HOUSE UNIT EXTENDS PENALTY FOR NAMING SECRET AGENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000200010153-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 22, 2007
• Sequence Number: 153
• Publication Date: July 26, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Approved For Release 2007/03/22 : CIA-RDP99-00498ROO0200
AR'IC7_,.E AF
ON PaO o J '
WASHINGTON, "July 25 -The House
Select-Committee on Intelligence today
.approved a bill. that would make it' a
crime to disclose the idetitity'of a "covert
agent"' of a United States intelligence
agency:
There has been relatively little contro-
versy'about provisions .of the measure
that would'punish present or former gov-
ernment officials who used knowledge ob-
tained from 'secret documents' or., from
their official 'p'osition to: disclose 'such
identities. But the House panel also voted
today-to extend the criminal penalty-to-
those who make an effort "to identify and
__
NEW YORK TIMES
26 JULY 1980
? 4sLLL, we tea stauve
impair or' impede the foreign intelligence course or the inte Igence agency s id
activities of the United States" even if it couTd support the House bill but would
they have 'not had authorized access tol press for "slightly different" language'
classified information.. when the Senate Select Committee .on In-1
Committee members made clear that telligence takes up a similar bill Tuesday!
the intent of the. measure was to punish afternoon
and.to halt ?the work of such people as ::: Those, who back 'civil Iiberty, caused .
Louis Wolf,`the editor of the?.Washington-, have said that the attempt to include
based Covert Action Information Bulle- journalists who have not. had access to
tin;- which'i:says it has 'published: the classified information might have a chill-'
names of some 2,000 Central Intelligence ing.or unconstitutional effect on freedom
Agency: operatives to inhibit and to stop- of the press. and freedom of speech.
the C.I A.'s'covert intelligence activities-. Definition Is Broadened
owever; ,the Justice: ;Department
earlier thisyearexpresseddoubts that In another, unexpected developm'rt
the*H
Keuch,`a.deputy associate 'attorney- gen-
eral.said today in a telephoneinterview
-that;thedepartment still did not support
the House committee's version
:The Justice Department believes; off s
cuts; said,::that'the'-`.'intent ta impair or
impede ',.clause in today's bill will be dif-
ficult to prove.in:court and focuses on sub-
>jectivepolitical-cpinions, which are pro-
'tected by theFirst:Amendment
ouse committee alsa oroadened the l
definition of a "covert' agent". to include!
"an agent of, or informant to, the foreign
counterintelligence or foreign counterter-j
rorism elements of theFederal Bureau of
Investigation"'.
Two spokesmen for the American Civil
Liberties. Union;- Jerry-'J Berman and
Morton H. Halperin; said that this might
.make it illegal_to identify.F.B.I; inform
ants-and infiltrators who spiedon dissi-!
dent
litic
i o
n
a
po
I
rga
iz
tions vithin..the
,
United: States if the bureau asserted that
it believed such, organizations had clan-
destine ties to foreign intelligence or tern
rorist groups
'- Another - provision of -, the House Bill
would--. apparently.' Presi=.
dent -to;.review-?..regulationsz that have
J'given? some,governmentvagencies'?the.
right-' toarefuse:?to!.provide t,-cover".'. for
clandestine agents of the'Central Intelli-.
gence?Agency::Boththe Peace Corps and.
-the- u nited--States' Information, Service
have contended-since the.1960's that they
have such immunity ; :,
::=Adm. Stansfield:Tlirner; theDirector of
'-Central- Intelligence;,-testified:,his - year
that:;he; opposed' measures: `that- restrict
=the institutions 'and agencies'_tliat 'might
be employed as covers for agents
i `3Therehave been strong And" in some'
cases; unabashedly=:ernotional?Idemands
in Congress.to punish: Mr- Wolf and a for:
,mer.-:Central`'Intelligencet=agent;' Philip
Agee :for'publishing-the names.,of C:I.A::
agents! However; in?both,of-the intelli-
:gene ;committees anz;agreement was
reached:earlier, thus .year ;to, shelve' an
;`agents identities bill" .because,of?-the'
First Ainendmentproblems'itpo,ed
Then :, early this month Mr: Wolf said
;afa news conference i&Jamaica.that N
Richard Kinsnian-and14 other. persons
listed as',members of the;:United`States
-embassy staff-in= the Caribbean country
were C.I:A_`officials?.`Subsequently,:.Mri
Kinsman's house,wasattacked.with.sub.
,machine guns and grenades, although no
one was injured - s-,
-This,, according tv ^ several sources
close the: situation;: stirred.Gongress
~oncemore~r,l Tr:}:Y sti,a'
n