INMAN LOSS SEEN AS PERIL TO CONGRESS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000403850049-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2010
• Sequence Number: 49
• Publication Date: April 24, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403850049-0
ARTICLE APPEA
UST FAG_
TIE W YORK TIDES
21 APRIL 1932
n ..ors Seen .as Peril t
y PHILIP TAUBMAN
WASB NGFON, April 23 - A conser-
vative ReZx:bl can member of the Sen-
ate Select C?^mmittee on Intelligence
said-today. that the ability of Congress
to act as a cheek on the activities. of in-
telligence agencies had been imperiled
by the resignation of. Adm. .Bobby R.
Inman as Deputy Director of Central
Intelligence.
Senator Richard G. Lugarof Lridia na.
who supports the Reagan.Admiristra-
tion's drive to strengthen. intelligence
agencies a=a emend their epera'iors,_
.asserted that-William J. Casey, the Di,
.rector of Central Intelligence, did not
know enoughabout the field to deal with
Congressional overseeing committees..
He urged President Reagan to appoint a
professional intelligence officer to sue
teed Admiral Inman. = 11= % .
"There needs-to bea person who has
the confidence of Congress and knowl-
edge of. what's going on,'?.. Senator
Lugar said. "We.voted for Casey and
:Inman as a package _ Casey because
he has access to the President. Inman
because he knows what's going on.
We've . trusted- his,_ comprehensive
knowledge." .w f .
Mr. Lugar's comments-added to the
controversy that has .ded the
resignation of Admiral Inman, the first
senior national security official in the
Reagan Administration to resign for
reasons related at least partly to policy
disagreements.
Lugar`SendnguSignal' .?:' ",
?' When the White House announced
Wednesday that .the admiral was re`
signing, it said that be had intended to
leave Government--service for some
time to enter private business. Associ-
ates of the admiral said he was resign-
ing because of-a series of clashes with
the White Howe and mounting frustra-
tion with. the direction of the Reagan
' Administration's intelligence and for-
-
eign policies=-:---
Senator Lugar, who called reporters
to his office and pointedly told them he
was "sending. a signal": to the White
House, said the responsibility of Con-
gress to oversee the policies and activi-
ties of intelligence agencies depended
-.. on open access to i formati
on and trust
in the officials who provided the infor-
y
y
e
maticnr. American who has made some pretty
-"We've.Iooked to Admiral. Inman,"
departure and the future course of intel-
ligence policy is widespread on the Sen-
ate committee. Other members have
echoed Mr. Lugar's worries in private
Jr.;_ Democrat of Delaware, said this
When President Reagan -took office
cluding the chairman, Barry Goldwa-
ter, Republican of Arizona, urged him
'to appoint Admiral Inman as Director
of Central Intelligence. The Senators
said they were Impressed- by the way
Admiral Inman had managed the-Na-
and had confidence in the information
. Mr. Casey, who had' been Mr. Rea-
strained relationship with the commit-
tee since he took office. Last year, after
financial dealings, several Senators
called forhisresignation:
LugarServed Witb Inman in Navy
a
.?+Senator Lugar sid today that he had
ral Inman dating to the late 1950's
when they served together in the Navy
as'junlor intelligence officers. He said
his concerns about the resignation,
however, were not generated by the
friendship..s....
"His departure is not simply a case of
someone - resigning," Senator Lugar
said. "It is a watershed event."
Congress to check on intelligence agen-
cies was at. stake because Mr. Casey
Senate oversight corrimitfees Informed 1
Asked -if he feared a resumption of
abuses by intelligence agencies in Ad-'
miral Inman's absence, the Senator re-
plied, "It's a lot tougher to step In when
you don't know who to call to get to the
bottom of something."
y
He added;"Bill Case
is a'ver
abl
good decisions, but -there are complex-
ities that world take more years to un-
derstandthan Caseywill bealive." _-' .
Kathy Pherson,'a-spokesman'at the
C.IA, said Mr. Casey would make no
commenton Senator Lugar's remarks.
Mr. Lugar said that Mr-'Casey, while
making an effort to become more ac-
cessible to the committee, was still not
responsive ercugh. The Senator: said
that members of the intelligence com-
mittee had not received notification of
Admiral Inman's resignation until the
day It was announced, even though the
admiral sent a letter of resignation to
-President Reagan in late March.
Senator'Lugar said he was also con-
cerned that to date, the committee had
not been' consulted about choosing a
new deputy director.."We have to be in
a little closer .touch," he said of rela-
tions with Mr. Casey.. .
He warned that there could be a re-
vival of the "underlying disquiet" that
the committee felt toward Mr.. Casey
last year when Mr. Casey's finances
were under investigation and relations
between the intelligence chief and the
intelligence committee reached a-low
Point
Officials at the White Haase said
today that it would be at least several
more days before Mr. Reagan picked a
successor to Admiral Inman. .The ap-
pointee would face - Senate confi rrna-
tion.. Mr. Lugar said today that if. the
committee did not approve the Admin-
istration's choice, it would not hesitate
to delay ordenyconfirmation.~
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403850049-0