g 3 1 ~ 8 2 E 4. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | 12 a) ; 13 ws - e 3 14 15 16 17 18 a 19 8 5 20 : 23 8 24 NY if 2 . 3 25 HW 54653 Docld:327423498 Page 51 . 22 FOR SECRET ~~ ‘Commission was originally assigned a very restricted mission to look into the domestic. It decided to expand its mission to investigate assassination question abroad. ‘Senator Tower. Mr. Chairman, may I suggest that we explore this matter with Colby, that the first thing we should do is ask him to come and give an overview of this thing for us and proceed from that point? Chairman Church. I would like to do that. If we can get him to come at our Wednesday meeting, next Wednesday, and let me amplify your suggestion in this respect. I think this is. th cmmmencement of the inquiry this Committee must make into the whole field of covert activity. This is the most extreme case of covert activity. But we must look into it all and I would propose the following inquiry into assassination which Colby should commence. We should then proceed: to a series of hearing to get the details concerning present covert activity all aroun the world, and I must say I have seen some of it through the Foreign Relations Committee that is now required by law to get some kind of briefing, synopsis of covert activity, and a lot the representation of the United States in such trivial matters,|- of it you just wonder why we are meddling in at such cost.to | ! and how it could possibly benefit us to institutionalize this | kind of operation all over the world. Anyway that is another question. We have to find out what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what has been done in the TOP SECRET
Phone (Area 202) 544-6000 WARD & PAUL 410 First Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003 “HW 54653 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 1? 18 19 20 21 22 23° 24 25 Docld: 324273498 Page 52 48 past in the field .of covert operations. I think we have to commence with the assassination question simply because it is pressing and -- } Senator Schweiker. I certain support you, Mr. Chairman, in this respect. I don't think we can duck, even if we wanted to, for the reasons. everybody said. Either it is in the. Rockefeller Report, in all agetn's books, and I think the place to begin, as Senator Tower says, let's see what we can find out and then determine what our responsibility is. I just want to comment on the other aspect of the Kennedy . thing. I think we have a little responsibility here to maybe rund down a few of the obvious contradictions because if we don't do that I think once again we will be accused of white- washing. I am not for getting into a whole big problem that is a secondary thing. I think there are discrepancies maybe we should spend a little effort running down. I don't advocate at all a big thing. I feel like the Chairman, it is hard for me t comprehend this. There are circumstances relating to former _ CIA people and I think we have a responsibility to at least look into to see if it is a dead-end alley, and if it is, drop it or. face up to it. Chairman Church. There are two aspects tothe question of assassination. One is the high level aspect relating to. political leaders abroad. The other is assassination as it may . have occurred or may, be occurring at a lower level relating to "TOP S3CRET
Phone (Area 202) 544-6000 WARD & PAUL - HW 54653 410 First Street, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003 LO. ll 12 inquiry into 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 TOP SEC must know about that. 49 & agents or employees that are engaged in covert operations. We ~ As far as the Kennedy connection is concerned, my view, on the basis That i Senator discussed, s about as far as I think we can go. anc had that been debated on the floor it might have for what it is worth, have to look very carefully at the question of whether or not the agencies came clean with the Commission, and if there is - there are contradictions that need further explanation, of these unanswered questions we think further the matter is called for. Tower. we should not try to reopen: the whole matter. I don't think that the Senate intended that we should, although that was neve resulted in our getting our legislative history that would have is like Senator Schweiker's, I think we reason to believe that a full disclosure was not made, or if whether or not the Commission's work was accurate or well founded, but I do think if we find this evidence we should say Mr. Chairman, I would certainly think that proscribed us in that area. I don't know. But the Warren Commission was a prestigious group of people and I think that if we cas t aspersions on them without being able to provide anything ourselves, we might be damaging our own credibility 23 a little bit. 24 29 DoclId: 324273496 Chairman Church. Page 53 V a I) Nw b I think we have to be very careful how 2 S3¢eReT I don't think it is the work of this Committee to undertake to determin ee © A SA A
TOP SECRET ~— 50 8 1 || we handle it. | ¢ , 2 Senator Tower. I think we should certainly not suggest to —w & g 3 | the press we are going to look into that. That is going to 3 4 blow up a whole row of snakes. | | | | 5 , Senator Schweiker. And I don'ft suggest that, I don't thin . 6 | Chairman Church. Let's keep any reference to the Kennedy. 7 assassination very carefully to ourselves. The only point I see 8 -is to determine. whether or not the CIA or the FBI may have ; | 9 withheld, or if there are unanswered questions here that should 10 be answered, in which case we can say that, and that only ll because you are right, the Commission was no doubt completely 12 honest, completely conscientious in the work it did, and there 2 ni 13 has never been sufficient evidence brought to light yet upon ‘ew’ 0 ; - < 14 which one could conclude that their determination was not g phe . 15 correct. | | “16 Senator Tower. And you have got various people pursuing. 1 different aspects of it and I think any investigation of that type is going to come up with some inconsistencies and some 18 . 19 dvidence that appears to be valid: that conflict with each other e 80 That happens in criminal trials. But I think we should proceed a) : 21 very cautiously along that line and not even hint to anvbody : 20 Il that we are going to reopen the Kennedy assassination. | : 23 Senator Morgan. Let me put my thoughts on the record, : 4 I think it is important that we explore this business of ~ : “95 “assassinations but I think it is extremely important chat we Clenny a aan Ne we he TOP HW 54653 Docld:32423496 Page 54