NEWS BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90M00005R000800050002-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 14, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: September 14, 1988
• Content Type: MISC

ieclaVriedr and Pipproved For Releta.se.2013/08/14 : CIA-RDP90M00005R000800050002-2
)ffice q
roduc ton and Analytic Support
IA Operations Center
lews Bulletin
T28971
NYTuw
0331
-STATES-
Wed Sep 14 21:09:48 1988 Page 1
5S5-
Wed Sep 14 18:18:14 1988
By Susan Hansen cjsfe3
States News Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14-- Senator William Cohe of Maine Wednesday
said that FBI internal reforms and disciplinar measures made
following disclosure of alleged widespread ill gal surveillance
would offer a strong safeguard for Americans' civil liberties.
The senator commented after a Senate hear ng Wednesday at which
FBI Director William Sessions announced the two-week suspension of
three agents who were part of the 27-month investigation of dozens
of U.S. peace groups. Three other agents were formally censured.
Sessions also announced several reforms intended to tighten control
and monitoring of FBI investigations.
Cohen is vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on
Intelligence that has been investigating the FBI's 1983-1985 probe
of groups opposed to U.S. policy in Central America.
Although Cohen praised the agency's handling of the case, he
urged that the names of all persons unfairly investigated during
the 27-month probe be purged from FBI records.
"It strikes me as being somewhat Ironic that those who
accumulate points for violating traffic laws can have their names
wiped off the records all together, while here we're talking about
someone's name going into the FBI files for doing nothing more than
exercising his constitutionally protected freedom," he said.
Sessions did not specifically pledge to delete the names, but
promised to review the request and report back to the committee.
The intelligence Committee took up the matter last winter after
the Center for Constitutional Rights, a civil liberties group,
released documents detailing widespread surveillance of the
Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) and
other U.S. groups opposed to U.S.policy in Central America. The
documents showed that FBI agents -- by spying, attending meetings
undercover and checking public records -- had collected information
on dozens of groups and hundreds of Individuals.
Sen. Cohen said the FBI's probe had gone on " too long and far
exceeded Its legitimate scope."
"Once under way, the investigation lost its focus," he said,
"broadening unnecessarily like an Ink drop on a blotter, expanding
in concentric circles and sweeping in a variety of innocent people
who were simply exercising their constitutionally protected
freedoms." FBI Director Sessions testified that the investigation
was not politically motivated, but rather it reflected poor
judgment and inadequate supervision. He specifically faulted the
agency's failure to conduct a thorough check of allegations by
Frank Vareill, the FBI source who first charged that CISPES was
offering support to left wing terrorist groups in El Salvador.
The agency, during its investigation, produced no evidence
linking CISPES or any other groups under surveillance to
npriassified and Approved For Release 2013/08/14: CIA-RDP90M00005R000800050002-2
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/08/14 : CIA-RDP90M00005R000800050002-2
ffice-ol Current Production and Analytic Support
[A Operations Center
ws Bulletin
T28971
Wed Sep 14 21:09:48 1988 Page 2
International terrorism.
"The mistakes In Judgement that took place during the CISPES
Investigations were serious ones and I cannot emphasize too
strongly my firm conviction that there is no place for such
mistakes in the work of the FBI," said Sessions. "The sanctions I
am Imposing are intended to convey that convicflon with clarity and
vigor."
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NYT-09-14-88 1820EDT
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/08/14: CIA-RDP90M00005R000800050002-2