AN AFIO STATEMENT ON REDUCTION OF PERSONNEL AT CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100140025-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 25
• Content Type: REPORT

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STAT
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Against the background of the spate of stories Tha center line of AF{O interest in this matter
circulating on the rationale fior and impact of the stems from its conviction that a viable human intal-
impending reduction in CIA's Directorate of Opera- ligence capability is the indispensable complement
Lions, ;ha AFIO President sought a meeting with a to other collection means. Thus, Ar-1O is gratified by
Senior Agency representative to elicit the basic the assurance from the senior official of the U.S.
facts. Admire{ Turner and John Slake (Acting intelligence community thatthe programmed reduc-
Depu~ f Director} received ms on 78 November. tion in the clandestine services does not portend any
The Admiral assured me that the reduction repre- de-emphasis of the role of human intelligence.
sented ~o change in philosophy as to the importance Policy statement is one thing; implamenta.tion is
of human intelligence in the overall scheme of quite another. AF10 accepts- at face value then
things, that its role was recognized to be as vital as evaluation of the leadership echelon of the C13A that '
ever. He explained that the reductions in the Opera- the reductions can be accomplished without de-
tions Directorate structure were concentrated leteriousaffectonc{andastine intei{igance collection
a~most exclusively in the headquarters element (onL}t~ capabilities, Ilona the less, two aspects of the
`
a:
- cis:are-soi;tae~liminated:with_th
o`~jective-.of' developing-~a}?moraw-streamlined.~re=
sponsiva-and professionally-=cha{langed~+staff:~He
further stated that the reduction was an Agency
initiative, not mandated by any external authority;
and that, in large measure, it conforms to a plan con-
ceived in the Operations Directorate itself prior to
the Admiral's appointment. The essential difference
is. that whereas the original plan was to reduce the
size of that Directorate by some 1300 positions over
six years {with minimum "people" impact), the
decision vvas to eliminate 820 professional and
semi-professional positions prior to the end of 9978,
tvi.h none planned after that date. Parenthetically,
the douviing of rate of reduction heightens the
"psopl3' impact. The Agency strength will not be
reduced correspondingly as substantial new require-
ments exist elsewhere in the organization.
The A:~mirai stated that the selection of the par-
sonnei is 5a terminated early next year was in accord
~; iith standing Agency regulations. On the other
;,and, he vas frank to admit that the notification
Y,-acedures left something to be desired.` a=mpioy-
ment t?r,^?ination dates would be adjusted, on a
Case-by-case basis and to the extent feasible, to
mitigate hardship. Overall, the Admiral was con-
vinced t^at the reduction could bs implemented
+.?tit`aut adverse impact on the Agency's clandestine
aparational intelligence and counter-intelligence
call=ctian capability.
Pc~ISCOPE is published quarterly by the
Association of wormer Intelligence Officers,
Sui;a 303A, 5723 V~Jhittier Ave., t`1tcl.ean, VA.
22i~9. ~i10n9 {70317?0-0320.
Editor: David Atlae Phillips
Assn.ant Editor: Pat Stringham
Asss'~nt Editor: Douglas I3laufarb
Ar;y material herein may be reproduced if
attr,~~uced to the Association of Former Inte/ligence
On`icers. PERISCOPE is distributed N~ide/y in Wash-
ing;an ~~iith copies delivered to the office of each
mem3er of Congress and key government officials.
reduction process will continua to command Ar{O s
attention. Both concern people who - m-ors so thary ~ , - _
in any other institution -are hal{marks ofi an intel-
ligence organization's competence, efficiency, and
esprit.
Tha first recognizes the monumanta{ problems of
managing a cut of such seventy in such a
compressed timerperiod while still ensuring high
operational capability and the "fundamentally .
hea{thy and patriotic attitude," #hat Admiral Turner
states to be a cinaracteristic of the Agency Today. The
designation of soma 25% of the individuals to ba.
eliminated from a single directorate has quite
obviously generated morale problems of consider-
abta magnitude. Al=lO joins the chorus of voices
which deplores the- curtness of the termination
notifications as well as the yvay those notifications
were communicated and r~commands these pro-
cedures be thoroughly raviayvsd. It is to be hoped
that the lessons learned >>vilt bs taken into account in
managing the much larger increment to be d~sig-
nated f orelimination in late 1378. Above ail, AEIO wil{
tivish to be assured that there is no substantial loss. in
the continuity of operational experience and ex-
pertise onwhich future performance depends.
Our other concern - no less important -~ has to da
tivith the welfare and future of the personnel being
eliminated. Civsn the rsduetians already sustained
by tie Operations Directorate over the past-four
years, and also given the very high quality cross-
section of that Directorate to begin witls, the par-
sonnsl involved are not "dead wood", To the
contrary, they represent -individually and coilac-
tively -impressive talent, much of it unique. Un'sass
personal preferences lie elsevyhers, they should all
be harnessed to key assignments, commensurate
with ability, in other segments of public or private
endeavors daa{ing with matters of national sacurity_
Nothing less would be equitable for the individual
concerned or in the bast interest of our nation. AFlO
undertakes to do everything in its power to assist in
this process. Several corporations have already ap-
proached us indicating interest in resumes of per-
sonnel being terminated. If the members of AElO link
arms in this effort, there is much?wa can do to place- _
these worthy individuals in n8w fields of work.
Approved For Release 2007/06/20 :CIA-RDP99-004988000100140025-2