MR. CASEY REPLIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000100720033-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 28, 2011
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: January 13, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/04/28: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100720033-8
MTIt1E A?PEARED WASHINGTON POST
P B- r 13 January 1985
LETTERS.. TO THE EDITOR.
Mr. Cmey Replies.
In an op piece [Jan. 21, John Hor- putting for at meetings of the N&-
ton stated that he "gtdt the CIA" be-0 tional J" oreign Intelligence Hoard ft1C
cause pressure was -put "on him to information and judgments developed
come up with an estimate that would in his organization. These procedures
satisfy the director of.central intelli- were carefully followed in the estimate
gence. It is not entirely clear what Mr. addressed in Mr. Horton's article.
Horton means by this. Concern over developments had led to
As national intelligence estimates are the initiation of a new estimate of the
issued by the director and are tradition- prospects for serious instability in a
ally regarded as his estimates, it is particular country. This issue was con.
hardly surprising that, after hearing the troversial within the intelligence eom-
views of all agencies representing the mun ity. There were disagreements be-
intelligence community, the. director tween the drafting analyst and W. Hor-
should want to be satisfied that the esti ton over deletions made by the latter,
mate, is accurate, and that it fully con- and I insisted that at least some of the in-
veys what the users should know. formation and challenges to conventional
If Mr. Horton means that he was re- wisdom present in the analyst's original
quired to suppress or distort evidence draft be restored to the estimate so that
available to the intelligence communi- the range of views existing in the inteDi-
ty, it is a very serious charge that gence y would be available to
needs to be addressed on the record. policy mom, '['he fun range of the judg-
The first obligation of the director of menu that came out of the process were
central intelligence is to produce clearly and prominently stated on the
ligence estimates and reports that are first page of the estimate.
as accurate, comprehensive and objec- Finally, the House Committee on In-
tive as possible and which appropri- tenigence reviewed this matter and
ately reflect the diverse and often con- stated in its annual report issued this
flitting views of the various compo- past week that: "the committee exam-
nents of the intelligence community. Intl the earlier drafts and the final ver-
Improving the estimating process sion of that particular NIE and found
was my primary concern when I as- that dissenting views were printed at
sumed office in 1981. Procedures the very beginning of the study, a prac-
were instituted to encourage a broad tice the committee applauds."
range of views. The chief of every . WILLIAM J. CASEY
component of the American intelli- n~ecraof cmU.i~
gene community is responsible for
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/04/28: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100720033-8
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/04/28: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100720033-8
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/04/28: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100720033-8