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The '''Intelligence Identities Protection Act''' of 1982 (PL97-200, 50 United States Code  Secs. 421&ndash;426) is a [[United States]] [[law]] which makes it a federal crime to knowingly reveal the identity of a covert [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agent. It was written after the 1975 assassination of CIA Athens Station Chief [[Richard Welch]] by the [[Greece|Greek]] [[terrorist]] group [[Revolutionary Organization 17 November]]. He was outed by a magazine called ''[[CounterSpy]]'' edited by [[Timothy Butz]].<ref>''[[Washington Post]]'', [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/137503422.html?did=137503422&FMT=ABS&FMTS=AI&date=Dec+29,+1975&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post++(1974-Current+file)&desc=Richard+S.+Welch Obituary: Richard S. Welch], 29 December 1975, A16. ISBN 01908286 </ref> A local paper checked with ''CounterSpy'' confirmed his identity.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1994_cr/s940715-halperin.htm Morton H. Halperin and National Security Issues—A Partial Record], Congressional Record, United States Senate - July 15, 1994, pg. S9109.</ref>

The '''Intelligence Identities Protection Act''' of 1982 (PL97-200, 50 United States Code  Secs. 421&ndash;426) is a [[United States]] [[law]] which makes it a federal crime to knowingly reveal the identity of a covert [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agent. It was written after the 1975 assassination of CIA Athens Station Chief [[Richard Welch]] by the [[Greece|Greek]] [[terrorist]] group [[Revolutionary Organization 17 November]]. He was outed by a magazine called ''[[CounterSpy]]'' edited by [[Timothy Butz]].<ref>''[[Washington Post]]'', [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/137503422.html?did=137503422&FMT=ABS&FMTS=AI&date=Dec+29,+1975&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post++(1974-Current+file)&desc=Richard+S.+Welch Obituary: Richard S. Welch], 29 December 1975, A16. ISBN 01908286</ref> A local paper checked with ''CounterSpy'' confirmed his identity.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1994_cr/s940715-halperin.htm Morton H. Halperin and National Security Issues—A Partial Record], Congressional Record, United States Senate - July 15, 1994, pg. S9109.</ref>

The activities of ex-CIA agent [[Philip Agee]] during the 1960s and 1970s may have also led impetus to the Acts passage as some commentators have noted the law was very specifically targeted at his actions.  Congressman [[Bill Young]] said during a debate in the House of Representatives, "What we're after today are the Philip Agees of the world."<ref>[http://www.reason.com/links/links071405.shtml Agee's Revenge], It's past time to kill the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, Jesse Walker, ''Reason'', July 14, 2005.</ref>

The activities of ex-CIA agent [[Philip Agee]] during the 1960s and 1970s may have also led impetus to the Acts passage as some commentators have noted the law was very specifically targeted at his actions.  Congressman [[Bill Young]] said during a debate in the House of Representatives, "What we're after today are the Philip Agees of the world."<ref>[http://www.reason.com/links/links071405.shtml Agee's Revenge], It's past time to kill the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, Jesse Walker, ''Reason'', July 14, 2005.</ref>

:"To the surprise of few, CIA defector Philip Agee was named as a recipient of [[KGB]] pay for almost 20 years. Florintino Aspillaga Lombard, formerly a major in [[Cuba]] 's Direccion General de Inteligencia (DGI) before defecting to the US, said payments to Agee for anti-CIA writing and lecturing could exceed $1 million.  

:"To the surprise of few, CIA defector Philip Agee was named as a recipient of [[KGB]] pay for almost 20 years. Florintino Aspillaga Lombard, formerly a major in [[Cuba]] 's Direccion General de Inteligencia (DGI) before defecting to the US, said payments to Agee for anti-CIA writing and lecturing could exceed $1 million.  

:Agee...left the agency in 1968 and began exposing CIA officers and operations through lectures, magazines and books.<ref>"To The Surprise Of A Few....," Security Intelligence (24 August 1992), 5. </ref>

:Agee...left the agency in 1968 and began exposing CIA officers and operations through lectures, magazines and books.<ref>"To The Surprise Of A Few....," Security Intelligence (24 August 1992), 5.</ref>

Referring to ''Counterspy'', a ''[[Washington Post]]'' editorial asked, "What other result than the killing [of Richard Welch] did Mr. [Timothy] Butz and his colleagues at ''Counterspy'' expect when they fingered Mr. Welch?"<ref>[http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/137503422.html?did=137503422&FMT=ABS&FMTS=AI&date=Dec+29,+1975&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post++(1974-Current+file)&desc=Richard+S.+Welch Obituary: Richard S. Welch], ''[[Washington Post]]'', 29 December 1975, A16. ISBN 01908286 </ref>

Referring to ''Counterspy'', a ''[[Washington Post]]'' editorial asked, "What other result than the killing [of Richard Welch] did Mr. [Timothy] Butz and his colleagues at ''Counterspy'' expect when they fingered Mr. Welch?"<ref>[http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/137503422.html?did=137503422&FMT=ABS&FMTS=AI&date=Dec+29,+1975&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post++(1974-Current+file)&desc=Richard+S.+Welch Obituary: Richard S. Welch], ''[[Washington Post]]'', 29 December 1975, A16. ISBN 01908286</ref>

The Intelligence Identities Protection Act was passed soon thereafter. U.S. Senator [[John Chafee]], a ranking member of the Select Committee on Intelligence pointed out in the Congressional Record:  

The Intelligence Identities Protection Act was passed soon thereafter. U.S. Senator [[John Chafee]], a ranking member of the Select Committee on Intelligence pointed out in the Congressional Record:  

:"At the time of the Welch assassination, ''Counterspy'' magazine claimed they had leaked the names of 225 alleged CIA agents. Now, five years later, Louis Wolf of ''Covert Action Information Bulletin'' can boast that he has helped to disclose the names of more than 2,000 American intelligence officers stationed around the world.<ref>For The Record, ''Washington Post'', 27 July 1980. [http://www.mediaresearch.org/BozellColumns/newscolumn/2005/col20051101.asp]</ref>

:"At the time of the Welch assassination, ''Counterspy'' magazine claimed they had leaked the names of 225 alleged CIA agents. Now, five years later, Louis Wolf of ''Covert Action Information Bulletin'' can boast that he has helped to disclose the names of more than 2,000 American intelligence officers stationed around the world.<ref>[http://www.mediaresearch.org/BozellColumns/newscolumn/2005/col20051101.asp For The Record, ''Washington Post'', 27 July 1980]</ref>

Agee wrote in the ''CovertAction Quarterly'', the successor to ''CovertAction Information Bulletin'', in 1998:

Agee wrote in the ''CovertAction Quarterly'', the successor to ''CovertAction Information Bulletin'', in 1998: