This interim report covers allegations of United States involvement in a**a**ination plots against foreign political leaders. The report also examines certain other instances in which foreign political leaders in fact were k**ed and the United States was in some manner involved in activity leading up to the k**ing, but in which it would be incorrect to say that the purpose of United States involvement had been to encourage a**a**ination.
The evidence establishes that the United States was implicated in several a**a**ination plots. The Committee believes that, short of war, a**a**ination is incompatible with American principles, international order, and morality. It should be rejected as a tool of foreign policy.
Our inquiry also reveals serious problems with respect to United States involvment in coups directed against foreign governments. Some of these problems are addressed here on the basis of our investigation to date; others we raise as questions to be answered after our investigation into covert action has been completed.
We stress the interim nature of this report. In the course of the Committee's continuing work, other alleged a**a**ination plots may surface, and new evidence concerning the cases covered herein may come to light. However, it is the committee's view that these cases have been developed in sufficient detail to clarify the issues which are at the heart of the Committee's mandate to recommend legislative and other reforms.
Thorough treatment of the a**a**ination question has lengthened the Committee's schedule, but has greatly increased the Committee's awareness of the hard issues it must face in the months ahead. These issues include problems of domestic and foreign intelligence collection, counterintelligence, foreign covert operations, mechanisms of command and control, and a**essment of the effectiveness of the total United States intelligence effort. The Committee intends, nevertheless, to complete, by February 1976, its main job of undertaking the first comprehensive review of the intelligence community.