Missionaries and the CIA

Your April 15 editorial, “Journalists Are Journalists,” called on President Clinton to issue a ban on the CIA’s use of journalists. But John Deutch, CIA director, feels internal regulations not only can be waived for journalists when warranted by extraordinary circumstances, but for missionaries as well.

Such a policy will undoubtedly place in jeopardy the lives of many of our 2,700 U.S. linguists, translators and related staff who currently live outside the U.S. We are concerned also for the lives of thousands of other missionaries and clergy who maintain neutral political stances.

Our organization’s policy does not allow our members to share information with the CIA, but the current CIA policy implies that the CIA might be using our people. To place our workers in jeopardy in this way also places our humanitarian, academic and spiritual services in jeopardy. We call on Deutch to publicly call for a ban on the use of clergy and missionaries, as well as journalists.

ARTHUR LIGHTBODY

Public Relations Officer

Wycliffe Bible Translators

Huntington Beach