NATE DI COLA S REQUEST FOR INTERVIEW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83M00914R002000240003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 12, 2006
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: July 6, 1981
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2006/07/12 : CIA-RDP83M00914R002000240003-5
:-UI.. ~cR
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
FROM
POLITICAL ANALYSIS
D/OPAm $l - 7J
Director, National Foreign Assessment Center
SUBJECT I (Request for Interview
L
10- yz:~Rl
Approved For Release 2006/07/12 : CIA-RDP83M00914ROO2000240003-5
 Approved For Release 2006/07/12 : CIA-RDP83M00914R002000240003-5
ADMINISTP. TTVF - TNTFRNAI IISF ONLY
NATIONAL FOREIGN ASSESSMENT CENTER
6 JUL fl,qg@
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Request for Interview
1 Jaccount of the events involved in the issue at hand is STAT
highly , therefore, misleading.
2. The decision th Ishould return to FBIS reflects the STAT
judgment of the Office o Political nalysis that he had not demonstrated
either the skills required of a political analyst or the promise that he could
develop such skills. The timing of his return (three months short of the
agreed rotational tour) resulted from his decision to ignore established
Agency procedures and to levy a charge of "suppressing intelligence"--one of
the most severe charges that can be made against an intelligence organiza-
tion--to a staff member of the SSCI instead of expressing his concerns to a
responsible official of the Agency.
hortcomings as an analyst caused the problems and de- STAT
lays associ ing to get his analysis out. His initial products,
dealing with narrow and factual topics, were acceptable as a first effort.
But when he took on the more complex problem of the M-19 it became obvious
that his writing, organization,' and use of information simply were not up to
even the minimum standards required for publication. As a resul STAT
I Jeputy division chief, in addition to his branch chief, began working STAT
irec y with him on his analytical and writing problems. The final product.
of this effort was published on 15 May.
I I action in going outside the Agency and charging a sup- STAT
pression o intelligence--a fact that he does not mention in his memorandum of
15 June--came to my attention on 30 April. At that time I was informed that
Mr. Angelo Codevilla, a staff member of the SSCI, had told an OLC officer
about an unnamed OPA analyst who claimed that the Agency was suppressing in-
tellig Colombian M-19 group's ties with Cuba. We then determined
that M was the employee who had talked to Mr. Codevilla, who is a STAT
neighbor.
5. On 4 May, the Director and Deputy Director of OP
three supervisors in OPA's LA Division, and Mr. Di Cola met s
ADMINISTRATTVF - TNTFRNAI IISF, ONLY
 Approved For Release 2006/07/12 CIA-RDP83M00914R002000240003-5
ADMINISTPATTVF - AL USE ONLY
I
Request for Interview
matter. In view of the gravityl charge, OPA asked for an IG
investigation. The bottom line conc usion o e IG report was that there was
no willful suppression of intelligence relating to the Cuban M-19 connec-
tion.
6. Following the IG report NFAC determined that the mutual mistrust
that had been engendered both poor judgment in making his STAT
charge to Mr. Codevilla without having informed any senior Agency personnel of
his concern and by his continuing conviction that the problem was one of sub-
stantive bias made completion of his rotational assignment as an OPA analyst
untenable for all the parties concerned. Thus, on 15 Ju re- STAT
turned to FBIS.
.,L 1Sg.: Nih
John McMahon
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ADMINISTR TIVE - L TN-USE ONLY
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee
1 - DDCI
&~2- D/DCI-DDCI/ES
1 - D/NFAC
1 - DD/NFAC
1 - D OPA
NFAC/D/OPA4 pb/6051(2July81)
ADMINISTRATIVE - INTERNAL USE ONLY