RABORN SMEARED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100100031-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: November 8, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

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Approved For Release ~l~~Q~~3 C~t1~~~~t4~j~
November 8, 1965
CPYRGHT
Raborn Smearer~
Columnist Joseph Kraft -has
made use of remarks that he ad-
mits "cannot be verified and verge
on gossip" to portray Vice Adm.
William Raborn, USN (Ret.), as ~,
incompetent to head the Central
Intelligence Agency.
"Adrn. Raborn is supposed to
mispronounce the names of foreign,
countries and personalities consist-
eritly", Kraft reports. "His recom-
mendations are said to bear little
relationship to the facts he pre- ,
Bents. On occasion, apparently, he '
has broached as if they were fresh
matters, subjects exhaustively dis?
.cussed only flue minutes earlier."
We are concerned about ,this. \~
journalistic smear. We know Adm.
Raborn as a man of tremendous
abilities. He bossed the Polaris ~.
missile program and earned na- '
tionwide admiration for its great,~
success. Only a. man with extra-
ordinary energy and intelligence ,
could have provided such a com-
plex weapons system in short or-
der.. ~ .
Rebuttal of rilr. Kraft is in order`
for Adm. Raborn cannot defend
himself against smears. The CIA
has a policy of official silence.
' In a way, 'we are not surprised
that Adm. Raborn has been''
smeared. ~ Every director of the
CIA, which conducts the most sen-
sitive intelligence missions, has
been the ,target of abuse. Portu-~;
nately, the Congress and four Pres-~
idents in office .since the agency
was established have supported'.'
loyal servants of th? United Staten
who have held th??po'sition og d6~~
rector. ?f the CIA.'
ti,~~... .
Approved For Release 2000~08~03 :.CIA-RDP75-000018000100100031-2
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