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STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT: Signing of the "Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001"

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                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                           December 27, 2000


                        STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Today I have signed into law H.R. 5630, the "Intelligence Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2001."  I am pleased that the Act no longer contains the
badly flawed provision that would have made a felony of unauthorized
disclosures of classified information, and that was the basis for my veto
of a previous version of this legislation.  I thank the Congress for
working with me to produce a bill that I can sign.

I appreciate the inclusion of section 308 concerning the applicability of
Federal laws implementing international treaties and other international
agreements to United States intelligence activities.  Section 308 applies
only to intelligence activities of the United States and addresses
particular concerns regarding the potential application of future United
States domestic laws implementing international agreements to otherwise
lawful and appropriately authorized intelligence activities.  This
provision does not in any way address the proper interpretation of
pre-existing implementing legislation or other United States statutes, nor
does it in any way address other United States Government activities.

Title VIII of the Act sets forth requirements governing the
declassification and disclosure of Japanese Imperial Army records, as
defined by the Act.  The executive branch has previously been declassifying
United States Government records related to Japanese war crimes under the
provisions of the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act, Public Law 105-246;
consequently, I understand that title VIII does not apply to records
undergoing declassification pursuant to the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act.

Finally, I acknowledge the efforts of the Congress to bring about a more
capable, secure, and effective Diplomatic Telecom-munications System.  I am
concerned, however, that the proposed changes for the Diplomatic
Telecommunications Service Program Office do not yet represent the best
methods for improving the management of this system.  As the executive
branch implements this legislation, I encourage the Congress to work with
the executive branch to consider alternatives for further improvements.



                              WILLIAM J. CLINTON


THE WHITE HOUSE,
    December 27, 2000.

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