COVERT CIA PROJECT UNDER HILL WRAPS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100090074-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 74
• Publication Date: January 16, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

`? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Ap
16 JANUARY 1.97b
More Enabar as r ent Ah 'a
STAT By Norman Kerrpster "It has been. going on for* some
l
d
Washicg;on Sr tastaff writer years and I seriously suspect that at ASKED IF HE wou
The CIA has informed Congress of some future time it will seriously support a congressional
at least one ' still-secret project embarrass us,".Ryan said..,, veto procedure, Ryan said,
"I'm not so sure I'd go that
which, if disclosed, could prove as. far, but if other members
embarrassing to the nation as recent RYAN. a member of the subcom-
CIA projects in Italy and Angola, a mittee that oversees CIA projects. want to do that I might go
member of the House Foreign Rela- said the panel was informed of the along."
tions Committee said today. secret project in the same way that it Ryan' confirmed for The
Rep. Leo J. Ryan. D-Calif.. said he was told of the CIA's plan to funnel Washington Star earlier
to non-Communist politicians this month th
mone
t CIA Di
l
h
y
a
rer-
strong
y objects to t
e secret project,
but he said he was prohibited by law . in Italy and to support two anti-Sovi-, tor William Colby had in-
and by congressional rules from re- et factions in the Angola civil war. formed. the oversight su'b- ! '
vealing it. committee of plans. to '
Adding to the mystery, Ryan said Ryan denied - that he was : titu subsidize Italian politicians.
source of press reports concernin
Ital and An ola. He said President I But he volunteered no
in terms of its cost - apparently Ford and the CIA have blamed con= information that the news-
indicating at least several Million- paper had not obtained
dollars --- and was "very broad-:' gressional leaks in an effort to re- from other sources.
basted." uce the number of Members of Con_
- gress . who must. be informed of In a prepared statement
covert projects. that began his press confer- .
?., Ryan held his press conference, ence, Ryan said, "I em-
shortly after President Ford moved phatically and flatly reject
to block publication. by the House any implication that I am
Intelligence Committee of reports on. or have been the source of
CIA activities in Angola and Italy. any leaks to the press."
Under the terms of an agreement Ryan said he opposes
between Ford and the committee, the strongly both the Italian
President .can stop release of com- and Angolan programs. He
tnittee reports by declaring that dis- said the national security is
closure "would be detrimental to'the ! not involved in either case.
national security." I~ In the case of Angola, he
THE COMMITTEE voted said, the United States'
last month to issue the re- standing at the United Na-
ports. The report on Italy tions might be strengthened
did not include the most re- if the nation avoided in-
cent subsidies to. anti- volvement in Angola.
Communist politicians, but "If we stay out of there
one source said it did detail
and the Russians go in, it
a quarter century of aid to gives the lie to the African
the Christian Democratic notion that we are imperi-
and other non-Communist alists and the Russians are-:
parties in Italy. not." he said.
Ryan said he'will urge a
meeting of the full Interna-
tional Affairs Committee to
discuss procedures by
which Congress can more
effectively object to CIA
actions.
Under the present law,
the CIA must inform six
? committees, three in the
Senate and three in the
House, of covert action. But
there is no requirement that
the committees must be in-?;
formed before the projects'
? begin, and 'there is no
provision for the commit- !
tees to block programs of
which they disapprove.
?i
Ryan said he favors some
provision that would permit
Congress to bring objec-
tions directly to the Presi-
dent- who would still retain
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/24: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100090074-1