ACCESSION
NUMBER:350828
FILE ID:EUR206
DATE:06/28/94
TITLE:CIA DIRECTOR CALLS FOR COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA, UKRAINE (06/28/94)
TEXT:*94062803.PFE
*EUR206 06/28/94
CIA DIRECTOR CALLS FOR COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA, UKRAINE
(Points out dangers in post-Cold War age) (570)
By David Pitts
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- CIA director James Woolsey June 28 urged greater cooperation
between the intelligence organizations of the United States, Russia, and
Ukraine. "We have many things we need to do together -- to prevent
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the spread of regional
conflicts," he remarked.
Speaking at a conference sponsored by the American University in Moscow and
the Summit Council, Woolsey said he is "particularly concerned about the
possibility that organized crime groups will see an opportunity for making
money by smuggling nuclear materials, or even nuclear warheads and nuclear
weapons." But he stressed that "we haven't seen it yet." He said most "of
what we have seen so far are essentially scams."
Woolsey said he sees "increasing opportunities" for the three countries "to
cooperate on security matters." He added: "There is a great deal of room
for common purpose and common undertakings. We very much value renewed
friendships with your countries."
Asked by a Russian participant whether the three countries should move
toward uniform security standards in view of the fact that Russia's
intelligence procedures are stricter than those in the United States,
Woolsey said, "It is a matter which each country has to decide on its own."
He pointed out that despite the fact that the United States had been to war
with Mexico and Canada in the distant past, the country in recent history
has been bordered by two friendly nations. "In modern times, we are an
island in terms of security. Russia and Ukraine are not," he remarked.
Most of Woolsey's remarks were devoted to a historical overview of the
origins of the CIA and the way in which intelligence gathering in the
United States is organized. He stressed that the CIA "functions
differently than intelligence organizations in most countries."
Contrary to popular perception, the CIA "is not a product of the Cold War.
It was founded shortly before the Cold War -- in 1947 -- and was an
outgrowth of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)." The essential reason
for its founding was to prevent another surprise attack on the United
States such as occurred at Pearl Harbor, he explained.
Woolsey stressed that the CIA "has no internal security function and no
police powers." It is not a law enforcement organization; that function
belongs to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), he added. "We obtain
intelligence and the FBI conducts investigations and works with law
enforcement in other countries," he noted.
He also pointed out that oversight of the CIA and other intelligence
organizations is performed by Congress. The current system, "which was
spawned during the 1970s, works reasonably well," he noted. Last year, he
said he appeared at Senate or House hearings 180 times.
Woolsey said that in the past an emphasis was placed on presenting a more or
less uniform intelligence view to administration officials, which
inevitably resulted in compromises among various intelligence organizations
and within the CIA itself. As a result, he said that intelligence
1stimates in the sixties, seventies, and even eighties "were often vague."
"Now, we don't try to reach some kind of common, vague prediction," he
explained. Instead, he said the intelligence community tries to use
intelligence estimates "as teaching documents" and to include disagreements
with appropriate explanations.
NNNN
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
