MAJORITY SAYS SAVE THE CIA
Declassified CIA News, Views, and Issues
Document Type: CREST
Collection: General CIA Records
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP77-00432R000100370002-5
Release Decision: RIPPUB
Original Classification: K
Document Page Count: 48
Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
Document Release Date: June 25, 2001
Sequence Number: 2
Case Number:
Publication Date: September 1, 1975
Content Type: NSPR
Summary of Press Clippings
The provided document, titled "Majority Says Save the CIA," is a collection of declassified press clippings from various sources, primarily dated August and September 1975, focusing on investigations into the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and related intelligence activities. The clippings reveal a period of intense scrutiny of the CIA following the Watergate scandal, often referred to as the "son of Watergate." Below is a concise summary of the key themes and events covered:
Congressional Investigations into CIA Activities:
The Senate and House committees were investigating allegations of CIA misconduct, including assassination plots against foreign leaders (e.g., Fidel Castro, General René Schneider, and General Trujillo), domestic surveillance ("Operation Chaos"), drug experiments on unwitting subjects, and covert operations to overthrow foreign governments, notably in Chile.
The Senate Select Committee, led by Senator Frank Church, was examining the CIA's actions, with debates over whether the agency acted independently ("rogue elephant") or under presidential orders. The investigations included subpoenaing former President Richard Nixon’s tapes and documents related to U.S. policy in Chile.
CIA Director William Colby emphasized that the agency had self-corrected some of its misdeeds, though accountability for past actions remained unclear. Former CIA Director Richard Helms faced scrutiny for potentially misleading Congress about covert operations.
Public and Media Reaction:
Articles, such as one by Daniel Schorr for the Aspen Institute, frame the CIA investigations as a continuation of Watergate-era concerns about abuse of power. Schorr highlighted issues like the CIA’s surveillance of domestic dissidents, its collaboration with the Mafia in assassination plots, and its failure to share critical information with the Warren Commission regarding Lee Harvey Oswald’s activities.
The New York Times and other outlets reported public interest in CIA operations, exemplified by coverage of the Glomar Explorer, a ship involved in a covert CIA operation to recover a Soviet submarine.
Broader Intelligence and Foreign Policy Issues:
The clippings cover related geopolitical topics, including U.S.-Cuba rapprochement, NATO radar vulnerabilities, and negotiations over the Panama Canal. For instance, the Washington Star discussed steps toward normalizing relations with Cuba, while the Los Angeles Times addressed Soviet participation in Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction talks in Europe.
Concerns about electronic eavesdropping capabilities by the CIA and the National Security Agency were raised, noting that existing anti-wiretap laws were outdated given new technological capabilities.
Specific Incidents and Operations:
The Washington Post reported on a former CIA aide set to testify about a drug file, indicating ongoing probes into CIA activities related to narcotics.
Articles also mentioned the CIA’s involvement with corporate entities, such as Howard Hughes’ operations, and the potential for conflicts of interest when private companies conducted covert operations for the agency.
Political and Cultural Context:
A Saturday Review piece discussed the film Three Days of the Condor, reflecting public fascination with intelligence agency corruption, tying it to the broader post-Watergate distrust of American institutions.
The Washington Post and other sources emphasized the need for greater transparency and accountability in government, with former justices like Earl Warren advocating for Congress to set legal standards for disclosing government records.
Overall, the clippings depict a critical moment in U.S. history where public and congressional scrutiny of the CIA’s activities led to debates about oversight, legality, and the balance between national security and civil liberties.
Names
Below is a comprehensive list of names mentioned in the provided document, derived from the available text:
Allende (likely Salvador Allende, referenced in the context of Chile)
James E. Akins
McGeorge Bundy
Fidel Castro
Senator Church (Frank Church)
William Colby
Dino de Laurentiis
Thomas Enders
Matt Fanislo
President Ford (Gerald Ford)
Arthur Goldberg
Senator Goldwater (Barry Goldwater)
Richard Goodwin
Michael Grelier
Richard Helms
Sy Hersh (Seymour Hersh)
Roberta Hornig
J. Edgar Hoover
Howard Hughes
Robert Kennedy
President Kennedy (John F. Kennedy)
Henry A. Kissinger
Sol M. Linowitz
Robert Maheu
Meeker (no first name provided, referenced in NATO radar incident)
Karl E. Meyer
Richard Nixon
Joanne Omang
Jeremiah O’Leary
Orfila (OAS Secretary General, likely Alejandro Orfila)
Lee Harvey Oswald
Sydney Pollack
William Porter
Redford (likely Robert Redford, referenced in Three Days of the Condor)
Bill Richers
John Rosselli
Mr. Sadat (Anwar Sadat)
Daniel Schorr
General René Schneider
General Trujillo (likely Rafael Trujillo)
Earl Warren
Note: Some names (e.g., "Jack," "Vic," "Shannon") appear in a context suggesting internal CIA discussions, but their full identities are unclear due to truncation or lack of specificity. These have not been included unless explicitly tied to identifiable figures. Additionally, repeated placeholders like "the the" or generic terms like "D.C.I." (Director of Central Intelligence) and "D.O.O." were not counted as names unless associated with a specific individual.
