INMAN CALLS U.S. INTELLIGENCE 'MARGINALLY CAPABLE'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100090014-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: April 28, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000100090014-6
ARTICLE APPEAR ED
ON PAGE - o
NEW YORK TIMES
28 APRIL 1982
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By WALLACE TURNER Spetf4ror..* W*wYaftT1wO
SAN FRANCISCO, April 27--United
.States foreign Intelligence is "margin-
ally capable" of meeting "the problems
.we are going to face in the 1980's and
_19M," Adm. Bobby R. Inman said in a
speech here today at the American
Newspaper Publishers Association con-
ventica,
It was Admiral Inman's first public
address since he announced his. inten-
tion to resign, effective July .I, as
Deputy Director of Central :Intelli-
encn. y _.
He said be believed the United States
STAT
"intelligence- community" was fully sign," he said. He described his work-
capable as to the military plans of he. ing
relationships with Mr. Casey as
Soviet Union. His concern, he said, is .I very good and said he felt that his own
with keeping track of the Soviet Union's !i blunt personality and urgency In dis-
"great difficulties in competition for, cussing problems sharply had been met
raw materials, natural resources, mar- with understanding.
kets, dealing with instability in many; "I could not ask for better support,"
areas of the world, trying to cope with hesaid.
the fervor of religious movements x t ,
He told several hundred publishers at
"I simply reject out of hand the likeli the Fairmont Hotel that the problems of
hood that we could be surprised with a [United. States intelligence stemmed
"And the same pretty well holds true
for the eastern front, central part of Eu-
rope," he said, except in cases of pro-
1960's and 19"-7 0's after a major buildup
longed bad weather, which might hin-, in the 1950's, losing 40 percent of its per-
dermtelligeaoe gathering. r -_"N sonnel from 1964to the mid-1970's.
In response to a question after his He said emphasis had been placed on
speech outside the meeting hall, Admi- li such intelligence assets as satellite
sur-d lack of United States (veillance systems, in the name of cost
erniaent's Intention to invade the Falk-
-land Islands was illustrative of. the
shortcomings he ascribed to inadequate
Ree3aid that while United States intel-
ligence was well equipped for surveil-
lance of the Soviet Union and was ade-
quate in assessing foreign military
equipment and manpower, he believed
'it did "not so well" in following political
and economic trends abroad and did
"very poorly" in maintaining an envy-
clopedickrwwledgeoftheworld. "
Admiral Inman- called for competi-:
tiva.intelligence analysis, with at least
two departments offering separate
readings, to improve assessment of the
"mosaic of tiny pieces" of information"
fed into the intelligence agencies. '
.Admiral Inman, who Is 51 years old,`
again denied that his resignation was
'prompted by difficulties with' William
J. Casey, the Din ctor of Central Inteil l
gence.?He said he was leaving because
thereis a limit on bow faryou can go,''
continuing; "The Directorof the C.I,A..
Is always going - to be someone -with
political views like the President's, and
this is how it should be.?, -: -'
"There were no policy disputes on
any major issues that cawed me to re.
from two factors.:.
efficiencey, at the expense of personnel. 1
Secondly, he said he was concerned
with damage to intelligence gathering r
by publication' of details that.revealed ?
i sources and methods. He told the pub=
ushers he disagreed with their opposi.
Lion to proposed amendments to Fed-
eral law that would exempt C.IA:
papers from Freedom of Information
:Act disclosure requirements. - _ ' )
However,. Admiral Inman spoke fa
vorably of a compromise proposal by
Senator John H. Chafee, Republican of
Rhode Island, that would require' the
agency to show that disclosure would be
damaging to national security before it
cold withhold requested papers.. ,:
Admiral Inman said" creation of the
intelligence oversight committees in
the House and Senate had led to greaten
i understanding of intelligence; needs
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000100090014-6