RADIO LIBERTY AND RADIO FREE EUROPE (W/ATTACHED TRANSMITTAL SLIP DATED 11/10/19

Created: 11/30/1967

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

Radiond Bcdlo "rce Europe

support be provided co Radio Fre- Europe snd/oreho rttkco'Chc Tracldcnt of thecontinued CIA .

Th* anr.cur.ecd Cecoe&sruc-off data for Covonwaeht aepporc'to American private voluntary orgsnlzattons end9 budget wrap-upecisions on the approach to theecessary. There appear*

orsothod of proceeding which would lalnlolr* che risk to the

The President publicly approved the policy statement racocAcaded

by the Katlenbech-Cardncr-Hetcis Report which banned CIA funding of American voluntary organisations. The public report stated thatco the policy stateaont would be given ^nly on findings ofnational security interests" by the Secretaries of State and Defense. Moreover, the Katzenbach.CosmLtcae stated chac, based on Choir Intensive review oforganizations then receiving covert CIA funding, none would currently justify any exception to the Presidsntlally-approvod policy.

While continued cover: funding by CIA with an exception appears

prcfocable to the "limited'ledjrMr.t" scenario of the Radio Study

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Croup Report,tillery considerable risk to the Administration. Th* CIA funding issue, though latent in the news recently. Is probablynot dead. Hews nedta'ara Interested enough and know enough to attempt

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to tost tha credibility of tha Adtalnlstrctloo on this matter by. digging ' into the continued operations and fundinj; of "suspect" organitetlone

afearnnounced cut-off eitci). Tho SUdica, particularly RFE. wlUrime target, especially in view of the flap overdvertising thin spring"and the noticeable discontinuance of "public solicitation.

On tho other hand,rgua that tho Radios were "ereatod"and- voluntary organizations in the uaual sense,should not be cent leered to bajunder tho Kacrenbschquestion ia whether the press end public will accopt this

As an alternative to continued CIA covert funding beyond Deccsberonower risk approach appears to S

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Surno fundnd tlTE beforehe8 tUwUnrto

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that both can contlru- ope vettllhis would Man program reduction co the extent ofcost increases. This would give ua another year to decide what t'o do with both RL and RFE. ?osal-bleear froa now include: overt fundingreo CoaeunlcatIons Institute, overty CIA, termination with transfer of soma staff and facilities to USIA.

Ua considered-the possibility of further phase-down of RL duringut upon chaining th*ctivities and the levels of radio operation, uc decided .

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Original document.

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