The Pike Committee

[bobthedrummer]

After the Watergate "scandal" there were Congressional investigations into illegal activities by the intelligence and law enforcement communities because it is the duty to have Congressional oversight to protect and defend the rights of US citizens (aka we, the people).

We have a Congress today that is not going to hold accountable an administration that uses war as a policy, tortures, employs mercenaries, has a world-wide secret prison system, conducts massive illegal domestic surveillance, conducts domestic psychological warfare operations and God knows what else.

The oversight role of Congress (in a representational democracy, that=you and me) has been seriously negated. Previous and current suggested reforms of the intelligence and law enforcement communities have been continuously neutralized by an increased para-militarized and privatized component engaged in the administration's "war on terror".

This is a thread about the reforms recommended after the Watergate "scandal"-and a study on the forces that opposed them.

The post-Watergate Senate investigation was chaired by Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho) and known as The Church Committee-most of the various reports and documents from the Church Committee are declassified and available to the public, they have been cited/discussed here for years.

The House investigation began with controversy over leadership, Rep. Lucien Nedzi (D-Michigan) was replaced as Chairman after 5 months by Rep. Otis G. Pike (D-New York)-this House investigation became known as The Pike Committee.

Below are a few links about The Pike Committee, the first is an overview that was authored by the CIA's Agency Historian and head of the CIA History Staff, Gerald K. Haines.

"The Pike Committee Investigations and the CIA" by Gerald K. Haines
http://bss.sfsu.edu/fischer/IR%20360/Readings/pike.htm

Otis G. Pike profile from Spartacus Schoolnet
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKpikeO.htm

Kathryn S. Olmsted wrote "Challenging the Secret Government: The Post-Watergate Investigation of the CIA and FBI" (University of North Carolina Press 1996, paper)-Third World Traveler has a page of excerpts from her work which is linked below.

"Counterattack, Unwelcome Truths, Epilogue"
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/CIA/Unwelcome_Truths_CTSG.html

I was unable to find the complete final report and documents of The Pike Committee-it is my understanding that portions are declassified yet the House retains control of the full report and documents.

Some of the report was leaked to the Village Voice which set-off a "national security" furor. Daniel Schorr lost his job at CBS as a result of passing on Pike Committee docs to the Village Voice.

NameBase.org has an archived Daniel Brandt article about this aspect of The Pike Committee (and other public disclosure issues).

"Journalism and the CIA: The Mighty Wurlitzer" by Daniel Brandt (NameBase NewsLine #17, April-June 1997)
http://www.namebase.org/news17.html

It is worth noting that George Herbert Walker Bush was Director CIA during this tumultuous period 1975-77.

James Ridgeway wrote an article at the end of 2005 that ties a lot of this together inasmuch as documenting what the failure to implement reform has resulted in.

"The Bush Family Coup" by James Ridgeway (Village Voice 12-27-2005)
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0601,mondo1,71442,6.html

So, DU, lets discuss some of this.