Henry Kissinger Misled Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr , Cabinet, and Reporters on CIA's Chilean Covert Operations, NSA Documents Reveal
Newly declassified documents from the National Security Archive reveal that Henry Kissinger, then National Security Advisor, deliberately misled President Gerald Ford, his Cabinet, and journalists regarding the CIA’s covert operations in Chile. These revelations shed light on the extent of deception and misinformation surrounding the U.S. government’s attempts to undermine the elected government of Salvador Allende.
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| Ford and Kissinger conversing, on grounds of White House, 16 Aug 1974 |
Fifty years ago, as the New York Times prepared to publish its groundbreaking exposé on September 8, 1974, Henry Kissinger assured President Ford that there was no significant fallout from the story and denied any CIA involvement in a coup attempt. According to newly released records, Kissinger briefed Ford in the Oval Office, dismissing concerns by stating, “I don’t see why we have to sit around and let a country go Communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people.”
This reassured stance contrasted sharply with the details exposed by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, whose article revealed a secret $8 million CIA campaign aimed at destabilizing Allende’s government. Hersh’s September 8 article, “C.I.A. Chief Tells House Of $8 Million Campaign Against Allende in ‘70-’73,” ignited a firestorm that led to the formation of a special Senate committee under Senator Frank Church to investigate CIA covert actions.
In the wake of Hersh’s revelations, President Ford was compelled to publicly address the scandal. During a press conference on September 16, 1974, Ford became the first sitting president to acknowledge and defend CIA operations in Chile. He characterized the operations as efforts to protect Chilean democratic institutions, although his White House lawyer later advised that Ford’s statements were inconsistent with the full scope of facts.
Kissinger’s misleading assurances and the ensuing scandal had significant political repercussions. The Senate and House investigations unveiled not only the CIA’s efforts in Chile but also assassination plots against foreign leaders. These revelations led to legislative changes aimed at enhancing oversight of the CIA and limiting the scope of presidential deniability regarding covert actions.
The Times article and Hersh’s subsequent reports, as Kissinger admitted later in his memoirs, had a profound impact, likening their effect to “a burning match in a gasoline depot.” The article prompted urgent reactions from both the White House and the CIA, including the need to reassure and manage the fallout among its Chilean assets.
The leak that fueled the scandal originated from a summary of secret testimony by CIA director William Colby and agency official David Atlee Phillips. This summary, prepared by Congressman Michael J. Harrington, revealed that between 1962 and 1973, the CIA had authorized $11 million in covert operations in Chile, including $8 million aimed at destabilizing Allende’s government. The summary’s disclosure was a catalyst for Hersh’s exposé.
Despite the historical significance of these documents, key records, including Colby’s original testimony and the Church Committee’s comprehensive investigative archives, remain classified. Last year, the Chilean government requested that the Biden administration declassify these records in the spirit of “declassification diplomacy” for the 50th anniversary of the Chilean coup. However, the CIA has been uncooperative in releasing these documents.
Peter Kornbluh, director of the Archive’s Chile Documentation Project, emphasized the importance of transparency: “For the sake of historical accountability, it is imperative that the CIA declassify Colby’s testimony on Chile, as well as other relevant documentation.” As the 50th anniversary of the Church Committee’s formation approaches in January 2025, Kornbluh and the Archive call on Senate leaders to push for the release of these crucial records.
“A half century of secrecy surrounding these records,” Kornbluh asserted, “must come to an end.”
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