1981.12.16: December 16, 1981: Headlines: Congress: Action Corps: Intelligence Issues: Presidents - Reagan: Ruppe: New York Times: Senator Alan Cranston writes: The controversy over Mr. Pauken's nomination arose not because he is a Vietnam veteran, as Mr. Thorson falsely suggests, but over the question whether the extent and nature of his service in military intelligence violated - or appeared to violate - a policy indispensable to the effectiveness of the Peace Corps, if not to its very survival.
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1981.12.16: December 16, 1981: Headlines: Congress: Action Corps: Intelligence Issues: Presidents - Reagan: Ruppe: New York Times: Senator Alan Cranston writes: The controversy over Mr. Pauken's nomination arose not because he is a Vietnam veteran, as Mr. Thorson falsely suggests, but over the question whether the extent and nature of his service in military intelligence violated - or appeared to violate - a policy indispensable to the effectiveness of the Peace Corps, if not to its very survival.
Senator Alan Cranston writes: The controversy over Mr. Pauken's nomination arose not because he is a Vietnam veteran, as Mr. Thorson falsely suggests, but over the question whether the extent and nature of his service in military intelligence violated - or appeared to violate - a policy indispensable to the effectiveness of the Peace Corps, if not to its very survival.
Mr. Thorson states that it is ''not true'' that the Peace Corps has a strict prohibition against former intelligence agents within its ranks. The truth is that ever since its inception in 1961 the Peace Corps has had a policy designed to preclude even the appearance of a connection with intelligence activities. This policy bars any former agent or employee of the C.I.A. from ever serving as a Peace Corps volunteer or employee. And it strictly prohibits anyone else from serving if he or she has engaged in intelligence activities in the preceding 10 years. Thomas Pauken, director of Action; Loret Ruppe, director of the Peace Corps, and William Casey, director of the C.I.A., have said that they intend to continue this policy. Mr. Thorson states that Thomas Houser served in Army counterintelligence 13 years before he became deputy director of the Peace Corps in 1969. However, no information to that effect was brought to the attention of the Senate at the time of Mr. Houser's confirmation.
Senator Alan Cranston writes: The controversy over Mr. Pauken's nomination arose not because he is a Vietnam veteran, as Mr. Thorson falsely suggests, but over the question whether the extent and nature of his service in military intelligence violated - or appeared to violate - a policy indispensable to the effectiveness of the Peace Corps, if not to its very survival.
PEACE CORP'S SAFE DISTANCE FROM C.I.A., ET AL.
Published: December 16, 1981
To the Editor:
As the principal Senate sponsor of legislation to separate the Peace Corps from the Action agency, I was astonished by the letter (Nov. 27) from Donald Thorson, Action's assistant director for legislative affairs, accusing The Times of inaccurate reporting. It is Mr. Thorson who is inaccurate.
Mr. Thorson states that it is ''not true'' that the Peace Corps has a strict prohibition against former intelligence agents within its ranks. The truth is that ever since its inception in 1961 the Peace Corps has had a policy designed to preclude even the appearance of a connection with intelligence activities.
This policy bars any former agent or employee of the C.I.A. from ever serving as a Peace Corps volunteer or employee. And it strictly prohibits anyone else from serving if he or she has engaged in intelligence activities in the preceding 10 years.
Thomas Pauken, director of Action; Loret Ruppe, director of the Peace Corps, and William Casey, director of the C.I.A., have said that they intend to continue this policy.
Mr. Thorson states that Thomas Houser served in Army counterintelligence 13 years before he became deputy director of the Peace Corps in 1969. However, no information to that effect was brought to the attention of the Senate at the time of Mr. Houser's confirmation.
Mr. Thorson also claims that separating the Peace Corps from Action would ''cost the taxpayers more money.'' The evidence points in exactly the opposite direction. Internal Peace Corps budget documents estimate that, while separation will cost about $900,000 in firstyear administrative expenses, it will save $1 million annually thereafter.
Finally, the controversy over Mr. Pauken's nomination arose not because he is a Vietnam veteran, as Mr. Thorson falsely suggests, but over the question whether the extent and nature of his service in military intelligence violated - or appeared to violate - a policy indispensable to the effectiveness of the Peace Corps, if not to its very survival. The Foreign Relations Committee narrowly voted for his confirmation, 10 to 7.
Making the Peace Corps an independent agency will reaffirm its fundamental policy of keeping free of all taint of an ''intelligence connection.'' It is a sorry state of affairs that a high official of Action, in his determination to keep the Peace Corps within that agency at any cost, is willing to jeopardize a policy intended to protect the integrity of the Peace Corps and the safety of its volunteers and staff. ALAN CRANSTON, U. S. Senator from California, Washington, Dec. 9, 1981
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Peace Corps Annual Report: 1981; Congress; Action Corps; Intelligence Issues; Presidents - Reagan; Loret Miller Ruppe (Director 1981 - 1989)
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Story Source: New York Times
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Congress; Action Corps; Intelligence Issues; Presidents - Reagan; Ruppe
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