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MORI DocID: 1451843
Lar ’ Ne Lie . he . .
oo ’ 5317 Briley Place
. Washington, D. C. 20016
. January 10, 1972
Mr; Lloyd Shearer Lo .
Editor at Large : : i
Parade Magazine ore :
733 Third Avenue ’
N . New York, New York 10017 i .
Dear Mr. Shearer: co :
‘ In your issue of January 9th, one of Walter Scott's Personality 1
§ Parade responses. stated that CIA "uses political assassination as a \
weapon’ and that Operation Phoenix "run by the CIA established a new i
kigh for U. S. political assassinations in Vietnam." Since I have held :
’ responsible positions in CIA for many years and was also (during de-
: tached service from CIA) responsible for U. S. support to Operation |
i Phoenix, I believe I am uniquely qualified to testify (as 1 have in public :
session under oath to Senate and House Committees) that:
. a. CIA does not and has not used political assassination as i
a weapon. . |
. |
b. Operation Phoenix was run not by the GIA but by the |
Government of Vietnam with the support of the CORDS element
of the U. S. Military Assistance Command in coordination with
several U, S. agencies including CIA. B
.  c. Operation, Phoenix is not and was not a program of
assassination but rather. endeavores-to counter, the Viet Cong
apparatus leading-the attempt to overthrow the Government of .
. Vietnam by apprehending or defecting its members.’ Some of
these were killed in fircfights during military operations or re- .
. sisting capture. There is a vast difference in kind, not merely po
Sb degree, between these combat casualties (even including Ta «ro whan
u steuncl)antasional ac apd fovr--sbusea) and the victims of the Viet’ 1
+" Cong's systematic campaign of terrorism refsnred toby Are .
J PN SOE AS a
In order to clarify this important question to the millions of con- {,, foun
cerned Americans who aight be misled by Mr. Scott!s-column, 1 should IN {or
appreciate your publishing this letter. PEE EE RN ~—
| - ~ A ra Sincerely,
| pooh fel | :
. Te _ 7 W. E. Colby
me 00671