FORD BACKS U.S. INTERVENTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP09T00207R001000020095-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 95
• Publication Date: September 17, 1974
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2011/08/09: CIA-RDP09TOO207RO01000020095-9
1VJ;VV 0I)AI
1 S EP 1974
nerve
CIA activities
against Allende
raise question
By RumeU Sackett,
Lynn Roseliini
and Myron S. Waldman
Newsday Washington Bureau
Washington-President Ford, al
ready enmeshed in one controversy over
his pardop of former President Nixon,
appeared'to have created another last
night by defending U.S. intervention in-
the domestic affairs of another country.
Ijis comments-angered the chairman of
a Senate subcommittee investigating.,
such intervention.
The President got himself into more
hot water in the way he answered a;'
question concerning Central In telli-
gence Agency involvement in the in-
tecnal affairs of Chile during the ad-
ministration of Salvador Allende, who
died a year ago in a bloody military
coup.
In his press conference last night,
Ford gave a genera! confirmation to
reports published recently that the i
CIA had been authorized to spend a.3,
much as $3,000,000 between 1970 and
1973 to promote opposition to Allende,
the first Marxist to be elected presi
dent in the hemisphere. Rep. Michael
Harrington (D-Mass.') recently dis-
close-cl that CIA Director William E.
Colby had. told a congre,-,sional con
mittee that $5,000,0-:1 was spent on
efforts to "destabilize" Allender gov-
ernment and another $3,000,000 in
sup?-ort of anti-Allende political can-
di l h bes.
"Li it the policy of your admirliistra-
tiara to attempt to d?3tabilixe the gov-
erranents of other democracies?" Ford
was asked last night. The President
replied that "our government, like
other governments, does take oartain
aa:ions to help implement ? foreign!
p:)licv and protect national security."
He added that "Communist. nations
spend vastly more nn-,ney, than we do
for ;.lch purposes."
He denied that the U.S. had had any-
thing to do with the Chilean coup but,
admitted that three or four years..ago,
there was secret intervention in Chile
"to help and assist the preservation of
opposition newspapers and electronic;
media and to preserve opposition poli,
tical parties." He added, "I think thi,l
is in the best interests of the people in
C'hilie and certainly in our best inter-
est-,."
It was an answer that drew an angry
reaction from Sen. Frank Church (D-
Idaho), chairman of tie Senate For-
eign Relations subcommittee investi-
gatin; secret. U.S. intervention in
Chile. "To excuse this activity on the
ground that the Communists spend
more money doing it than we do is
simply to equate the United States
with the Soviet Union," Church said
in a telephone interview.
"To justify our action on the basis
that it isn't as extensive as that of the
Itusian,-I had thought Ebert was a
qualitative difference betwt'en this
ccuntrv and the Soviet Union," Church
Said.
:~i ill= new.- conference, in a follow-
up question, Ford was asked under
v.l:.tt international law the U.S. had
tut. right to intervene in the constitu-
tiuu ili_; elected government of another
coon rv :Ind whether the Soviet Union,
for er:unltll?, had a sinlilm? right to try
to destabilize the government of Can-
ada or of the U.S.
Ford replied, "I'm not going, to pads
judgement on whether it's permitted or
authorized under international law. It's
a recognized fact that, historically as
well as presently, that such action; are
taken in the best interest of the coun-
tries involved."
The Senate Foreign Relation., Corn-
mittee was to meet in closed session
today, reportedly to consider a staff
report recommending that a perjury
investigation be made concerning the
testimony of former C'IA Director
Richard Helms and others about U.S.
involvement in Chile. Last night, how-
ever, Ford insi.;tl,d that "111e appro-
priate congressional COlllntlltl't';" '11.'
kept informed of "every covert opera-
tion undertaken by our go~e-o t nt."
S
la0
Rep. Lucian Nedzi i D-3%-lich. r, uh tir-
nlan of the House Arnuod Services sub-
committee that supervises the ('IA, said
last night, that see+nod to he case ;
now. "We have been fully apprise-d,' lie
said. "Thins are dilferel-t al the pet ;-
ent tittle. 11'P are getting cottlpl:t', ill-
formation." Although be declined to
comment on the situation in Chile,
Nedzi said, "lit the abstract, I can't de-
fend meddling in the internal affairs of
constitutionally elected governments."
Nevertheless, Ford was - blunt last
night about continuing that policy of
covert operations. "It seems to inc that
the 40 Committee [a panel set up in
1948 to review all U.S. covert opera-
tions] should continue in existence, and
and I am going to meet with the re-
sponsible congressional committee to
see whether or not they want any
changes in the review process."
According to one White House
staffer, Secretary of State Kissinger's
staff had been worried about how Ford
would handle foreign policy questions
at his last press conference. But at that
time he answered theist well.
last night was a different story.
"how'd you like his answer on the
Chile question?" one secretary was
overheard to ask her White House bass.
"'t'hat was neat-Everybody doe.{ it,
but they spews neon' money on it than
wk- do."' They bath laughed.
00776
Approved For Release 2011/08/09: CIA-RDP09TOO207RO01000020095-9