Reading Room Document

War Powers Resolution: Detailing of Military Personnel to the CIA

This opinion revised a prior 1980 opinion that had concluded the War Powers Resolution would not apply to a situation in which military personnel were detailed to the CIA and deployed into hostilities otherwise covered by the Resolution. The 1983 opinion, written by Ted Olson, explained that the legislative history relied upon in the initial memo did not support such a conclusion, and instead only indicated that the use of civilian personnel in such a situation would not trigger the War Powers Resolution.

October 26, 1983