Book has scared off sources — C.I.A. chief

Press, 22 June 1978, Page 6

Book has scared off sources — C.I.A. chief

NZPA-Reuter Washington 1 The American Central Intelligence Agency has lost a number of intelligence ■ sources as a result of books ’ by former agents and leaks to the press, the C.I.A. director (Admiral Stansfield Turner) has said. Admiral Turner, giving evidence in a case brought by the Government against a I former agent, Frank Snepp, also said that the C.I.A. had i received “very strong complaints” from a number of . foreign intelligence services. He later told reporters . outside the courtroom: “If i w e cannot demonstrate to • i the world that we have conI trol then we cannot have an

effective intelligence network.” The Government is charg-, ing Mr Snepp in a civil writ' with breaching his contract with the C.I.A. by publishing a book which chronicles alleged agency blunders during the United States military evacuation of Saigon in 1973. Admiral Turner said the book, “Decent Interval,” had “flouted the basic system of control we have.” The United States Justice Department contends that Mr Snepp broke the secrecy agreement he signed as a condition of employment when he joined the C.I.A. in 1968. Mr Snepp, whose defence*

is being handled by the American Civil Liberties [Union, argues that the C.1.A.1 J itself broke its conditions of I employment by not paying, gny attention to his com-i i plaints, while he was still an I' agent, about the Saigon j evacuation. i Judge Oren Lewis, declaring at the opening of the) : hearing that “We are not; I going to try the fall of Sai-> ! gon here,” carefully steered, prosecution and defence law-' : yers away from discussing material contained in Mr ' Snepp’s book. The Justice Department is seeking to block further distribution of the book and to ‘obtain damages. I