CIA BEGINS A PURGE OF 'SPY' DIVISION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120064-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 64
• Publication Date: November 12, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/08/20: CIA-RDP99-00498R000100120064-1
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THE WASHINGTON POST
12 November 1977
~~ )Eiu st 198 Get Dismiss'al'Notice?.I
yltegic Services, wnicn was zormeo in r, .r wu .. -?
:II under Gen. William '?S ;ters in? McLean. Although the first 3
World War ':11
and was the predecessor of STANS:IELATUItNt:I; ?198 to be dismissed have been noti=
.the present CIA ;; F tap ranks to be affected lied, the next 700 have not. They ~?
ti .The clandestine service Is run by r r ' ` }. ; , ; are waiting for the shoe to drop. {
tithe agency's deputy director for oper ~r.? .:. Also, some disgruntled employeeF
."ations, William W. Wells. its principal. ; 4 ' The?cutbacks,' announced in letters. ?-, wonder whether economy and tech
'function s the collection of ? intelii to the 198 individuals affected and not nology ' are the only factors in:,
s~ =gence information. It consists of 4,000,.. formally rationalized, reportedly are f,: Turner's decision. They think the
CIA officers and 4,000 support per-' being made for reasons of "economy" >:-? former admiral may Intend to bring
,,'sonnet } ~. ? }i But there is also a belief within the r In more people of his own. ?`.i ? ?`
?
-: t u
(missed employees will be officials who of the aeenev's em>loyees.
wx
''`closed number of . station chiefs
r ;around 'the world. Many, of .the dis? rr z y~ x. .. that many of the people dismissed by .
' T rner came from the top 5 per cent
F ,.
fective on Dec. 31, 1979. :.. ... f
These terminations' will cut deeply that rates their efficiency and value,.
Into the top ranks of the clandestine a x ' They were to be chosen, employees.
division and will- include an undis- x -? a~~ were told, from the lowest 5 per cent.
?- of each grade. But one source said,
'
?'
" -service. -t_he operations section , . ., ~ fF4= ~ Sys ~} of information-papularly known - as
He has notified CIA employees that=
198 members of the clandestine serv? spies -has diminished.
? r.y~ !
, It is' these "spies" who cvould be
ice were given .notice on Nov. 1 that , personnel
5 ~?'~y kYZ y the target of the Turner
their 'jobs would be terminated on r ?t cuts-"human" collectors made ob$o
March 31 next year. He has also noti-i ? ? r ` ' ?
fled employees that on June 1 of next -
The clandestine employees .ed;.
;'-year jobs of an additional 700 claades ;lute by technology. .elu d
- ? ` ~ ' l tor termination were reportedly'
r:t
ine operators will be' terminated of-;Y,ak xN,` chosen on the basis of a point system';
'
insa.Yure.'-b
ST
AT
a
agency that technology is a !actor. In
ByRichard Harwood.? the CIA has relied in
"1 wncbm:coq Yost Staff writer' recent years,
creasingly on technical devices for ; Stan l Ild Tui ence Agency Direc? the collection of information. includ?'
tor iof Turner has begun a ma- ing satellites and electronic intercepts.
J6 purge 'of the agency's clandestine r" ' r ` it s The role of the "human" collectors
.1 f ~f y x