House OKs Bill for Independent CIA Watchdog

The House gave easy approval Friday to legislation that would create an independent inspector general to monitor the CIA, answerable to Congress as well as the agency director.

The provision, in a compromise bill authorizing the government’s intelligence activities for the coming year, was passed on a voice vote and was sent to the Senate.

Although President Bush, a former CIA director, is said to object to establishing a tighter oversight office within the agency, members of the congressional intelligence committees have said they do not believe he will veto the measure because of the new requirement.

In addition to setting up a new inspector general, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, the bill would guarantee the congressional oversight committees access in most cases to the inspector’s audit and investigation reports.

CIA Director William H. Webster has fought the committees over that access in the past.

The new oversight provisions grew from the Iran-Contra scandal, when the nation’s intelligence apparatus skirted the law to sell arms to Iran and send money to the Nicaraguan rebels despite bans on such activity.

Congressional investigators who probed the Iran-Contra scandal said the CIA inspector general lacked independence because he is appointed by the CIA director and reports only to him.