Some of these stories have been told and retold so many times that it is doubtful much of the public has been able to recognize that such activities, as reprehensible as they may have been, do not characterize the overwhelming focus of foreign intelligence activities. Take, for instance, CIA's Operation CHAOS. The CIA collected substantial amounts of information on domestic dissidents from 1967 to 1973.Intelligence Reform in the Mid-1970s — Central Intelligence Agency
B. Authorization. of CHAOS
Against this backdrop of unrest, the CIA’s systematic investigation
of possible foreign involvement began with two assignments made
by Director Richard Helms in the late summer and fall of 1967.
In August, Helms established a program ta coordinate and improve
the CIA’s coverage abroad of American dissidents. Helms does not
claim a specific presidential request for a new CIA program in this
area. Rather, Helms testified that he was acting in general response to
President Johnson’s insistent interest in the extent. of foreign influence
on domestic dissidents. Helms testified that :
President Johnson was after this all the time. I don’t recall
any specific instructions in writ.ing from his staff, particularly,
but this was something that came up almost daily and
weekly.13
Helms summarized his response to the presidential overtures:
But what I am attempting to say is that when a President
keeps asking if there is any information, “how are you getting
along with your examination,” “have you picked up any more
informat.ion on these subjects,” it isn’t a direct order to do
somet.hing, but it seems to me it behooves t.he Director of Central
Intelligence to find some way to improve his performance,
or improve his Agency’s performance. And the setting
up of this unit was what I conceived to be a proper action in
an effort to see if we couldn’t improve t.he Agency’s performance
in this general field.14
Kay viewed Get Smart as a child…
