CONVERSATION WITH DR. BREZINSKI, 18 OCTOBER 1978

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01554R003200210011-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 31, 2005
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: October 19, 1978
• Content Type: MFR

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19 OCT 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT;: Conversation with Dr. Brzezinski,
18 October 1978
3. I covered the NFIP budget and how well I thought we did.
Brzezinski acknowledged that.
25X1
4. I asked about the Mondale meeting. He said that Aaron was
present for it and he didn't have any feedback. I didn't have time to
check with Aaron, particularly since I have a meeting with the Vice President
scheduled.
5. I delivered the follow-up memo on CTB.
6. He said there was nothing he knew to the Newsweek report on
Egyptian/Israeli intelligence cooperation.
7.' I explained the 0 report situation.
25X1
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10.) I delivered a memo on recent security actions.
11. There was no new news on the prisoner exchanges.
13. Brzezinski suggested to me before I even raised it that we take
up the Dissue with the President at the conclusion of my next oral
briefing for him. I should have a good statement of the benefits to be
derived fro
14. I briefed him on the NIO for Warning.
15. 1 didn't get to any of the other items. I delivered a private
memo on a personnel issue. (Returned to DDA by EA/DCI.)
16. Brzezinski raised with me his impression that the usefulness of
the PDB had dropped some. He had no indication that the President felt
this way. He feels we are doing too much gisting of cables and not adding
enough additional information or insights to them. He expects something
a little more interpretive from us.
a. Beyond this, he expects something a little more
startling or secretive. He has the feeling too much is
virtually in the public domain. He mentioned, for instance,
what we are getting out of
b. He'd like to see more on the Soviet Union, its
plans and policies, as opposed to so much on Africa. He
commended today's item on the succession in the Soviet
Union.
c. In short, he thinks of the PDB as an opportunity
to stir the President to think about significant issues
more than to substitute for forwarding cables to him.
5X1
25X1
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d. He thought we should get someone like Sam
Huntington who was detached from the scene to review
some PDBs and give us some suggestions. Beyond that,
he suggests that Bob Bowie might want to bring Huntington
aboard as a consultant.
e. I took advantage of this opportunity to mention
.to him that on Tuesday I had tried to do a couple of
more medium term interpretive items in my oral briefing,
e.g., because I too had
felt a need to utilize these opportunities to stimulate
the President to think of particular forthcoming problems.
He said his reaction to those items in the oral briefing
was very good and thought we should do more of it. I
pointed out I could put some of those things in the PDB,
though the ones which were somewhat speculative and personal
opinions I would prefer to use in the oral briefings because
even with the limited distribution of the PDB somebody would
probably file an objection if I took too speculative an attack.
(Be sure this item reaches Bob Bowie, 25X1
f. Brzezinski pointed out the unexcelled opportunity
we have to be of value to the President here through this
medium of the PDB. His remarks were very constructive in
tone, not intended to be critical. He apparently has detected,
he thinks, a little shift in tenor in the PDB, plus I think he
sees the value to the President of outside stimulus from
different directions and we have that opportunity.
STANSFIELD TURNER
Director
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