In Search of Enemies - A CIA Story - John Stockwell

The Economy-Size War
huge oak conference table, this chamber was more attractive than
Africa Division's utilitarian offices, though still confining. There were
no windows and ventilation was poor. On a back wall hung pictures of
some of the agency's previous deputy directors of operations. Potts sat
at the head of the table with the former ambassador to Zaire, Sheldon
Vance, representing the secretary of state's office on his right, and Hal
Horan, the National Security Council senior staff member on his left.
Other members ranged down the table: the under-secretary of state
for political affairs (Joseph Sisco himself never attended, but was
always represented by a senior staffer); the assistant secretary of state
for African affairs (also represented by a senior staffer); Edward
Mulcahy, the deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs;
Lieutenant General Howard Fish, director of the Defense Security
Assistance Agency; the director of the Bureau of Intelligence and
Research (INR) represented by Francis Detar; Colonel Clinton
Granger, director of the planning staff, National Security Council;
Rear Admiral Samuel Packer, assistant deputy director for political
military affairs; Colonel Gene Rawlings, Office of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff and director of the Office of Central African Affairs of the
Defense Department; and Walt Cutler, director of the Office of
Central African Affairs of the State Department. Potts was chairman,
representing the CIA director. Various Africa Division senior officers,
including of course myself, always attended.*
*The 40 Committee/National Security Council mechanism traditionally directs
covert wars, assassination attempts, and coups in other countries. Because of doubts
raised by Watergate and the Church Committee disclosures, the working group was
appointed to provide closer supervision of the CIA. From 1969 to 1976 the National
Security Council was dominated by Henry Kissinger, who often dispensed with its
services altogether, giving his orders directly to the CIA.
The CIA has used 40 Committee approval to authenticate some of its more
sensitive operations, but has by no means brought all of its covert actions to the
attention of the 40 Committee. The Pike Committee (House Select Committee on
Intelligence) made a serious error when it concluded in its January 1976 report that
the CIA was remarkably responsive to the controls of the National Security Council
(NSC) and that all major covert action projects had had presidential approval.
William Corson concludes rather that " ... it is important to remember that 75 to
85% of all covert operations and activities carried out during that period (1947-52)
were never really reviewed by any organization or body outside of the group, agency
or service which initiated them" (Armies of Ignorance. William R. Corson (New
York: Dial, 1977], p. 350).