Reform of C.I.A. sought

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33904, 25 July 1975, Page 9

Reform of C.I.A. sought

(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) | WASHINGTON. July 24. Mr Clark Clifford, a key figure in the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency/ urged today that the C.I.A. be stripped of its power to conduct secret operations abroad, the “Chicago SunTimes” reported. “The C.I.A. has freewheeled separately all over the place.” he said. “No-one was watching them.” Mr Clifford, an intimate of several Presidents and Defence Secretarv in the Johnson Administration. was White House counsel to Pre- 1 sident Truman and chief lobbyist for the law which, established the C.I.A. in 1947. He said that President Truman originally set up a separate agency, the Office of Snecial Operations, to conduct secret activities abroad. : but then made a “mistake" and allowed the C.I.A. to take it over. Mr Clifford recommended that an independent agency! again be organised to conduct operations, and that the C.I.A. be limited to collecting! and analysing intelligence. Senator Frank Church,. chairman of the Senate Intel- j ligence Committee, says that the Secretarv of State (Dr' Henrv Kissinger) will be 1 called to testify later this! vear on secret C.I.A. intervention in Chile. Dr Kissinger presided over the so-called “40 committee” which approved SUSS million for covert operations to undermine Chile's elected President. Salvador Allende, from 1970 to 1973.