SUMMARY (OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000300090036-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 27, 2007
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: February 10, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/03/01 : CIA-RDP
STAT
10 February 1977
SUMMARY
(Office of the Assistant to the
.Director of Central Intelligence)
Concepts
public understanding of the Central Intelligence Agency, the
Intelligence Community, and.the intelligence profession, and
Intelligence seeks to achieve the broadest and deepest
The Office of the Assistant to the Director of Central
identifies appropriate themes and audiences. .
This Office is not involved in presentations or briefings.
challenge is to give expression to the obligation of public
accountability that the Central Intelligence Agency has and-
operational or mission-oriented. activities. Rather, its
for other components.of the Executive Branch or for
unfavorable and damaging media coverage resulting from the
that has been dramatized, often unfairly, by the highly
....particularly those relating to sources and methods which the
this Office takes care to protect valid intelligence secrets,
In responding to the public's interest in the Agency,
Church and Pike Committees' investigations.
.often-maligned "no comment" posture on some press queries and
protect. This statutory requirement. results in the.
Director of Central.Intelligence, by law, is requirea to
process of establishing the credibility of our press relations.-
constitutes a special element of difficulty-in the fundamental`
.Similarly, any discussion of domestic politics or'foreign
`violate secrecy requirements or touch on foreign or domestic
-to -find ways to make more available information which does not-
. policy is. scrupulously avoided.. There is, however, an attempt
governmental policy.
news media, and provide unclassified background briefings on
+ We answer questions posed by representatives of the
selected topics for newsmen by Agency analysts.
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+ A Publications Review Board, chaired by the
Assistant to the Director, reviews manuscripts written by
Agency employees (and former employees) for non-official
publication outside the Agency.
+ Support is provided to the Director of Central
Intelligence and the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence,
and other selective speakers of the Agency, for public
addresses to promote an understanding of the intelligence
organization and process. A file of "talking points is
maintained dealing with current problems and likely questions
.from the public.
of the Executive Branch and Congress as appropriate.
public affairs aspects-with representatives of other agencies
+ We support the Director of Central Intelligence in his
role as spokesman for the Intelligence Community, coordinating
+ We promote the publication of articles about the
Agency through responsive cooperation with responsible authors
and publishers when such cooperation would promote the public's
understanding of the Agency and its processes.
information about the Agency when this can be done without
Jeopardizing or revealing classified information or sources
and methods.
+ Letters are written to newspapers, journals, and other
publications to set the record straight or correct false
Notes are released periodically to the news media
concerning matters of Agency policy, e.g. February 1976 state-.
ment on the clergy and journalists.-
We respond to-persons writing to the Agency for
information on the intelligence organization and process, and.
appropriate pamphlets to assist students and. the public in -
understanding the Agency and intelligence are maintained-and
periodically updated.
Advice is provided to operating components on publac-
affairs aspects of contact by Agency personnel with the public
that occurs during-the normal-course of operation.
1 + Unclassified reports prepared by analysts are forwarded
.climatology, terrorism and.Soviet defense expenditures.
to the Library of Congress and made available for duplication
and sale to the public at cost, on topics that include
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Agency reports is mailed to journalists and media -
are held only at Headquarters. 4. A list of unclassified
that there may be no attribution of any quotes, direct or
indirect, to the Agency or Agency personnel. 3. Briefings
-In the course of contacts with the news media, certain
operational guidelines have evolved, such as:.
L. We do not normally provide background briefings
for foreign newsmen. 2. Ground rules for the briefings are
representatives monthly, and requests. for these are filled at
,no cost to media . requesters.
given to the choice of audiences to provide the best possible.
In meeting speaking engagements, considerable care is
forums for the Director of Central Intelligence and the
others, and consideration must be given to satisfying the
television .interview programs provide a better format than
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence. Similarly, some
complete record of public utterances by these two officers.
filed by..the Assistant to the Director's Office to provide a
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence-are recorded and
speeches by the Director of Central Intelligence and the
- requests of the networks in an even-handed way. Public
Speakers for universities and colleges are drawn by
.Training officer. We require a written invitation in all cases.
visitation groups, etc., are addressed by an Office of
Smaller groups such as fraternal organizations,,high school
the Assistant. to the Director from a list of Agency officials..
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,CIA-Connected Issues in the News
June 1976 7 /present
1. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS/NIE: Leaks to the press about the
ntents of a National Intelligence Estimate on Soviet
strategic objectives claimed that outside experts
convinced CIA that Soviets were aiming for superiority and
not parity.
MICRONESIA: CIA is accused of "regularly" conducting
electronic surveillance of Micronesian negotiators in talks
with U.S. over future status. Senate Select Committee held
hearings last month.
3. LIAISON SERVICE: Allegations of CIA complicity in illegal
activities in the U.S. by foreign intelligence services,
e.g., Korean intelligence corruption of Member of Congress,
DINA (Chile) responsibility for the assassination of former
Chilean Ambassador Letelier, SAVAK (Iran) strongarming of
Iranian students at American universities. Press charges
are basically to the effect that CIA obtains reciprocal
tolerance for its own actions in the respective foreign
countries. -
4. SWINE FEVER: Agency falsely accused of introducing swine
fever into Cuba in 1971 with major impact on Cuba's
,agriculture.
5. PHILIP AGEE: Former CIA employee is the author of a book
disclosing CIA names and Latin American operations, He is
a perennial problem due to publicity given his criticism.of
CIA activities.
6. EDWIN G. MOORE is. former Agency employee who is accused of
trying to sell. classified documents to the Soviets for
?$200,000. .
7. VIKTOR BELENKO, pilot of Russian MIG-25, is quoted extensively
by New or Times in story leaked by "U,S.intelli ence
debrie ers." STAT
STAT
The CIA continues to be a frequent target of false-
allegations by individuals in a'variety of situations and out
of a variety of motives. Persons standing trial, adventurers
wishing to be admired as spies, authors and lecturers
seeking sensational publicity to promote themselves and their
writings are typical of these.
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CIA-Connected Issues in the News
1975 - Present
STAT
CHILE: Former Ambassador Edward M. Korry says everybody
lied about Chile and accused. CIA of a "massive undertaking"
in the overthrow of Salvador Allende,
CUBANA AIR LINER CRASH: 'CIA blamed by Cuba for sabotage of
plane in which died. A Cuban exile leader and two
Venezuelans have. been charged.
ASSASSINATIONS: Continuing stories on Lee Harvey Oswald
allege the Agency had information on his activities prior
to the assassination, withheld the information from the
Warren Commission, and then attempted to cover up the
withholding. In another case,.an Agency release of material
in an FOIA request triggered an AP story (picked up by TASS)
that CIA mounted a propaganda campaign to counter Commission
critics.
R.OCKEI?ELLER.AND CHURCH COMMITTEE HEARINGS:
Mail Operiings
Drug Testing on Unwitting
Failure to"Destroy Poisons
Domestic Survei12flce n._Dissidents
Assassination Plots Against Foreign Leaders
CIA-Mafia Connections
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