Inside Report (4)

The atmosphere around US spy headquarters is getting chillier these days, at least for snoopy reporters. The CIA is closing its Office of Public Affairs and eliminating the background briefings that journalists have come to expect. Congress, too, is apt to see fewer CIA "spooks" from across the Potomac, agency director William Casey reported in a recent internal newsletter.

Casey feels the bad old days when the CIA came under journalists and congressional fire for misconduct "are behind us."

"The time has come for CIA to return to its more traditional low public profile and a leaner -- but no less effective -- presence on Capitol Hill," Case y says.m