v -- 0 5 0 co NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL 4003 WASHINGTON D C 20506 May 23 1989 l L- ' lw V'SQf n ACTION MEMORANDUM FOR BRENT SCOWCROFT FROM NICHOLAS ROSTOW SUBJECT Response to Senator Cohen on 48 Hour Notification and Covert Action Attached at Tab I is a draft letter on covert action and 48-hour notification prepared by Bill Barr Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel at Justice I have indicated the few changes I would suggest The letter argues that the December 1986 legal opinion signed by Barr's predecessor Charles Cooper really means that the President has the statutory authority to withhold notice of a covert action in extraordinary circumstances such as those involving risks to human life until such circumstances cease to exist The opinion does not mean the President may act on whim The letter further notes that the President is committed to relations with Congress based on principles of comity and that the existing presidential directive on congressional notification of covert action mandates review by the President and his most senior advisors of any decision to delay notification not less often than every ten days The only missing point which I have obliquely referred to with an interlinear suggestion is an acknowledgement of recent history and the political lesson to be drawn from it I think the letter is a good starting point for discussions with Senator Cohen's staff and the Senator himself I understand from Senate staff that Senator Cohen is eager to resolve the issue I t h i n k we should be a u t h o r i z e d t o t e s t t h e w a te r s w i t h th e d r a f t l e t t e r w i t h S e n a t o r C o h e n 's s t a f f b e f o r e yo u r e t u r n fro m E u ro p e S e n a te I n t e l l i g e n c e C o m m itte e s t a f f member J im D y k s t r a has asked f o r a m e e tin g w i t h B i l l W o rk in g G in n y and me t o d is c u s s th e m a t t e r b e f o r e th e C o m m itte e s t a r t s m a rk in g up th e I n t e l l i g e n c e A u t h o r i z a t i o n A c t on Ju n e 8 I w i l l s u g g e s t t h a t B i l l B a r r a ls o a tte n d RECOMMENDATION Th a t you a u t h o r iz e B i l l G in n y and me to d is c u s s th e d r a f t l e t t e r w it h S e n a to r C o h e n 's and Senate I n t e l l ig e n c e Committee s ta ff D is a p p ro ve Approve - cc G in n y Lam pley B i l l W orking Attachm ents Tab I Barr Draft Letter I U S Department of Justice Office o f Legal Counsel Washington D C 20330 Offlc o f lh Aufittnt Attorney Oenml Hay 23 1989 memorandum BOYDEN GRAY NICK ROSTOW A Bill Barr Letter to Senator Cohen Regarding Office of Legal Counsel 48 Hour Notice Opinion Enclosed for your review and comment ia my draft of a possible letter to Senator Cohen regarding his concerns over the 1986 OLC covert action opinion I would be reluctant to go forward with this letter unless we had some reason to believe Senator Cohen would be satisfied with ito If this draft meets with your approval I suggest it be further coordinated with State DOD and CIA Enclosure I PC 'A COR7QCT7 m iqqisnCD HU931 dO 3DIddO WO d i0 S T 6 S 6 V GBP 2 ' S0 j C O X -tim e ly m c g P l U A - Dear Senators -h J d r a f t yn nn jlvA M I t has been b ro u g h t to my a tte n tio n th a t you are concerned about th e w ording o f an o p in io n issued by the O f f ic e o f Legal Counsel on December 17 1986 d e a lin g w ith the tim e ly n o tic e re q u ire m e n t o f S e c tio n 501 b o f the N a tio n a l S e c u r it y A ct o f 1947o S p e c if ic a lly I understand th a t you a re concerned about th e statem ent on page 24 o f th a t o p in io n th a t the P re s id e n t has v i r t u a l l y u n fe tte re d d is c r e t io n to decide when to n o t if y Congress o f c o v e rt a c tio n I have review ed the o p in io n w ith yo u r concerns in mind I want to assure you th a t I do not read th a t o p in io n as suggesting th a t th e P re s id e n t is fre e to d is re g a rd C o n g re ss' le g itim a te -eMsr a i hfc r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s The statem ent on page 24 was made w ith re fe re n c e to th e P re s id e n t's conduct o f e x c e p tio n a lly d e lic a t e i n t e llig e n c e o p e ra tio n s whose success m ight be je o p a rd ize d by d is c lo s u re p r i o r to t h e i r c o m p le tio n b e lie v e I as the o p in io n suggests - - th a t the P re s id e n t's d e c is io n to d e la y n o t if ic a t i o n would be based on the exigencies surro unding an o p e ra tio n Once the e xc e p tio n a l circumstances j u s t i f y in g a d e la y in n o t if ic a t io n have abated the President would have an o b lig a tio n under se ctio n 501 b to inform Congress In oth e r words onco the n e ce s s ity fo r secrecy has ceased the oJ P re s id e n t would not have discretion under the statute to continue to withhold notice from appropriate Congressional committees The most re c e n t n a tio n a l s e c u r it y d e c is io n d ir e c t iv e con ce rn in g c o n g re s s io n a l n o t if ic a t i o n makes c le a r th a t the P re s id e n t contem plates w ith h o ld in g n o t if ic a t i o n beyond f o r t y e ig h t hours o n ly in ra re e x tra o rd in a ry in sta n ce s -- fo r example when American l i v e s co uld be je o p a rd ize d by d is c lo s u re o f an op e ra tio n F u r t h e r even in such c irc u m s ta n ce s procedures are now in p la c e th a t w i l l assure th a t any d e c is io n to de la y n o t i f i c a t i o n beyond f o r t y - e i g h t hours w i l l be re co n sid e re d Tat a I m le a s t once e v e ry te n d a ys Th e re fo re any d e c is io n to w ith h o ld n o tic e would be s u b je c t to eesstanto and in te n s iv e re v ie w T h is O f f i c e 's 1986 o p in io n should a ls o be p u t in the la r g e r c o n te x t of P re s id e n t B u sh 's emphasis on the im portance o f com ity between the l e g i s l a t i v e and e xe cu tive b ranches B ip a rtis a n c o o p e ra tio n and in fo rm a l c o n s u lta tio n in fo re ig n p o lic y are one of the m ajor p r i o r i t i e s o f h is A d m in is tra tio n P re sid e n t Bush has made i t c le a r th a t co n g re ss io n a l a d vice i s o f g re a t va lu e to him and th a t such a d vic e w i l l be a ssid u o u s ly sought and s e rio u s ly c o n s id e re d He re c o g n ize s o f co urse th a t such c o n s u lta tio n s are immensely u se fu l i n a v o id in g m istakes that w i l l damage our n a tio n a l in t e r e s t Under the circum stances we are c o n fid e n t th a t the tim e ly n o t if ic a tio n requirem ent w i l l be met in good f a it h and th a t f u r t h e r le g is la t io n in t h is s e n s itiv e area is n e ith e r warranted nor w ise t 3 d ZQ9ZSSP ni -racwnn j n 3' r _i_ir U r We hope t h i s is r e s p o n s iv e t o y o u r co n ce rn R P lease l e t us know i f w# can be o f f u r t h e r a s s is t a n c e i n t h i s m a tte r wiliifca P Barr Assistant Attorney General Office ox Legal Counsel S 0' d GBP882981 6 01 I3SN000 b93 l 30 3DIddO WOdd 8 0 ST 686VGBP2- 'S0 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu