TURNER WALKS NARROW LINE IN REMAKING CIA IMAGE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000300030033-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 15, 2007
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: October 9, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

; ,Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP99-00498R000300030033-3
9 2#G - 9 OCTOBER 1977
Langley, Va. . President Carter's
pledge to reorganize the Federal Gov-
ernment is getting: its toughest test be-
hind closed doors at the Central Intel
iigence Agency t:
Failure -td- provide. effective.-'saa.
guards against the excesses of the
past could lead to serious embarrass-
ments for Carter, or-.worse, a major
diplomatic confrontation.
But an overreaction in the direction
of reform could destroy agency
morale, cripple vital intelligence oper-
ations, and leave the nation vulnera-
ble to undetected Soviet military or
political advances
The man charged with treading this
narrow line,' Adm. Stansfield Turner,.
the new CIA director, talked about the
n
is the first of two articles on
y and how its new director is
I
solve thenzr
By JOHN J. FARMER
d JOSEPH R. DAUGHEN -
Of The Bulletin Staff
President and. subsequent "timely"-
notification to' eight committees of
Congress.
-"Competitive analysis" is being
stressed to insure that the Pesident
gets ."reasoned dissenting -views" on
intelligence questions, not merely the
CIA's consensus finding or recommen-
_this, Turner has
dation: To oversee
`.brought in a new man, professor Rob-.
`-ert R.,Bowieof Harv ard. -
than exercising restraint on the CIA,
?..has pressed it frequently to undertake
questionable missions -- assassination
attempts and political coups, such asp,
the toppling of the.Allende regime
-Chile..
Turner conceded that-this "was .
serious problem in the agency's past.'`--
.He spoke of-orders "often handled
through inforrnal~:channels - :... you
know, you could have a.telephone call
right out to here,, or something like
that, that would bypass the system."' The director refused to name those
But what if the presidential- order
were not illegal; ,but questionable
morally?
",.. If I felt it was. unethical or bee
' loin our standards of propriety, I'd go
debate-it with the-- resident," Turner
said.::`And ?aO that point, -"if the
Preident held his ground.. I'd have
to,sit back- and make up my mind ='::
That's the tough.-time.. But I'd have to
be prepared to resign in that event."
Throughout the interview, Turner
returned to the theme that safeguards
have been "institutionalized," that
knowledge of wrongdoing within the
CIA can no longer be confined to a few
overzealous operatives, that Congress
has acquired a larger oversiglitrole:. -
.`~ .You still have the backstop that
even if I didn't have the right guts,..
Turner insisted, "it still goes to eight'
(congressional) committees.. And the
Intelligence:: Oversight Board would
get word of it at this point. almost.
,'undoubtedly. "All these people would be in the act
and if I were right and the Presider C
was wrong,, he'd find a lot of. pressure'
ics have accused former Secretary of
on him," Turner said -
problem and his-seven months in off--,~ : State Henry Kissinger of unduly in-
;
cntics female
Outside: the agency
.
,
ice during a lengthy interview with.
fluencing agency estimates and activi=
keptical that the-CIA,,often described'
s
the Bulletin in his office here - ',ties during his years in Washington. "
as I'm doing ' ryma ":Turner insisted such transgressions can withstand White. House pressure'
age this place so~ that I know what's -are unlikely today. .
to undertake unwise, immoral or even
going on," he said, "It's big and that's "I think the procedure for approving illegal operations.
difficult and there's no formula I can activities: of the CIA have become .j Sen. Clifford P. Case (1144J).- a
give you that says-L'guarantee I know much more-institutionalized,".Turner., member of the 'Senate Intelligence.
everything sensitive that's;going on." said,. "which means there will be--a: I Committee preparing legislation that
At the same, time, he warned that number of people who will feel-a sense .l >charter>
any CIA directors or.empto es found` will give the CIA a new Y of responsibility to~get.up and sayaoa was hopeful but plainly pessimistte?'
withholding vital "information from sum. .somebody 's trying to make us do
a
who
I "It's my hope the ag' ncy. can b?
periors will be-fired was three have: something :we shouldn't,;.` You reon
)brought under proper' control" he
l office
to
'
e
t
o
Since
at
been, Turner said-he
, wron ,xack;Mr.Secretary of S
,.-' _ said said in an interview, but, well, how
March 9. - -, Mfr President, Mr. Whoever it is can you know
71
He outlined Lhese steps he said.have Would Turner seriously consider > In? the last analysis, the responsibili,
:repeat
t
i
r
'
a
ns
d aga
gua
been taken to
chalIengutg the President on such an 'ay falls on Turner- himself, as he con
of the illegal actiVrtttes',and-loose ad-.i ssue2
~Pded_
.u?~ .......... ....._ __ :. u, u.ca c. nom.., ....~......t, ._ o- _ - -
recent years :~?^a ' what he:was talking about : : I would going to depen.. )n the moral
-820 employes' of, the -covert and have to resign before I would do it," fortitude of the guy at that desk," he .
clandestine- branch of.. the, CIA - the. I Turner declared :;'commented, pointing across the room
"dirty trick" directorate - will be ,-At.another point in .the interview, to-his own desk:
discharged over the-~next 26 months: , Turner added,' Where's no question -"He's got to have the fortitude to,.-
All are employed in the United States that it somebody comes and tells me tell his superiors - wherever they are,
and were described by Turner- as part to go assassinate somebody, I'll resign no, and he's got to have the deter
of the "fat" in the agency, much of it beforee t-even contemplate it, because mination to tell his subordinates, don't
left over from Vietnam. Covert: opera- run around pretending you're going to
"there's. a'-presidential order out saying
lions, he said, are less important io- don't do it" and because of "my own do things, without my knowing it be-
`day compared to carehil "analytical conviction that it is not a useful tool cause you don't want me to know it,"
ork. for the country. ? : .. ": -~ Turner declared. for covert activity can be: under At least one frequent; critic of the
`taken,withour,vrntten-consent of the CIA John,Marks,.a former state de: ~QNT~(1t~iE )
who had misused the agency, but crit-
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 Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP99-00498R000300030033-3
partment intelligence officer, takes formation of single committees in the '- `. And within the intelligence commu.
some comfort from Turner's early Senate and House to which the CIA pity here some sources - even chase 211
moves. \ who applaud Turner's effort to tighten
must report.
"He's a law and order man," Marks His critics, however, see Turn er's control on covert operations. - ques-
commented. "I think Carter put him preoccupation with management safe, tion his determination to "go public."
in there with instructions that there be guards and a better public image for A casual, friendly man,.he has em-
no more scandals, no surprises the agency as likely to take some toll barked on:a program of public appear j
Turner's house-cleaning in the co- - of its intelligence gatheri ng capacity. - ances and speeches and meeting, with -
vert and clandestine sections, he said, One former high-level CIA;.execu reporters unprecedented for :the,
w-iM rid the CIA of case officers,- Para tive, who -asked not to be :identified, nation's spy chIt is, he apparently
military=.personnet: andlogistics ex ;said ' morale---is still - poor within the believes;; the only_way to rehabilitate
pens with a long commitment to so- agencand that many people there; an agency tarred by political;
called- black operatiolis, :Marks-said - -`feel Turners real priority is the estab-/ misdeeds` and headed-by a succession'
a 5vt?fr little
nd ;"``should=;.give ,Heart ..to. the _ lishment of a new management of short-term directors
analysts.'.'He estimated;that -the 820 -- scheme" downtown"-that.would put,=. standing at tlig White Hquseoi' n Con-'-
him atop all:U.S intelligence agencies gress.
member reduction will trim the covert.
and clandestine staffs by up to one- ' including those at the state and de-. Turner's chief asset, said one for= :a
hi i relation-
. fourth fence departments" and relegate the `vier high CIA official, is
" ship with. Carter, a classmate
''I think be's trying to get control of CI?! to the status of merely one among,-,
the place Marks theorized, "and one equals - r Annapolis.-Theofficial'explainecT:.
.quick way is to get. rid of these They question his knowledge of the "He has access to the President and
intelligence "trade" and say they fear-, he seems to have his confidence,. andL ~
maple'. his :military chain-of-command-style. not many recent' DCIs (Directors of
iis
Turner's otherconcern the quality
s will destroy the rotor Central Intelligence) have had that:
t
man
, .
.of the- intelligence produced by the gemen
on which the CIA has thrived. It's what he does with