CONVERSATIONS WITH MS. DIANE LAVOY, HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, ON SUBJECT OF CIA HISTORY AND PROGRESS IN THE INDICATIONS AND WARNING FIELD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R003200010056-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 7, 2004
• Sequence Number: 56
• Publication Date: February 8, 1978
• Content Type: MFR

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Approved For Release 2004/09124: CIA-RDP81 M0098
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Conversations with Ms. Diane LaVoy, House Select Committee on
Intelligence, on Subject of CIA History and Progress in the
Indications and Warning Field
1..'Yhrough contact with the Office of Legislative Counsel'and the
Congressional Support Staff I :was visited on 7 February 1978 from 1330
until _1600 by Ms. Diane LaVoy.of.the House Select Committee on Intelligence.
It became clear at the outset that I was but one of a number of Community
players in this field whom she was contacting. She had already talked to
the NMCC, several parties in DIA, my counterpart at NSA and several IC
Staffers at F Street. It was obvious also that I was dealing with an
experienced individual.: She told me that in addition to concentrating on
this area while on the House Staff, she was a member of the Senate Committee
staff concentrating on CIA covert action several years ago.
2. After the formalities and general chatter were dispensed with
Ms. LaVoy asked me about the history and origins of the CIA Operations Center.
This I gave her beginning with the 1973 Working Group Study leading to the
present, touching on the various organizational aspects and anomalies.
Following this historical discussion and its implications for indications
and warning and crisis management, she asked for an historical view on
how the Agency was organized in the specific field of indications and warning.
As best I could I described the DDI analytical contributions and the history
of the Watch Committee and its change to the Strategic Warning Staff. I
also related to her my efforts to focus the Agency more specifically and
urgently on the problem of crisis management and indications and warning.
I related how these efforts had been less than fruitful until George Bush
had been persuaded that something should be done and in turn had designated
first George Carver and later Cord Meyer to take a serious look as to how
CIA should relate to this problem. At this point she asked for documents
which could detail this development and I proceeded to show her a series
of papers developed by the Cord Meyer Group--of which I was a member--
prepared between October 1976 and January 1977. In answer to her question
as to the present state of our indications and warning efforts I related
that because of the various changes in Agency leadership and in the role of
the IC Staff future activity direction was awaiting the emergence of the
NITC, or some other element perhaps NFAC, so designated by the DCI or DDCI.
In summary I opined that the experiences of the past several years indicate
that CIA is now more seized with the issue than previously and intends to
pursue it on a broader and more vigorous basis. However, I pointed out
that there is still a need for national leadership quidance on this topic
so that Intelligence Community efforts can be pursued in harmony with those
of operational players in State and with the U.S. military.
Approved Fo
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