Colby’s Accountability

William E. Colby served only briefly as head of the Central Intelligence Agency, in the mid-1970s. But the former director, 76, who disappeared last weekend after going canoeing by himself and is now presumed to be dead, established a strong legacy as one who through greater openness helped save the CIA from self-destruction.

The CIA was in turmoil when Colby arrived in 1973. The nation was learning of a CIA spying campaign that violated the agency charter’s rules against domestic operations. The illegal activities included an effort to infiltrate U.S. dissident circles, place agents inside domestic protest organizations, compile dossiers on 10,000 citizens and tap the phones and open the mail of Americans thought to be Communist sympathizers.

In a remarkable appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Colby spoke openly of the agency’s activities. Later, in commenting on his testimony, he said that as head of the CIA he should be subject to “popular and congressional control” for “protection of the republic.” During his tenure, the public was told of CIA operations that included mind-control experiments, foreign coup attempts and assassination plots against foreign leaders.

Colby left the CIA in 1976. In becoming the first intelligence chief to testify publicly before a committee on Capitol Hill, he presented a praiseworthy model of fuller accountability.