DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY SEEKS ACADEMIC LINKS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00985R000300130002-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 10, 2005
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: August 20, 1981
• Content Type: NSPR

THE-CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
defense intelligence Agency;seeks academic finks
African scholars shun offer,
rejecting "collaboration"
By Stephen Wcbbe
Staff correspondent of
The Christian Science Monitor
Washington
A government intelligence-gathering
agency, in a departure from its usual pas-
siuu for secrecy, is seeking to establish a
public link with an American university.
But its efforts to forge a connection have
created a storm of protest among some uni-
versity scholars, who fear they will be
tarred with the brush of "government col-
laborator," and that their ability to under-
take academic research will be
compromised.
The Defense Intelligence Agency is seek-
ing a connection with a university that has a
department specializing in the study of Afri-
can issues, politics, and people. The DIA
wants to send its intelligence analysts to one
of these African-siludies centers (there are
some 12 nationwide) to beef tip its knowl-
edge about the African continent. And, the
Monitor has learned, the agency is offering
half a million dollars to any institution that
will cooperate,
But African experts have been nearly
unauinious in their condemnation of the pro-
posal. They argue that any such tie could
jeopardize scholarly research on Africa. Af-
rican government leaders are already sus-
picious about clandestine intelligence-galb-
ering in their countries; these experts say. If
they see overt links between American edu-
cational institutions and spy agencies, they
tiny close their borders to US researchers.
At least, that is the fear of many scholars,-
who have flatly rejected DIA's overtures.
A Monitor survey of African studies cen-
ters at major universities across the coun-
F?-?' -rbn?- that r'.,,,,, ?i'nutd be willing to en
tertain links, formal or informal, with the
DiA.
is a
.ttspicinns one." says one of the nation's.
Ir adirtg specialists on Africa, who asked not
t" he identified Adds Rita Breen. the execu-
tive officer of llarvard's Committee on Afri-
an Studies: "Even the agency's overtures
mi;rht compromise scholars, there is so
r?nh suspicion of US intelligence
lagrnciesl
The Defense lntolligence Agency, sel: up
in 1S11I to unity Defense Department intelli-
gence efforts, would like to send a body of
analysts to a prestigious African studies
center to learn a variety of languages and
study certain key countries in depth.
It is prepared to pay' $500,000 for Nv,
III iv ilege in fiscal year 19112, according to
G5'alter I.onganccker, a special assistant for
education and training at the DIA, who is
attempting to inlcrest universities in coop-
erating with the agency.
A source within the African Studies f'ro-
icr,un at Indiana Itnilersity asserts that (he
agr'ncy Is particularly interested in acgoir-
ini! greater familiarity with three regions:
,anithern Africa. (lie ]loan of Africa, and oil-
rich Nigeria.
Among the languages it would reportedly
like' its anal' sls to learn are Anihark' the
otlicial language of Ethiopia, and Ilausa.
as Mich is spoken in northern Nigeria and
other