Gang of Eight

The Gang of Eight (dt. Gang of eight ) is a slang term for the eight members of the US Congress that the US President on CIA activities and covert operations can be taught when a notification of the entire intelligence committees of exceptional circumstances, the concern vital interests of the United States is not desired.

It consists of the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as the chairmen and deputy chairmen of the secret service committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The executive's duty to inform the secret service committees was initially regulated by the Hughes-Ryan Amendment of 1974, which required the two secret service committees to be informed. This was later superseded by the Intelligence Oversight Act of 1980 , which enables the President to restrict the information obligation in individual cases to the Gang of Eight .

Web links

Gang of Eight on About.com

Individual evidence

^ The Intelligence Oversight Act of 1980 , 94 Stat. 1981 (1980), codified at 50 USC § 413c. (C) (2) as amended .
^ Mark M. Lowenthal: Intelligence. From Secrets to Policy . 6th edition. CQ Press, Los Angeles et al. 2014, ISBN 978-1-4833-0778-7 , Chapter 10: Oversight and Accountability, pp. 298 .
^ Loch K. Johnson (Ed.): Strategic Intelligence. Volume 3: Covert Action - Behind the Veils of Secret Foreign Policy. Greenwood Publishing, 2006, ISBN 0-275-98942-9 , p. 160.

[1] The Intelligence Oversight Act of 1980 , 94 Stat. 1981 (1980), codified at 50 USC § 413c. (C) (2) as amended .

[2] Mark M. Lowenthal: Intelligence. From Secrets to Policy . 6th edition. CQ Press, Los Angeles et al. 2014, ISBN 978-1-4833-0778-7 , Chapter 10: Oversight and Accountability, pp. 298 .

[3] Loch K. Johnson (Ed.): Strategic Intelligence. Volume 3: Covert Action - Behind the Veils of Secret Foreign Policy. Greenwood Publishing, 2006, ISBN 0-275-98942-9 , p. 160.