LETTER TO THE EDITOR FROM W. E. COLBY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A000500320002-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 22, 2003
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: September 16, 1974
• Content Type: LETTER

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16 September 1974
The Editor
The Now York Times
Your editorial on September 16th, ` The CIA in Chile, places
major emphasis on an alleged quotation of my use of the word destabili-
zation. 4 This word appears in Representative Harrington'* letter which
discussed my testimony beaiore the House Armed Services Committee.
When this story first appeared, I reexamined the transcript of that testi-
mony and determined that the word 'destabilize,' in whatever grammatical,
form, does not appear. I so informed your representative at that time,
.and I so stated publicly on September 13th at a public meeting, attended
by Representative Harrington, which was fully covered by your repre-
sentative. To ensure that no mere difference in semantics is involved,
I added that 'this term especially is not a fair description of our national
policy from 1971 on of encouraging the continued existence of democratic
forces looking toward future elections.' Your editorial views on this
matter are of course a matter for you alone to determine; I do protest,
however, your assertion that I said something which I had taken pains to
deny saying without giving any indication of such denial.
Sincerely,
/s/
E. Colby
:Z rector
WEC:blp
Distribution:
Original - Addressee (delivered to Washington office)
1 -DCI
1 - DDCI
1 - Assistant to the Director
1 - OLC
1 - C/IVH via DDO
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Copies to: Secretary Kissinger, Chairmen Mahon, Nedzi, Hebert, McClellan,
Stennis; Senator Symington; Congressman Harrington
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And,what of the role of Henry. A. Kissinger in this-
sordid affair? Throughout the period he headed the
so-calved Forty Committee which supervises C.LA_ oper-
ations and, according to Mr. Colby, approved in advance
the covert activities in Chile. Yet, `ir. Korry says that on a trip to Washington in 1971 he got approval from both.
Mr. Kissinger at the National Security Council and Sec-
retary of State William P..Rogers for his proposal of
cooperation with Chile is a compensated take-over of
American copper interests. Mr. Kissinger told the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee that "to the best of sny
knowledge and belief," the C.I.A. "had nothing to dc;'
with the military coup that overthrew Dr. Allende.
. .-* s
It is now tip to President Ford to find out who is.
actually in' charge of United States foreign policy in
sensitive areas; of the world, and whether anyone its
fact controls the operations of the C.I.A., -
Of far greater importance than the bizarre spectacle
of two United States agencies trying simultaneously
to stabilize and "destabilize" an elected Government is
that fact'that.an inadequately controlled C.I.A. badly
served the American national interest by its dirty work
in Chile. It matters not that the Soviet- Union does far
worse, that Fidel Castro intervened far. more out-
rageously in Chile than did the United States, or that
extremists in Dr. Allende's camp would in any even(
have destroyed the Chilean democracy on their-own.
Clearly, the so-called C.I.A. "oversight" committees in
Senate and House are failing to do their job. Representa-
tive Harrington df Massachusetts has asked the House
Foreign Affairs Committee for hearings on the C.I.A.'s
role in Chile. Senator Church of Idaho will ask similar
action from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
If this enormously powerful agency is ever to be
brought under effective oversight,. Congress must rise
The C.I.A. in' Chile
Disc,ost:re that the Central Intelligence..Agency au-
thorized more than'$S million, for covert activities aimed
first at preventing Salvador Allende's election as Presi-
dent of Chile and. then at "destabilizing" his Marxist
Government would be appalling enough'by itself. It is
doubly so when stacked against flat denials of any such
Urtited States intervention or policy to intervene, some
of it in sworn testimony before committees of Congress
by former and present Government officials. -
in secret testimony before a House subcommittee last
April, C.I.A. Director William E."Colby said his agency
authorized $500,000 to aid Dr. Allende's opponents in the
1970 election; $350,000 to bribe. Chilean legislators to
vote against him when the election was thrown into the
Congress, and' $6.5.million for. subsequent "destabiliza-,
tion" activities and for helping anti-Allende candidates
-
Tr..ts conflicts: directly with testimony before a Senate
Foreign Relations subcomrnittee.by former Ambassador
i Edward M. Korry that "the United States did not seek
to pressure, subvert, influence a single member of the
Chilean Congress'' during his four years in Chile, ,and by
former Assistant Secretary of State Charles -A. Meyer
that "we bought: no votes, we funded no candidates, we
promoted no coups:"
s * *
During part of'?the period when Mr. Colby says the
-C.I 3. was financing "destabilizing" activities, Ambassa-.
dor Korry says.he was carrying on secret negotiations
with President Allende, looking toward uninterrupted
American cooperation and financial aid, provided Chile
did not act with undue hostility toward the United States.
These efforts, he says,.were undermined by.extremists
in Dr. Allende's Popular Unity coalition.
Are we tp believe that Ambassador Korry and the State
Department were endeavoring by stabilize Dr. Allende's
Government while the C.I.A. was trying to "destabilize"
it? Could the American Ambassador in Santiago and the
,ssiscant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs
ha, .e been ignorant of what the C.I.A.-was doing-or
was tae C.L.Z. in truth a law unto itself?
1971 municipal elections. ' . .
in the
to this distasteful but imperative responsibility.
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Remarks : i
Per our conversation, Mr. Colby asked
that the attached letter be handcarried to
the Washington Office of the New York Times
with the request that it be run in tomorrow's
paper.
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