' TO CALL US TERRORISTS IS A DANGEROUS FLIMFLAM'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00845R000100160026-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: August 29, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP90-00845R000100160026-2
iCLL APPEARRD
THE WASHINGTON POST
29 August 1931
Ellen Ray, William H. Schaap and Louis Wolf
STAT
To Call DTs Terrorists ls a D'angeraus F1inf1ath'.
The Pa+t:s recent editorial ("The Philip Agees, the Luis
ti','clfs") is dinging in its contradictions and shameful in its
misrepresentations. 13 one of the targets of the so-called In-
telligence identities Protection Act, we feel we must respond.
We agree completely that the proposed legislation poses a
dangerous threat to investigative journalism-indeed,.to the
First Amendment in general. But you must realize that your
editorial concern is diluted, to say the least, when you call us
"contemptible" and hope-vainly that the bill will "respect
the rights, of journalists and-others whose good faith is. not
suspect." For one thing, we are journalists in the traditional
sense, with good faith, just as much as your reporters are, and
there is no way a law can distinguish between us. Your dia-
tribe only highlights, the gap between the editorial offices and
the reporters, for your people are among the large number of
working journalists from virtually all the major printed and
electronic media in the country who- call.upon-us daily for
help, research,.intormation and, of all things; names of intelli-
gence operatives in connection with articles they are writing.
Moreover,, the-"protections' in the act are no protection
at all. You must know that the CIA takes the position that
any disclosures of, any kind. impede their activities.. How
could any journalist expose a major CIA operation--as
The Post has done, on several occasions--without wit-
tingly understanding that the story would impede CIA ac-
tivities? Whatever the language used, every version of the'
bill would allow the prosecution of, for example, The
Washington Post and The New York Times for stories
they run nearly every week: : ' .
But it is your personal attacks that are truly unjustfia-
ble. To say we would consider it a "great victory" if First
Amendment liberties were abridged in our name is mind-
less rhetoric based on an utter failure to understand. who
we are,. what we do and why we do it. We are opposed to
the CIA because we are against- clandestine manipulation
of the affairs of other countries, whether accomplished
merely, by, bribery, corruption and extortion, or, recruit-
ment of local citizens towork for the.CIA, or as a resultof
bombing, arson, paramilitary mercenary groups,-torture,
training or assassination:-Coyertoperationsare the raison-
d'etre of the CIA, and we oppose them. We have no quar-
relwith intelligence-gathering in;thetraditional sense-
but that isnot why the CIA has case officers and agents in
every country. in the world:
To call us "terrorists" is a dangerous flimflam. You may
disagree with our contention that the United States-and,
especially the CIA-is responsible for more terrorism,)
.more death and destruction, over the past several decades,,
than any other single institution in _the world, but you
could not read our publications without knowing that we
are opposed to violence and terrorism-and as American.
citizens fighting hard against that for which the CIA is re-
sponsible. Not one single. person has: been -physically-
harmed on, account of what we do, while the CIA has beeri.
responsible for literally millions of deaths--in Chile, in,
Indonesia, in Laos, in South Korea, in Guatemala, in Ja,-'.
maica, to cite just a few examples.
It is sad- that you think our purpose is to -"destroy;
democracy," when the CIA represents the least demo
cratic aspect of the entire U.S. government-it is editorials'
like yours that lend credence to the CIA's cause; and that:
will allow for the passage of this act and a significant blow;:
against democracy.,
V 7-
The writers are co-editors of Cover7Action 7n,
?--;=::? ?:.
formation Bulletin.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP90-00845R000100160026-2