CASEY ACCUSES DURENBERGER OF COMPROMISING CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000706870042-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 19, 2011
• Sequence Number: 42
• Publication Date: November 15, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/12/19: CIA-RDP90-00965R000706870042-1
WASHINGTON POST
1-~ November 1985
Casey Accuses Durenberger
Of Compromising. CIA
By Patrick E. Tyler
and David B. Ottaway
Washington Post Staff Wnten
CIA Director William J. Casey
issued a public letter last night at-
tacking the chairman of the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence
for conducting intelligence over-
sight "off the cuff' in a manner that
has resulted in the "repeated com-
promise of sensitive intelligence
sources and methods."
The letter, addressed to Sen. Da-
vid F. Durenberger (R-Minn.), said,
"It is time to acknowledge that the
[oversight] process has gone seri-
ously awry" and accused Durenber-
ger of undercutting the morale of
CIA officers around the world.
"What are they to think when the
chairman of the Senate Select Com-
mittee offhandedly, publicly and in-
accurately disparages their work?"
Casey asked.
Casey's letter referred to a re-
port in yesterday's Washington
Post in which Durenberger was
quoted as charging that the CIA
lacked "a sense of directjen" and an
adequate knowledge o long-range
trends in the Soviet Won.
"I can only wonder" Casey said,
.at the contrast bet een what you
say to us privately a what you say
t9 the news media."
In response to Casey's letter, Du-
renberger said last night, "An issue
-Etas been created where none ex-
ists. I continue to fully support Di-
rector Casey and the intellilLngg
community, both privately and pub-
licly, and I'm confident that we can
continue working toward our long-
range goals, to achieve both effec-
tive congressional oversight and a
comprehensive national intelligence
Strategy."
- At a meeting with reporters
Wednesday, Durenberger both
praised and criticized Casey and the
CIA in extended remarks. Though
there was no discussion of the sen-
sitive sources and methods Casey
complained of, Casey has contended
that the "the Hill leaks everything"
about sensitive and covert intelli-
gence operations proposed or un-
derway.
Among Durenberger's chief crit-
icisms of the agency's leadership
was an allegation that CIA analysts
"aren't being told what it is we need
Ito know] about the Soviet Union."
He also criticized the agency's as-
sessment of the South African sit-
uation, saying there was a "vacuum"
of independent information and that
the agency was relying too heavily
on State Department views.
Durenberger claimed the intel-
ligence process prevented CIA an-
alysts from "look[ing] five years
down the road" or taking into ac-
count brewing problems such as
Shiite fundamentalism in the Middle
East and political deterioration in
the Philippines.
Casey called these criticisms of
the agency he has headed for five
years "tragically wrong."
"Your remarks betray a lack of
familiarity with the many intelli-
gence studies in the [committee's)
vault," Casey said.
The CIA chief added, "The intel-
ligence community has produced an
enormous number of long-range
studies over the last six years or
more and where we have been far
out in front."
Earlier in the day, Durenberger,
in a letter and a meeting with wire
service reporters, sought to clarify
his Wednesday remarks, which had
included an off-hand prediction that
support for Casey among senators
on the committee would divide 8 to
7 if put to a vote.
"I think Bill is as good a DCI [di-
rector of central intelligence] as
we've had in a long time, and that
forgives a whole lot of things by
saying that," Durenberger said to
reporters Wednesday, adding, ,It
"Public discussion
of sensitive
information ... is
always damaging."
-CIA Director William J. Casey
would be an 8-to-7 vote on the com-
mittee if I put it to a vote."
The committee consists of eight
Republicans and seven Democrats.
In Durenberger's clarifying letter
yesterday, he said, "Our committee
has no plans for such a vote nor, to
my knowledge, are we split on any
issue strictly along party lines."
Durenberger was incorrectly
quoted in The Washington Post
Wednesday as saying that he would
recommend "legislation" downgrad-
ing Casey's job. Durenberger actu-
ally said he would consider a "rec-
ommendation" that restricted
Casey to professional intelligence
work with no policy formulation
role.
"I did not state that the Intelli-
gence Committee is considering
recommending legislation which
would substantially downgrade the
CIA director's role. Our committee
is not considering such legislation,"
Durenberger said.
Casey, noting that Durenberger
had made attempts to clarify his
remarks during the day, said last
night, "That's not the point."
"Public discussion of sensitive
information and views revealed in a
closed session of an oversight com-
mittee is always damaging and in-
advisable," Casey said. "As we have
discussed many times, if the over-
sight process is to work at all, it
cannot do so on the front pages of
American newspapers. The cost in
compromise of sources, damaged
morale and the effect on our overall
capabilities is simply too high."
i"
Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/12/19: CIA-RDP90-00965R000706870042-1