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From: christic%CDP.UUCP@UCHIMVS1.UCHICAGO.EDU
Subject: REP. BOXER ON COVERT OPS BILL
To: Harel Barzilai <harelb%ZAPHOD.UCHICAGO.EDU@UCHIMVS1.UCHICAGO.EDU>
/* Written 2:19 pm Oct 11, 1990 by christic in cdp:chr.contragate */
/* ---------- "REP. BOXER ON COVERT OPS BILL" ---------- */
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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
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