J • •- J · • • • • _ff •• • f DRAFT MR 11 7 I • J l MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT · SUBJECT et ' Public Discloiurs of Covert ction by the co Senate Select Committee J Cl 0 0 A majQr area of investigation_by the Senfte Selec ' I Cl Committee has been c overt action I J The Committee's staff LJ l has engaged in an extensive examination Qf Agency files - _with respect to covert· action t · y- ' _ 6 2 ·3 · J D or 0 Yo·ur dee is ion not to permit CIA officer·s 'o l 0 c a fonner officers to participate in public hea rings 0 b specific q·S examples in particular and Chile cl ·re·garding · Chile has been communicated to 'tJ e Committee ·_ -_ _ _· _ ---·_ It l' mains _ tl Ccmmittee 1 s ·· inte tion hC wev·er to hold _ __a public hearing on th'e range of ti s· C rert a'ctivities in Chile • an · ·rn_ a d_d ition the Committee intends to publish · · report on such _activities · exten ive_ • • •• I ' • · · The term covert action has been used by teh CIA to ·mean any clandestine operation or activity designed to _influence foreign governments orginizations persons or I even t s in Slpport of U S foreign policy Histor cally o·u r Government has declined to acknowledge officially such ·activities even though their existence has been known • •• t • ' t publicly because official acknowl dgement 1- · cou d damage seriously the governments individuals or groups with whom we worked ha s the effect of forcing re ction from · other countries involved 3 could have damagino• 0 0 imp a ct o our position of le dership in the international J I Cl c mmunity a nd 4- could lead other countries organizat ons ' • i I or indiv duals with whom ·we might wish to conduct such 02er tio s in the £utuTe to doubt our willingness or ' Cl J - 0 ability to protect them 0 0 If it t L is· decided to maintain the historical position i 0 of not offitially acknowledging covert'actions it· can beg -contemplited that the Committee will hold its public hearings l l ith eit er non-government or Committee staff investigators as witnesses In addition it can be expected that the Committee's Chile report will b published ·in the face of st1·ong protestations by the Exe utive Branch Possible Compromise Position At an informal dinner hosted by th DCI on November s at w ich Senators Church a_nd Mathias were in attendance a possible compromise was discussed 1 It·would call for _ CIA to work with the Committee staff to delete _ °_froni _the propos·ed report specifies concerning •· Ag e n •' · er emp loyees U S Gov_ernmen_t officials_· f reign officials and or gan-1 zations ' r l ' f I 2 a preface to the eport indica ing the nique • I nature of the revelation regarding covert I I I activities I a sta ement indicating tha th information ' contained in the report 4 I came ·from I many sources a commitment from the Committee that no other covert action would be made th subject of a ' c5 5 I ·· c public hearing or public repOT and I s the structuring of the public hearing so that noo rx Pl esent or· formeT U S officials are asked ·to appear as witnesses The Cammi ttee would also LL '- i 0 J -- minimize the appearance that he Executive rancl wtllingly divulged he circumstances surrounding j t e covert attions • rn · using Chile as the case s_tudy_ th proposed cornpro ise lim ts the exposure of covert iction one country It is our understanding that the assassination report details extensive covert action_jn C h i l e _ _ _I over th ame t n year period Consequently any public hearings or report on Chile will in part duplicate that which' tlie Commit tee contempl tes making public in the assassination report