Tenet's The One (3/19/97)

Lake Drops Out (3/17/97)

Central Intelligence Agency

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Did Tenet Leak Agent's Name?

Senate panel reviewing allegations on whether new CIA nominee compromised agent in Guatemala

By Ralph Begleiter/CNN

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, March 20) -- The Senate Intelligence Committee is reviewing allegations that George Tenet, President Bill Clinton's latest nominee to be CIA director, may have played a role in disclosing the name of a CIA agent in Guatemala who was involved in human rights abuses, including the deaths of an American innkeeper and the husband of an American lawyer.

A spokesman for Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Shelby tells CNN the committee is "reviewing the allegations" as part of its review of Tenet's nomination.

It was Shelby's committee which sharply questioned Clinton's last nominee, Anthony Lake, about activities of his National Security Council staff. Tenet was part of Lake's staff at the time of the alleged disclosure of the secret CIA information.

The Central Intelligence Agency flatly denies that Tenet, who is currently the agency's acting director, ever divulged or confirmed the identity of a CIA agent in Guatemala.

But the CIA refuses to comment on whether it is conducting any further investigation into the allegations.

In Helsinki, White House spokesman Mike McCurry repeated Tenet's denial, which first came in a letter from Tenet to CBS News last November. In that letter, Tenet told CBS he "would never confirm the identity of a CIA asset to an unauthorized person, and to suggest otherwise is irresponsible."

Lake withdrew from consideration after conservative Republicans questioned Lake's knowledge of what his own NSC staff was doing.

Shelby's spokesman tells CNN that Shelby is "aware of the controversy" surrounding the alleged disclosure of secret CIA information. Shelby met with Tenet on Capitol Hill this week on the eve of Tenet's nomination, but Shelby's spokesman declined to disclose whether the two men discussed the allegations.

Also involved in the allegations is another Lake associate, Nancy Soderberg, who was the number three person at the National Security Council. Soderberg's name also comes up in connection with other recent allegations about attempts by China and by the Democratic National Committee to influence U.S. foreign policy.

Clinton is expected to appoint Soderberg to a senior position at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. She, too, would be subject to confirmation by the Senate.