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MORI DocID: 1451843
Co Oe
A NE o
5317 Briley Place .
: : te Washington, D. C. 20016
. BE fal - 10 January 1972
. Mr. Lloyd Sheare. : : ~ Ye
mt Editor at Large y - ZN
i} Parade Magazine ’ foe : "
) 733 Third Avenue 7 . st
New York, New York 10017 6 6G I: wy :
Dear Mr. Shearer: LC gr 4 5
In your issue of January 9th, bne of Walter Scott's Personality pe
Parade responses stated that CIA "ues politigal assassination as a Te ;
h weapon and that Operation Phoenix "gun by the\CIA established a new d :
. high 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
Phoenix, I believe I am uniquely qualified to testify (3g I have in public :
session under oath to Senate and House (Committees) tha: .
’ ’ a. CIA does not and has not used political assasgination as
a weapon.
i b. Operation Phoenix was run jot by the CIA but by the
Government of Vietnam with the suport of the CORDS, eléinent  ° 2
co . § the U, S. Military A ssistance Fo mand sie COT lo .
. “pened U Age CLA ah od La bate - .
Pp ws Operation Phoenix js noya program of assassination, Io oa (fe
. Soon Prembers ol TITRE ERED pa Tar were killed, in the-eswrstl © >
dovivnmt military operations or SEARING There is
- vast difference in kind, not merelydegree,, befween theses{even
including occasional -- and few -- abuses) and thifViet Cong's

spfenaticsmstrmmpein of terrorism referred to oe .

. In order to clarify this important question tosh millions of con- ’
cerned Americans who might be misled by Zott's column, 1 should /
appreciate your publishing this letter, . :

. ’ R Sincerely, <5
: ‘ EE
: cobalt
: : Fan
fp a & W. E. Colby cast al itd
wich - or i
i i 0067s