OPENING STATEMENT SENATOR WILLIAM PROXMIRE "ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES IN THE SOVIET UNION AND CHINA" DECEMBER 1, 1982

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00274R000300150012-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 17, 2007
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: December 1, 1982
• Content Type: MISC

Approved For Release 2007/05/17: CIA-RDP84B00274R000300150012-1
OPENING. STATEMENT
SENATOR WILLIAM PROXMIRE
"ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES IN THE SOVIET UNION AND CHINA"
December 1, 19 82
I am very happy to welcome the Honorable Henry Rowen, Chair-
man of the National Intelligence Council, to present this year's
CIA assessment of recent economic developments in the Soviet Union.
I have asked that this year's presentation deal with the capa-
bilities and vulnerabilities of the Soviet economy, or its strengths
and weaknesses.
In my view, there is much confusion about the state of the
Soviet economy. This is partly because of the heavy emphasis in
much of the literature about the Soviet Union on shortcomings and
failures in their system. But all the knowledgeable persons who have
followed the subject know that there have also been accomplishments
and successes. It is a case of a glass which can be correctly
described as half full or half empty. But the problem is that by
looking only at the shortcomings we may deceive ourselves into
underestimating the economic strength of our principal potential
adversary. We may also be drawing incorrect conclusions about the
Soviet economic system.
In addition, this is an especially important time to try to
take a fresh look at the Soviet Union because of the transfer of
power from the late.Leonid Brezhnev to Yuri Andropov.
 Approved For Release 2007/05/17: CIA-RDP84B00274R000300150012-1
Finally, I have read your excellent statement and I would like
to ask that you provide me with an unclassified version of it as
soon as possible so that it can be made available to the rest of
Congress and the public. I also hope the transcript of today's
hearing can be quickly sanitized so that it can be printed and
released.
Mr. Rowen, after you have introduced the witnesses who have
accompanied you, you may proceed with your statement and then we
will have a dialogue.
LEGIB
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