WEBSTER: U.S. INTELLIGENCE PLAYED CRUCIAL ROLE IN WAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-01448R000401660055-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 55
• Publication Date: May 23, 1991
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Si Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/23: CIA-RDP99-01448R000401660055-2
The Washington Post
The New York Times
The Washington Times
The Wall Street Journal
L
The Christian Science Monitor
New York Daily News
USA Today
The Chicago Tribune
Date 2-s
Webster: U.S. mteffigence
played crucial role in war
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
U.S. intelligence agencies helped
to track terrorists and thwarted ma-
jor international attacks during the
Persian Gulf war, CIA Director Wil-
liam Webster said yesterday.
Mr. Webster, who announced his
retirement earlier this month, de-
fended U.S. intelligence agencies for
their contributions in supporting po-
litical and military efforts before,
during and after the Gulf war.
Saddam Hussein's threat to
launch terrorist actions around the
world posed one of the most serious
challenges, he said.
"We knew that he had sent out a
number of teams with plans to at-
tack;' Mr. Webster said in a speech.
"But we also knew it wouldn't do
much good to merely chase the per-
son who lit the bomb."
The speech was delivered last
night in New York City to the Am-
herst College Association. The text
of Mr. Webster's remarks was made
available here.
Intelligence agencies tried to
block terrorist actions, so the CIAs
counterterrorism center tracked
terrorists worldwide and provided
warnings of possible attacks, he
said.
The deportation of suspected ter-
rorists from some countries he did.
not identify contributed to the tight
security during the war.
"These timely, coordinated coun-
termeasures clearly helped prevent
major terrorist attacks during the
crisis," Mr. Webster said.
U.S. spy agencies also monitored
international compliance with
United Nations sanctions against
Iraq and provided "intelligence
leads" that resulted in "hundreds"of
official State Department com-
plaints to nations suspected of vio-
lating the embargo, he said.
On the battlefield, intelligence
agencies provided "the most de-
tailed and precise order of battle in-
formation any American com-
mander has ever enjoyed;' the CIA
chief said.
Intelligence from what Mr. Web-
ster described as "highly sensitive
sources," a term often used to de-
scribe electronic intercepts, helped
allied forces to destroy most of
Iraq's command and control struc-
ture.
Iraqi military leaders were so dis-
oriented because of the loss of com-
mand and control, for example, that
they had no idea how many of their
troops had fled into Saudi Arabia.
The allies had stopped counting at
60,000 troops, Mr. Webster said.
Currently, intelligence agencies
are assisting relief efforts for Iraqi
Kurds while continuing to monitor
internal developments inside Iraq,
he said.
The CIA also will monitor Iraq's
pledge to destroy its chemical and
biological weapons and ballistic mis-
siles with a range greater than 93
miles, Mr. Webster said.
"Our military, in conjunction with
the allied forces, performed mag-
nificently in the Persian Gulf war;"
Mr. Webster said. "Casualties were
low, and this was largely due to the
military's extraordinary precision.
Intelligence had an important role in
helping the military pinpoint targets
and making that precision possible"
On other topics, Mr. Webster said
he is leaving the CIA after four years
with confidence the agency can deal
with the challenges of the 1990s, in-
cluding weapons proliferation, eco-
nomic competitiveness, counterin-
telligence and narcotics control.
Mr. Webster said "myriad intelli-
gence organizations" currently are
seeking to acquire our most sensi-
tive military and industrial secrets
and are illegally acquiring embar-
goed technology.
"The outstanding performance of
American weapons in the Gulf war
- with their incredible precision -
has made our high-tech arms indus-
try even more attractive to those
seeking our technology, and the
KGB remains the most aggressive
of them;' Mr. Webster said.
"In terms of sheer numbers alone,
the KGB exceeds the combined se-
curity forces of Europe, America,
and much of Asia, and its enormous
presence helps it collect what it
needs," he said.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/23: CIA-RDP99-01448R000401660055-2