LETTER TO BARRY M. GOLDWATER FROM ANNE ARMSTRONG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00364R000300330009-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 16, 2007
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: April 27, 1983
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP85M00364R000300330009-7
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WASHINGTON
PRESIDENT'S FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY BOARD
April 27, 1983
Exec `.,e '
83-2323
Dear Barry:
You could not have been more gracious nor given us the benefit of
wiser judgment than you did when Leo Cherne and I visited you this
afternoon. The occasion, in fact, was so warm that we were reluctant to
leave and may have already imposed on your time.
We are especially happy.that we had this opportunity to talk to you
today because we had just learned a few hours earlier that a number of the
able members of your Committee appear to be pressing for some diminution
of the economic intelligence analysis which is being conducted at Langley.
As best we can tell, it is the judgment of these Senators that some of the
analytic work can and should be undertaken by other Cabinet agencies,
particularly the Commerce and Treasury Departments.
Even though you agreed with us completely, we wonder whether it
might not be of use to your Committee for us to state in summary form
why this conception creates great anxiety among us at PFIAB. We have
been pressing the various agencies including CIA, Treasury, Commerce and
the NSC staff to rapidly improve the economic intelligence which is.now
of such critical urgency in connection with the still unresolved crisis
of the LDC debts. Not surprisingly, the Treasury experts concentrate on
the financial aspects of this massive problem. Similarly, Commerce has
done an excellent job of elaborating on the export and import consequences
which flow from these unpaid debts. The CIA works closely with Treasury,
Commerce and others but it remains the only agency capable of integrating
all the consequences. In addition, of course, the CIA has the enormous
advantage of instant access to the specialized sources of intelligence
which are not as accessible to the other agencies.
Since last fall, PFIAB has been concerned with the possibility of
political and social convulsions among one or more of the debtor nations,
and this aspect of economic intelligence receives continuous attention by
CIA analysts and is almost totally lacking in the analytic focus--,of the
other agencies of the government which have totally different perspectives.
I am using the illustration of the LDC debts to underline the points
we made to you. But that is only one aspect of the economic intelligence
with which the agency is concerned. We know of the extensive list of
studies in this field which have been scheduled at Langley for the balance
of this year. There is simply no way of hastening the completion of those
?tudies much as their results would be urgently needed were they now complete.
We would deplore any action which would disrupt this process at precisely
1i n
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the time that massive efforts are underway to assure that we will suffer
as few surprises as possible and be given the maximum warning time of
any misadvantures which may yet occur.
Again, in closing, our admiration and appreciation for your understanding
and support.
11
With warmest regards,
Anne Armstrong
Chairman
The Honorable Barry M. Goldwater
United States Senate
Washington, D. C. 20510
P.S. I want a rain check for that date in a dark closet.
Blind copy: DCI Casey
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