DATE=2/7/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=COHEN - C-I-A (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-258930
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO:  Defense Secretary William Cohen says he may 
soon cut off all access to military secrets for a 
former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency who 
is accused of carelessly handling sensitive 
information.  V-O-A's Jim Randle reports. 


TEXT:  If Defense Secretary Cohen revokes the one-time 
spymaster's last clearance, John Deutch will have to 
get his information from a newspaper rather than 
classified documents.

Mr. Deutch was the number-two civilian at the Defense 
Department before he was named C-I-A director in 1995.  
After he left that post the next year, he was been 
accused of working on extremely sensitive information 
on an unguarded home computer, for university research 
and to advise contractors.  Some experts say using 
that computer for e-mail and Internet access might 
have given a skilled spy some of America's most 
closely-guarded secrets.  Mr. Deutch has declined to 
testify to a congressional committee on the matter. 

Last August, the C-I-A cut off most of Mr. Deutch's 
access to secrets, and Pentagon officials also cut off 
one of his three clearances at that time.

Monday, Mr. Cohen disclosed for the first time that 
Mr. Deutch still has a clearance to see some Pentagon 
information on industrial topics, including some data 
classified Top Secret.  Mr. Cohen says legal officials 
at the C-I-A are briefing Pentagon officials on 
evidence in the case, and he may revoke Mr. Deutch's 
last clearance.  

The Defense Secretary says the information should have 
been shared some time ago.

            /// COHEN ACT ///

      I think it should have been done sooner.  But it 
      was not.  They are now accelerating the transfer 
      of this information to the D-O-D (Department of 
      Defense) so that we are in a position to make a 
      judgment.

            /// END ACT ///

Mr. Cohen's complaint echoes those of congressional 
critics of the C-I-A, who say the agency dithered 
(waited) for months before taking action to cut off 
the clearances.  Mr. Cohen says there is no evidence 
that any secrets were actually lost, or that Mr. 
Deutch did anything to deliberately jeopardize 
security.  (Signed).

NEB/JR/TVM/gm 



07-Feb-2000 22:11 PM EDT (08-Feb-2000 0311 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.