The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 12, 1979, Page Page 4, Image 4
FBI di
I~> _ l t i .. _
Dutance ueiweex
right to know,
privacy
precarious
By Mark Platte
Qanwcock Staff Writer
One of the biggest concerns o
the FBI recently has been th<
Freedom of Information, FOI, an<
Privacy Acts, according t<
William H. Webster, director of th<
FBI.
Webster spoke before a Law Daj
Banquet crowd of about 500 people
Friday in Carolina Coliseum.
"People have their right tc
privacy, but it is our duty to in
vestigate crimes and appearance*
of wrongdoing and to keep ar
accurate record of what ha*
happened," Webster said. "Th<
problem is keeping a balance
betwen the two."
'Our principal cc
freedom of informati
the protection of our
identity. The traditio
and all law er
WEBSTER SAID the FBI ha:
received over 68,000 requests foi
FOl reports since 1973, mostl]
from convicted felons. Webstei
explained the felons request thes<
reports to identify informants, whi
have been responsible for thei
incarceration.
"Our principle concern wit!
freedom of information has beer
the protection of our informant's
ST<
SG
- ;iv 1' ,} . "v* ' +** % f. < '
rectordisi
i hhhhbhh
f FBI Director William H. W?
3 the guest speaker at the La'
1 coliseum. Seated next to Wet
- identity,"Webster said. "The
tradition of the FBI and all law
1 enforcement agencies has been the
; assurance and confidentiality of
those supplying information
) IpaHinO tr? flffpptiuo nrncopntmn in
- vv V*?VVVi ? V/ pi VAJWU tiv/ll 111
aid of a good system of law en5
forcement."
1 The authority to protect in>
formants' identity is provided for
; in the Privacy Act although inJ
formants are in danger because of
the FOI, according to Webster.
ncern with agencies
on has been assurance
. . those su
informant s ,ead|V)g
n 4 a CO!
MI me roi m aia 0f a
iforcement enforcemei
5 Comparing the rights of people
r in Abraham Lincoln's time to the
f present, Webster said it is "inr
conceivable" that the way people
e were treated then can be the same
^ as they are treated today." At the
r time of Lincoln's assassination,"
Webster said, "more than 20,000
people were arrested and the
i criminals were put in manacles
I anH lpd irnnc TVio nolle mni<a oKnn<
> M??V? iVg) M VllU. A11V WHO V/ auuui
; 7 feet by 3 feet."
VOTE
CARL
7 VICE-PRESIDEr
? Studeni
JUUBLIUI
? BA AAaj
? Athletic
m
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cusses F<
#wl r^r mW
*jl |I; ^||
>
abster (second from left) was
in Day Banquet Friday at the
>ster is Sen. Strom Thurmond,
"NO INSTITUTION, no
organization, no public administrator
can claim the right to
be exempt from the needs of the
people. We have to demonstrate to
you that we are not only efficient,
but that there is an FBI that is
responsibe to the rights of all,"
Webster said. "We want to be
proud of you; we want you to be
proud of us. After all, it's your
FBI."
Webster said the American
has been the
and confidentiality of
pplying information
effective prosecution
good system of law
nt.'
public can be proud of the FBI
because of the accomplishments
made in the past year.
"In the year that I have been the
FBI director, every skyjacking has
been successfully resolved and
every act of terrorism has been
successfully resolved without the
loss of a human life," Webster
said.
*1
sjT
\ Senator
I Committee
or-Finance I
c Committee
tudent
turp
31, privac
R.-S.C. In front of the micropl
B. Holderman.
"IN THE FAST year we've had
three significant convictions with
foreien encounter intelligence:
conviction work in Alexandria
involving espionage work on the
behalf of North Vietnam; the
Think Positive A
Vo
Julian Ei
Ppbh
For a more
Student Gc
"WORKING TOG
MAKES T
Candidt
Student Bod^
i
^ 1 |
HE
:y acts
'^Km
Brill Andrew ? QAMECOCK
hone is (JSC President James
conviction of two Soviet espionage
agents within our borders; and the
conviction of a former CIA agent
who stole an important secret for
the Soviets," Webster said.
^bout Carolina!
te
mtraon
Hunt
responsive
>vernment
ETHER
HE DIFFERENCE"
ate for j
/ President
OTgRHHM
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a