ACCESSION
NUMBER:319755
FILE ID:POL401
DATE:01/06/94
TITLE:GLICKMAN SAYS U.S. INTELLIGENCE EFFORTS NOW BROADER (01/06/94)
TEXT:*94010601.POL
GLICKMAN SAYS U.S. INTELLIGENCE EFFORTS NOW BROADER
(Past focus geared toward Moscow and its satellites) (760)
By Wendy S. Ross
USIA Congressional Affairs Writer
Washington -- During the period 1945-90, U.S. intelligence gathering was
largely geared toward Moscow and its satellites, but today the focus is
much broader, says Congressman Dan Glickman, chairman of the House
Intelligence Committee.
Information gathering today is concerned with the proliferation of nuclear,
chemical and biological weapons, as well as with terrorism, narcotics
trafficking and economic spying, he said January 5 at the U.S. Information
Agency's Foreign Press Center in Washington.
Glickman stressed that the quality of U.S. intelligence gathering, which was
the best "in the world" during the Cold War, must remain first rate,
despite the budget cutting now underway throughout the federal government.
"The amount spent on intelligence is going to fall some because of the
1udget problems and because of the nature of the threat changing. But the
quality of intelligence cannot suffer and doesn't need to suffer," he said.
"While U.S. intelligence is not perfect and never has been...as a general
proposition it tends to be more right than not," he said, but "policymakers
often don't listen to it because it doesn't conform to what their policy
objectives are."
According to Glickman, any alleged failures in policymaking in recent years
can be traced to presidents who "don't give the undivided attention that
they need to give to the character and texture of intelligence, why
something is happening."
For instance, Glickman pointed out, U.S. administrations in the 1980's, in
their concern about Iran, failed to take full advantage of available
intelligence information about Iraq's Saddam Hussein.
Modern technology, Glickman also asserted, has lessened the use of human
beings in intelligence gathering. He called this trend a "grave
mistake....The old fashioned way of getting information is still the best
way," adding that all the satellites in the world "cannot get into the mind
of the president of North Korea."
Each year the U.S. Congress must approve the budgets of the U.S.
intelligence community, he pointed out, emphasizing that "the power of the
purse" is a "powerful" oversight tool. Glickman's Intelligence Committee
in the House, and a similar committee in the Senate, as well as the
appropriations committees in both bodies, have jurisdiction over the
spending for the intelligence agencies.
In the past the intelligence community has been reluctant to be candid with
Congress, Glickman said, but in recent years, it has become more "open and
honest" in its relations with the legislature. "They don't give us sources
and methods," he said, but "they tell us generally what their programs
are."
Glickman added that one of his goals since he became committee chairman in
1993, is to "open up the process." The total budget of the intelligence
community should be made public, he said.
On specific topics, Glickman had this to say:
-- Syria: "I am somewhat optimistic" about President Asad moving away from
support of terrorist groups so as not to be left out of the Middle East
peace process. But, "he will not break all ties with these groups
overnight," Glickman predicted. Glickman said he and some committee
staffers are planning a factfinding visit to Israel, Egypt, Syria and
Jordan in about 10 days.
-- North Korea: "We have no knowledge to a certainty" about North Korea's
ability to develop nuclear weapons, but the intelligence community thinks
North Korea has the capability to develop one or two nuclear devices.
-- Haiti: The "unfortunate" public leaks about the mental health of
President Aristide "jeopardized the administration's ability to act
independently" on the Haitian question. He said he would not support any
international military action on Haiti. "We have not made the case for a
military action and risking the lives of American soldiers," to restore
Aristide to power, he said.
-- the Balkans: U.S. intelligence has actually been "quite good" in the
former Yugoslavia, because "we have spent a lot of dollars on satellites
and on other things in order to get the information." That information, he
said, has led U.S. policymakers to believe that any direct military
involvement of the United States in that region of the world could have the
potential of being "catastrophic" in terms of loss of life and injuries.
1- Pollard: Convicted American spy Jonathan Jay Pollard's chances for
clemency were hurt by a letter Defense Secretary Aspin sent to President
Clinton arguing against clemency. Pollard is in prison in the United
States for passing intelligence secrets to Israel.
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