STRENGTHENING INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100140080-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 80
• Publication Date: February 25, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/25: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100140080-7
. "; , 1111: WASHINGTON POST
WET 1C A21-
C': f 25 February 1981
TTIRS TO THE EDIT
Strengthening Intelligence Operations
Morton Halperin's article "How Rea- new intelligence coordinating position in
gan Can Improve the Intelligence Prod- the White House. This is pretty much
uct" (op-ed, Feb. 5) calls for comment. , what the NSC staff already does. But if
According to Mr. Halperin, permitting he means an intelligence czar to rule
intelligence agencies to spy on Amer- over the community, it has been often
ions would divert them from the real considered and always rejected. Such a
threat, the KGB. Has he never heard of czar would be a head without a body,
Rosenberg, Greenglass, Martin, Mitchell, having no resources of his own.
Dunlap, Lee, Boyce, Kampiles, Barnett, Mr. Halperin thinks that special em-
to name only a few? phasic should be given to scholarship
Mr. Halperin urges the complete separa- and analytical capabilities. Indeed the
tion of the clandestine intelligence collec- intelligence community has long bene
lion function from the rest of CIA, which fited from the work of outstanding
become solely an analysis agency. In scholars. But even the best scholars can't
fact, during the early days of the CIA, there suck facts out of their thumbs, and with-
was, for all practical purposes, just such out the red meat of fresh and reliable
separation, and it didn't work. factual reports, the analysts don't have
Mr. Halperin tells us there should be a much to chew on.
To be sure, we need" both good
scholars and good spies. But spies are a
lot harder to come by than the scholars,
especially in these days when we can't
give them adequate security protection.
And if Mr. Halperin wants to strengthen
our intelligence effort, let him step forth.
and support those legislative measures,.
which he has heretofore been so active in -
opposing, designed to protect intelli-
gence sources, methods and identities.
JOHNM_MAURY,
-Presiden
A. odatlonof?ormsrInteWgenceOfticer,.
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/05/25: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100140080-7