'BELL OPINION' LET PRESIDENT WITHHOLD REPORTS ON CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100500014-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: March 11, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/29: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100500014-2
-' ' :CL2 APPE /BRED
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LOS ANG=MES T S
STAT
.`~4 ,:, .. ,, : ?1 ale group t u. GL...W #1,iLUUCL LCJLL11CU UtdL 1L.i! U UUL
7 `a 1 4 be n vett 'g all the information it believed it was pet 4il 7
' `ill ner strong!! objected to Ian-ia in the new intel-
`a K negotiating with the Administration, because it would re
ue notice in advance of covert CU actions That was
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,, y?rr?t, "unnecessary' improper and unwise," he said.
By ROBERT C. TOTH. Yet the charter language is again precisely the ire as
Ttmasitaffk!/ril~r inAhe Senate- resolution-and-the executive_erder'under--
which the CIA has been operating: '~
WASHINGTON A previouslyiin Ford~r, according to one source With
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~~ -olained that he and the full full Inteaigence Committee had i
President Carter and the' Central In-: -ing to endorse the'order, uncle; which. k,,,;_?,_,, r were that
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gen .l _.rom ? t.Lriz py no .. to eCety actlofs undg n.by the CUL
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fully with a promise to give Congress Congress has been unaware of the r prior-no
Lions abroad. ;'~ r, spokesman ` for'- the Senate: Intel- ;`That is,not enrrect;.,Turner--said: He did not then or la=
The 'Bell opI" ' .The Times k' ligence Committee. He said the order ter, explain further, and the one exception"_ was--not. de
learned Monday, held that the. com-. had been accepted at face value by tailed.
the committee to meanprior notific
plea language of Executive' Order It is understood, however, that President Carter d d not .'
12036, issued Jan. 24, 1978, meant not :lion; since it uses the same language n y the commutes in. advance of operations involving I
as that of ' Senate': Resolution 4C0
prior" notice as was generally as-:f* hichset up the Senate Intelligence the secret return of six Americans who had-been high., fir.
sumed, but timely notice-?which the'Canadian Embassy in Tehran. The CL. adian Bove
could come after the fact. Committee. P t said, according to sources, that it: would riot help in
s 1, s, y `tiThe' f:The President + the ;:resolution hye escape if members of Congress were notified, since any';
=F' That' opinion, which appears z to` states;'shall:keep' the House and Sen- leaks of such information of
would jeopardize Can:dian diolo
have been drawn for Bell by the?Jus ate. committees '.fully. and currently . - i
lice Department's'. Office` of ..Legal! *_ informed concerning intelligence ac= feats in Iran as well as the six Americans .. ;
their.
The story broke after the Canadians withdrew all
~+Counsel, was - a "critical" -factor in . ,:?`tivities;includinc, any significant an=
,getting intelligence' agercies and the. ;ticipated activities personnel from Tehran.:..-_. ; '
ut
- Whether this was the single exception is not know-!,b
White House to support the executive .;
Administration sources said it. illustrates the need for any
President to retain power to withhold sensitive inforiia-
tion in advance of a highly risky operation.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/29: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100500014-2