Congress Panel Wants Notice of Covert Actions
The House Intelligence Committee chairman, charging that the Reagan Administration betrayed Congress’ confidence in the Iran- contras scandal, proposed Wednesday that strict new notification requirements be imposed for covert actions.
At the same time, the panel issued a report finding “a litany of disaster” in the management of U.S. intelligence activities that has led to dozens of serious security breaches in recent years.
Committee Chairman Louis Stokes (D-Ohio) introduced legislation that would require prior written notice of any contemplated covert action to the House and Senate intelligence committees. In rare instances, the notification could be delayed by up to 48 hours.
Kept in the Dark
In the case of the Iranian arms sale and the diversion of profits to Nicaragua’s rebels, Congress was kept in the dark for at least 10 months, according to Administration documents and witnesses.
Further criticism of the Administration’s handling of intelligence activities came in the committee’s 41-page report, which found laxity in intelligence agencies’ hiring practices, an “almost nonchalant attitude” toward recent espionage cases and looseness in controls over sensitive information.
“What has emerged is a pattern that causes deep dismay about the way U.S. intelligence is managed,” the panel concluded.
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