media organization, United States educational institution, the
Peace Corps, or any United States Government program de-
20 signed to promote education, the arts, humanities, or cultural
21 affairs through international exchanges.
22 (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit
23 voluntary contacts or the voluntary exchange of information
24 between any person and any entity of the intelligence com-
25 munity.