WILLIAM COLBY/COVERT OPERATIONS AGAINST NICARAGUA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100040060-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: March 10, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/22: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100040060-1
STAT
RADIO TV REPORTS, INC
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PROGRAM Braden and ?P h i I I i p s
DATE March 10, 1982 5:20 AM CITY Washington, DC
SUBJECT William Colby/ Covert Operations Against Nicaragua
TOM BRADEN: Here we've got a story in the Washington
Post this morning -- it's the only paper in the United States
that carried this story -- and it says as follows: "President
Reagan has authorized covert operations against the Central
American nation of Nicaragua. According to informed officials,
the President has begun to build and fund a paramilitary force
of up to 500 Latin Americans, who are to operate out of com-
mando camps spread along the Nicaraguan-Honduran. border."
Now, Bill Colby, former Director of the CIA and an
old-time war buddy of mine.
BiII, what do you think of that story?
WILLIAM COLBY: Well, I think it's outrageous that
it's published. You know, we have a system for careful consider-
ation of whether covert operations should be undertaken. .The
President has to look at them carefully. He has to be advised
in writing by the Secretaries of State and Defense, and so forth.
They have to then be reported to the two Congressional Committees
on Intelligence to insure that the Congress thinks it's a good
idea. And with that, you have to try, to conduct a covert oper-
ation, under our constitutional system.
Now., If every one of these things comes out In the
open -- and this wasn't the first one. We had last weekend in
the New York Times the one about the Afghanistans and so forth --
and you just can't conduct covert operations...
BRADEN: Well, Bill, in the old days, when I was in
the shop, it seems to me that the Director did not, at that time,
have to report. He did always say -- he'd call the committee
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/22: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100040060-1