JOURNALISTS DAMAGE EFFORTS TO REBUILD CIA AND FBI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200970060-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: November 28, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200970060-7
i2p;,ARED H JMAPJ EVENTS
28 VovEMB 1981
Journal sts Damage Efforts
To Rebid CIA and I
An organization of -so-called "professional"
journalists has launched a last-ditch effort to
defeat legislation supported by President Reagan
that would protect the identities.and the lives of our intelligence agents.
Members of the Society. of Professional Jour-
nalists, (SPJ), which includes reporters-for major
newspapers and network news programs, gathered
in Washington two weeks ago and.made plans to
ing what SPJ President
least constitutionally is
supported version d
Judiciary Committee-
secutors to prove th
CounterSpy had a spec
pede intelligence operations when. they named
That version, however, as Justice Department
official Richard Willard points out, might enable 'F
publications such as the CAIB to evade the law by
claiming that their real intention is just to stimulate
public debate on intelligence issues.
An enforceable bill, according to intelligence ex-.1
perts, must contain tougher language which
enables prosecutors to press a case when the editors
of CAIB or CounterSpy had "reason to believe"
sabotage legislation that would take Philip Agee'- s
Covert Action Information Bulletin (CAIB) and
CounterSpy. out of the business .'of `naming
names" of U.S. intelligence operatives.
their disclosures would impede intelligence opera-
The new issue of CAIB has just hit the news-
.
stands, and its "naming names" column lists the bons. This is the language that is in the Housever-
ks d
ff
db
h t
f
h
b
ll
names and locations of about 70 alleged U.S. in-
telligence agents around the world. Such exposure
makes agents ineffective and vulnerable to terrorist
attack.
In 1975, an American diplomat in Greece,
Richard Welch; was murdered in cold blood by ter-
rorists after.-being' named as a-CIAagent by
CounterSpyc: In- 1980, - an:American diplomat in
Jamaica, Richard Kinsman, had his home raked by
gunfire after being named as a CIA agent by an,
editor of CALK.
The agents' identities bill, as it is- called, has
already passed the House. But liberal senators such
as Lowell -Weicker (R: Conn.) :and Howard
Metzenbauia (D.-Ohio) have bottled it-up in the- !
Senate.,--a. tactic revealed in the current issue of
CAIB as a "strategy". designed to,, enable "pro-
gressive people" to-stop the legislation by seeking
"to educate legislators, the public, -and especially
the press, to-the.dangezous. mrnifis ons of the!
The SPJ bas. allowed -Itself to- be
"educated" on this issue- Even though the
Supren~e.Court bus riled that Philip Agees
disclosures of intelligence operations and per-
sonnel "are- clearly not protected by the
Constitution," the SPJ has bought the line
that any legislative attempt to outlaw
"naming names" is unconstitutional.
But it realizes that some version of the law will
pass. It is therefore lobbying the Senate into adopt-
m
o an amen ME o er y {
ar
e
e
t
i
, t
sion o
Rep. John Ashbrook (R.-Ohio), who has been de-
nounced by the CAIB as "one of the most reac-
tionary congressmen in the country." The "reason
to believe" language was actually taken out of the
original bill introduced in the Senate by Sen. John
Chafee (R.-R.I.). The specific intent provision was
Sal: COMPLETE CABs INDEX
INFOEMMON EM X Y
,CONTIArLr D
Vi
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200970060-7