WHO'S WATCHING THE WATCHERS?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01350R000200720008-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 15, 2004
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: October 7, 1973
• Content Type: NSPR

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Who's watching
the 'Watchers?
The U.S. Intelligence Com- volving two Estonian nation-
munity: Foreign Policy als.
and Domestic Activities. ' Government operations
By Lyman B. Kirkpatrick, overseas and at home each
Jr. 203 pages.. Hill & Wang. receive a chapter, as does
$7.95. the subject of political sup-
This Is a very sensible lit- port for, or criticism. of, an
tie handbook by an author administration's conduct in
those fields. The author is
who knows his subject as do solidly in favor of House and
few writing. thereon today. Senate "watchdog" commit-
Author, of "The Real CIA" tees overseeing intelligence
(1968) and now a professor.-.._activities, or at least their
of political science at Brown drift, but argues also that
University, Mr. Kirkpatrick the professional community
can look back on almost a must appropriately withstand
quarter century of intelli- too much such access. If this
genre activity, culminating situation were to predomi-
nate, "there would be no
in his post as executive intelligence 'community and
director-comptroller of the no security or secrecy in-
Central Intelligence. Agency. government."
In what he terms "neither a Mr. Kirkpatrick's style is
defense nor a whitewash but matter-of-fact, at times bor-
an evaluation of the U.S. dering on colorlessness. His
effort as I see it," he begins . index is skimpy, and he of-
his study with an explanation fers only two illustrations:
of what the so called 'intelli_ charts of a sample electron
gence community" centered ics-communications system
In Washington is, analyzing and of the Defense Intelli-
the functions of its various gence Agency (within the
components. He. then armed forces). There is very
sketches the controls built little on espionage. The bibli-
into and around this commu- ography is almost ruthlessly
nity to forestall gigantism or selective. Offsetting such de-
cancer, and singles out "the ficiencies is the author's
one with tile sharpest cutting masterly overview of a com-
edge" as the Office of Man- plex governmental structure,
agernent and Budget. Ile de- with the narrative occasion-
fends the secrecy pledge re- ally enlivened by personal
quired of employees, thinks reminiscence. Ile recalls, for
t/ the case of Victor ;Mari hetti example, the photograph a
"may well become a land grateful President Kennedy
mark . for legal action sent across the river to Lan-
against intelligence person- gley inscribed, "To the CIA
nel," and delves at sonic -with esteem."
length into one of those rare Mr. Kirkpatrick finds "the
episodes where international modern American tragedy"
espionage briefly surfaced. to be that "many citizens
This was the 1x164 slander have lost their confidence in .
suit staged before Judge the truthfulness of their gov-
U.S. intelligence community?
Obviously,' it is neither om-
niscient nor ubiquitous, nor
could it be. There are gaps
in knowledge in vital sub-
jects. But based on what was
missing in 1947, compared to
what is missing today, the
record is good."
Civit-libertarian types may'
be expected to pounce upon
this volume with little grunts
of slavering anticipation. But
to at least one reviewer it
stands as an admirably com-
pressed, wisely instructive i
monograph for the restricted i
audience it patently ad-
dresses.
CURTIS CARROLL DAVIS
Mr. Davis is a veteran of
both the OSS and the CIA..
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