Received: from uchimvs1.uchicago.edu by zaphod.uchicago.edu (5.59/4.7) id AA02487; Fri, 2 Nov 90 12:52:21 CST Date: Fri, 2 Nov 90 12:52:21 CST From: ACTIV-L%UMCVMB@UCHIMVS1.UChicago.EDU Message-Id: <9011021852.AA02487@zaphod.uchicago.edu> Received: (from UMCVMB.BITNET for via BSMTP) Received: (from MAILER@UMCVMB for MAILER@UCHIMVS1 via NJE) Apparently-To: (M-MAILER-2951; 96 LINES); Thu, 11 Oct 90 17:52:56 CST Received: by UMCVMB (Mailer R2.07) id 1158; Thu, 11 Oct 90 17:50:08 CDT Date: Thu, 11 Oct 90 14:22:30 -0700 Reply-To: "Activists for Peace, Empowerment, Human Rights, @UCHIMVS1.UCHICAGO.EDU Justice etc." Sender: "Activists for Peace, Empowerment, Human Rights, @UCHIMVS1.UCHICAGO.EDU Justice etc." From: christic%CDP.UUCP@UCHIMVS1.UCHICAGO.EDU Subject: REP. BOXER ON COVERT OPS BILL To: Harel Barzilai /* Written 2:19 pm Oct 11, 1990 by christic in cdp:chr.contragate */ /* ---------- "REP. BOXER ON COVERT OPS BILL" ---------- */ ----------------------------------------------------------------- REP. BOXER'S LETTER TO CONGRESS ON COVERT OPS AMENDMENT [The following letter was circulated this week to Members of Congress by Rep. Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, asking support for her amendment to curb abuses in the conduct of covert operations. Before Rep. Boxer introduced her amendment, it was almost certain that Senate language increasing the President's power to conduct covert actions would move quickly through Congress without public debate. A vote on the Boxer amendment could happen as early as Friday night, October 12.] Dear colleague: If we learned anything from the Iran-Contra scandal, we learned that Congress must play an equal role with the Administration on decisions involving covert operations. I plan to offer an amendment to H.R. 5422, the House Intelligence Authorization bill, that would ensure that Congress is no longer kept in the dark about covert activities undertaken by our intelligence community. It would: --require notification to, and approval by, the Intelligence Committees of Congress of any covert action undertaken by U.S. intelligence agencies. An exception could be made in the case of an emergency, such as the rescue of U.S. hostages. However, an explanation of the action would have to be presented to the Intelligence Committees within 24 hours, and the action would cease within 48 hours unless Congress approved its continuation. --limit the definition of covert action to extraordinary threats to the national security of the United States or attempts to protect U.S. citizens from being held hostage or threatened with bodily harm, rather than permitting such actions to support vague U.S. foreign policy objectives. --prohibit the use of third parties, including private contractors, to fund or conduct covert actions. --prohibit the use of any government agency to carry out covert actions other than the intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, and federal law enforcement agencies. The Iran-Contra scandal was about clandestine operations undertaken illegally by the executive branch without sufficient accountability. Perhaps the most important lesson of that terrible episode was the need for Congress to be kept fully informed and in the decision-making loop from the beginning, whenever covert actions are contemplated and carried out. Support my amendment to curb the misuse of covert actions by investing Congress with the authority to execute or cancel them. Republicans and Democrats have deep respect for the leaders of the Intelligence Committees. Chairman Anthony Beilenson and ranking minority member Henry Hyde should play an equal role in these kinds of decisions. Support the Boxer amendment. Sincerely, Barbara Boxer U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Lang tcn449 TCN Christic Institute christic PeaceNet 151251507 telex 76247,3214 CompuServe 202-797-8106 voice uunet!pyramid!cdp!christic UUCP 202-462-5138 fax cdp!christic%labrea@stanford Bitnet 202-529-0140 BBS cdp!christic@labrea.stanford.edu Internet