RELEASING INTELLIGENCE DATA: A 'NO-WIN SITUATION'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230091-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 91
• Publication Date: March 5, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/12/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230091-4
NEW YORK TIMES
_.^,R'~`:~t: 5 MARCH 1982
0a?; AG
,Nr_TMJYS JS I Philp Taubman
Rele,~s M* tel,
- . I ~ I ,-,n. ~Ugence
s m r r - Y r , nage. T b e y a r g u e that the release of Ina way, Mr. Long's demand repre.
sr (-iffc intelli i
f seats the 1
ene
said a
abroad, senior Reagan
the Soviet Union mizht Lyainimn
ta
t!
n
n
i
r
-
? .-~..___~_......?.....,..s,uua wuct.tluu, "Sadly, that'snolonger the case." !
have formed the basis furthe A h--
dminis- capabilities that could stimulates in an effort
tratkm's policy of providing military Soviet advances in the arts of espio.; Administration to resolve what ihe Rea-
assistar~ to the junta that rules El rage. i Z freknows about out.
Salalvadorand of issuing ominous wars ? -1 side interference in El Salvador, sev- I
S about possible future American We have learned the hard way that era Democratic membera of the Ser_-
act on in thearea. release of information, while helpful ate Inteilineuce Committee. which -,e-k
as a public relations tool, has cost us in ceived a top-level briefing on El Sava-?
But instead of guaranteeing a recep Ways we never anticipated," said a dor last week, have asked the commit_,;
Live audience for the Administration's veteran intelligence official. tee to review the secret data and pre.;
policy, the data have increasingly be, ~+s lyls~losu Cited Pam a sanitized but detailed public r
come as much of an issue as the policy . port
itself. And in the Process, the A ' i . For example, he said, disclosures Some members have noted that at!
traticn has learned a fundamental rule about Soviet military. strength in. the the same time the Administration is!
of governing In Washington: the best l .A's alerted the- Russians to ad. fighting disclosure of data on EI Salve;
secret intelligence information, in the : Trances in American satellite surveil- dor, top officials have talked openl-
vrorld is useless as a means of building 'lance g about classified information concern,
pofxrlar suppo7i fora policy until the ~ of declassification argue lug Soviet military ad rand, includ4
data are
ed. declassi:ded and disseminat that the intelligence information about ing the development a new long-range
El Salvador will be useless to the Gov bomber.:
etnmeat. ii the Administration cannot
The Arlnnlnisiration discovered that build
popular "Every year about budget time,
paradox in recent weeks as its re- support for its poiicj. As there's suddenly a ros?nd of disci'osurzs~
,"Dented contentiow of quality about the on
asked e senior foreign policy official about Soviet Wh {veapons; said Senator
intelligence concerning El Salvador this uz 'farmaatt sron the if no use of one having all Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Ver-I
13elseves'
have been greeted by demands in Con- usg,} moat
. gress tosee "the evade
Senator Barry Goldwater, chairman
"It's a no-win situation,'> said one D` of State Alexander M. V1 the Intelligence Committee, tried to
senior Administration offrciai private. Haig Jr. encountered some of that dis- put an end to the debate over intelll-.
ly. "If we go public with the iniorma belief today in an appearance before a gene and El Salvador last week. Fol
flog we may lose our ability to coat' House Appropriations subcommittee. lowing the committee briefing on El'
rinse collecting in the: field.. If we Pressed for specifics about Outside in- Salvador, the Arizona Republican an- j
tmue we may lose our chance to build 1 tel e cn in El Salvador, Mr. Haig nounced, .`The American people de. -
committeethat. a `Nicara- sense to _ know that the officials-
officials,
7, 1
guan military man" had been cap. changed with developing - and imple--
Loiag-Term Damage Feared ~ t in HI Salvador helping direct tmenting United States policy in this.
The problem has stimulated a lively said that the United Mr. es knew of inarea are doing SO On formation the basis of solid
debate both Within the Administration, ."
.2000 Cuban, visers wor and 70 Soviet srl carag ad i But, he added, "The details mist rte:
and in Congress about bow best to tt
king make use of the intelligence data f forces. with Nicaraguan main secret. '
To the prctec?DOrs of America's Intel- r ? The subcommittee chairman, Rep.ligence secrets, the idea of making ?a resentative Clarence D. Long, Demo-* pubiic.disclosure of the data on over of Maryland, was unimpressed.;
Central America borders on . espio- Be told Mr. Haig that the subcommit
tee would not approve the Administra.
tioa's Caribbean `Basin economic aid
plan until he had a chance to review
`-thexawintel igeucedataTzi aself tr
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/12/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230091-4
g
n
orma"On. e 6-y of Vietnam and
WASHINGTON, March 4-- For bet-- would probably cause immediate as : Watergate. Disclosures about off cial
ter than a year, the United States has! well as long-term damage to United ly-sanctioned deceit during the John-.1
trained the eyes and ears of its intelii-1 States intel igen~gatbering capabil- son and iNli~xon.Adminiist ns eroded
genre agencies on the small nation of ities. - public faith in Government institu
El Salvador. That effort, according to l In the short run, they contend, the ticris and officials.
tan offrr_iaic nt r?to u~-., AA-:-:-
JVYlC7. UJ11Vi1, ~.tSLYl 4L'l1 tilt V.3, it
tratio n. has produced an abundance of east Report !
learning what the United States
information about arms, money and
advice flowing to guerrilla forces in El
Salvador from the Soviet Union, Cuba
n nrt Nit- ri o?f
1, could easily determine the There was a time when it was good
means used to collect the information, enough for the President or Secretary
and take steps to prevent further col- of State to give his Word that a foreign
ing
American inter-
lection. In the long run, they fear that power was opt