White House tries to halt unofficial news

Press, 14 January 1982, Page 6

White House tries to halt unofficial news

NZPA Washington President Reagan, attempting to stem what he calls a “haemorrhage” of leaks of classified information, has warned Government employees that he will investigate any further leaks by “all legal methods."

At the same time, President Reagan banned Federal employees from “all contacts with any element of the news media in which classified National Security Council matters or classified intelligence information are discussed” unless approved in advance by an unidentified “Senior official."

A White House spokesman, David Gergen. said the document was drawn up because the President believed leaks of classified information had “hampered the formulation of foreign policy."

As an example of a recent leak, Mr Gergen cited reports before the official announcement that the Administration was refusing to sell advanced fighter planes to Taiwan. The reports, which were accurate, came out as a high-level team was in Peking attempting to explain its action to China, which objects to any arms sales to Taiwan.

Mr Gergen said the punishment any leaker would receive was “something we will work out over time.” “We have reached the level where it’s a matter of serious concern," Mr Gergen said.

He said the President believed leaks caused two kinds of damage: first, through compromise of “sensitive sources and in some cases endangering lives."

Second, in several “highly sensitive foreign-policy decisions ...” such leaks had almost tied his hands, since inaccurate stories in the press had ruled out an option he was considering or jeopardised an ongoing policy.

Reminded that President Nixon created the “White House plumbers” unit to stop leaks in his Administration, Mr Gergen replied: “Every President has been concerned about this problem. Every President has taken remedial steps to deal with it. This President is attempting to do it.

“What he is attempting to do is shut these leaks down,” Mr Gergen said.

Mr Nixon’s use of the "plumbers" was one of the reasons the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee recommended'President Nixon's impeachment in 1974.