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....... -,;,. - Approved For Release 2008/11/06 : CIA-RDP04M01816R000502010009-4 of a clear interpretation of the Constitution and the criminal law that stands from this time forward as a barrier against such activity, whether by rogue individual officials or by the creation of an illegal policy, avoids the high risk of failure at trial but assures that the criminal law can justly be brought to bear on any further conduct of this sort. III. THE DEPARTMENT BELIEVES THAT CONDUCT SIMILAR TO THE EAST COAST PROJECT TODAY WOULD BE CLEARLY ILLEGAL This report has dealt so far with the problems in . bringing and winning a prosecution for the CIA's mail inter- - ception program. The attention to the difficulties in the case should not obscure the most important of the Department's conclusions -- that any program similar to the East Coast Project, if carried out today or in the future, would violate the law. The Department therefore would not hesitate to prosecute any persons, whatever their office, who may become involved in such a program. The East Coast Project arguably was authorized by Presidents and their delegates during a time when the Fourth Amendment was understood to be less rigorous in its require- ments. Such a program conducted today could not meet the requirement of authorization. A roved For Release 2008/11/06: CIA-RDP04M01816R000502010009-4