Editing 79-04-A7 (section)

=== Transcript ===
On February 18 an ad appear ed in the Los Angeles Times. It was surrounded by
a heavy black border -- red might have been more appropriate. Its purpose was to
sell a book written by Philip Agee and Louis Wolf entitled "Dirty Work". The title
aptly describes in my opinion what the authors are up to.

In large print the ad reads: "The C.I.A. couldn't suppress this book--and
maybe it will stop some of their dirty work!" Then it continues as a message in the
first person over the name of the man I assume is the publisher. It says: "When
I announced that Philip Agee and Louis Wold (that must have been a misprint. On
the book his name appears as Wolf) had delivered the script for "Dirty Work", both
the Central Intelligence Agency and the Justice Department sprang into action." He
goes on to say how there were threats and intimidation, and so forth, to keep him
from publishing but, "In view of what has been happening in Iran and Nicaragua and
wherever the C.I.A. performs its dirty tricks, I was more than ever determined to
make this book available to the American people."

Then in heavy black print he tells us one of the reasons why we must read the
book. It "contains a list of more than 700 C.I.A. agents currently working in
Western Europe. It completely blows their cover." What the publisher does not tell
us is that "blowing the cover" of these individuals can mean their death. The
murder squads of the KGB couldn't ask for anything that would please them more than
to be handed a list of targets for their hit list. International espionage and
counter-intelligence is not child's play. The stakes are high and our national
security depends on having men and women who are willing to play for keeps.
Remember our agent in Greece who was publicly identified a few years ago? He was
shot down on his own doorstep almost within a matter of hours.

Mr. Stuart, whose name appears at the bottom of the ad and who I presume is
the publisher, is asking $24.95 for the book, which he calls an "expose of the
C.I.A.--on a scale never attempted before."

I served on President Ford's commission to investigate the C.I.A. in 1975.
I believe we did a thorough job and while we found some instances of poor judgment,
the good far outweighed the bad. And the evidence was overwhelming that we do need
a counterintelligence force in this dangerous world. While our commission was doing
its work, the KGB was quadrupling its spy force in the U.S. We, on the other hand,
have literally tied the hands of our intelligence forces--both the C.I.A. and the
F.B.I.

This advertised book is Mr. Agee's second. He has violated his oath to not
expose fellow workers he knew when he was an agent. He is hardly to be described
as just an outraged citizen. If he is so opposed to counterintelligence, why does
he exempt the Soviet Union from his wrath? 

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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