REMARKS OF WILLIAM J. CASEY DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BEFORE THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL AT PITTSBURGH, PENNSYVANIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M00539R000800960009-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 8, 2009
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: April 29, 1985
• Content Type: REPORT

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Executive Registry
REMARKS OF WILLIAM J. CASEY
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
AT PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
29 APRIL 1985
PITTSBURGH HILTON, BALLROOM I
GATEWAY CENTER
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
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-- Some of concerns that Am Int Com grapples with each day.
-- As world grows more complex, so does our intelligence challenge.
-- No longer are we concerned solely with assessing political and
military development.
-- Now we are engaged in intelligence analysis infinitely more
complex than what was required a generation, or even a decade, ago.
-- We need to assess what the projected worldwide oil output is
likely to be five years from now, what the likely Soviet grain requirement is
going to be this year, and the likely outcome of a key election being held
next month.
-- We need to know the state of science and technology which our
adversaries may be able to use to achieve strategic surprise and which our
allies and competitors may be able to use to take markets and jobs away from us.
-- The Soviets continue to design, develop and test a dazzling array
of new weapons--two new mobile missiles to be deployed over the next year or
so, four new attack submarines, four new tanks, titanium, satellite, laser,
genetic technology moving sharply ahead and being applied to new and more
sophisticated offensive and defensive weapons. In the other industrial
countries we see fiber optic, ceramic, super-computer, memory technologies,
capable of revolutionizing whole industries coming along very rapidly.
-- We need to understand the structure and operating methods of
organizations around the world which practice terrorism, steal blueprints and
other carriers of technology, which smuggle narcotics and arms and which
proliferate nuclear, chemical and biological capabilities.
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What, then, are some of the major international trends which could change
and shape the environment in which we live?
The Soviet Union still dominates any broad discussion of international
affairs, and with good reason. For all its weaknesses -- notably its sluggish
economy -- the Soviet Union alone possesses the armed might that has the
potential for destroying the United States. But perhaps more worrisome is
the continuing Soviet effort to expand the power, influence, and control of
Communism around the world.
The Soviet Union may be, perhaps, the last genuine empire. Those who
rule it, whether Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, or Mihail Gorbachev, have
been -- and are today -- unrelenting in their quest to expand Soviet power
and domination. In a mere decade, the Soviets have projected their power to
all the continents of the world. This is unprecedented in world history.
In 1961, Khrushchev, then leader of the Soviet Union, said that Communism
would win not through nuclear war which could destroy the world or conventional
war which could quickly lead to nuclear war, but through "wars of national
liberation" in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. We were reluctant to believe
him then, just as in the 1930s we were reluctant to take Hitler seriously when
he spelled out in "Mein Kampf" how he would take over Europe.
Yet during the mid-to-late 1970s, the Soviets unfurled a new strategy to
expand their power and influence in the less-developed world. And this
strategy has worked. In ten years, Soviet power has been established:
-- In Vietnam, along China's southern border and astride the sea
lanes which bring Persian Gulf oil to Japan.
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-- In Afghanistan, 500 miles closer to the warm-water ports of the
Indian Ocean and to the Straits of Hormuz, through which comes the oil
essential to Western Europe.
-- In the Horn of Africa, dominating the southern approaches to the
Red Sea and the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
-- In southern Africa, the source of minerals which we and the other
industrial nations must have.
-- And in the Caribbean and Central America, on the very doorstep of
the United States.
Now this astonishing expansion has been accomplished by using proxies
and surrogates in peace and in war. The role of these Soviet surrogates is
as much political as military. Cubans and East Germans in Africa, Cubans in
Latin America, Vietnamese in Asia, all have helped accomplish this expansion
of Soviet power and influence. Even as I speak, some 300,000 Soviet,
Vietnamese, and Cuban troops are carrying out savage military operations
directed at suppressing national resistance in Afghanistan, Kampuchea, Angola,
Ethiopia, and several other countries.
This creeping imperialism has, in my view, two primary targets -- the oil
fields of the Middle East which are the life line of the Western Alliance and
the Isthmus between North and South America. Afghanistan, South Yemen,
Ethiopia, as well as Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, and Mozambique and Angola in
southern Africa, bring Soviet power much closer to the sources of oil and
minerals on which the industrial nations depend and puts Soviet naval and air
power astride the sea lanes which carry those resources to America, Europe
and Japan.
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Capabilities to threaten the Panama Canal in the short term and Mexico
in a somewhat longer term are being developed in Nicaragua where the Sandinista
revolution is the first successful Castoite seizure of power in the American
mainland. They have worked quietly and steadily toward their objectives of
building the power of the state security apparatus, building the strongest
armed forces in Central America, and becoming a center for exporting subversion
to Nicaragua's neighbors.
As most of you are fully aware, the world has fused into one global
economic system. Our economy is much more sensitive to international market
and financial trends. About 25 percent of goods produced in the world are
traded across national borders. Governments have become economic powers in
their 'own right. Americans must compete in the world marketplace or our
economy, and eventually our national security, will wither away.
If history has taught us anything, it is that only strength and willpower
can deter aggression. This means that we cannot slacken in our commitments
to a strong national defense despite its burdens. Nor should we hesitate to
use our economic and political strength, whenever feasible. The alternative
is slow but sure economic strangulation, political isolation, and ultimately
defeat.
Those of you in private industry have a key responsiblity in ensuring
that our national defense remains strong to meet the challenge of creeping
Soviet imperialism. Technological innovation, entrepreneurial drive, and
willingness to meet the competition head-on have traditionally been the
hallmark of the American business spirit and a fundamental basis of American
strength. And if we live up to this tradition, we need not worry about our
ability to stand up to our adversaries.
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But we have to realize that the Soviets have been quick to take advantage
even of our technology. In fact, the very weapons which confront us -- and
the ability to sustain the enormous Soviet war machine -! come, in part, from
the massive Soviet effort to bleed vital technology from American industry.
One of CIA's most critical and most difficult intelligence challenges is to
assess Soviet science and technology and its potential for military and
strategic surprise. We believe we're still ahead, in most of the 20 or so
critical technologies we look at but they've pulled ahead or alongside in
some, and our margins and lead times in the rest have begun to shrink. The
ability of the Soviet military-industrial complex to acquire and assimilate
Western technology far exceeds any previous estimates.
Some they get legally. They do this by combing through our open
literature, buying through legal trade channels, religiously attending our
scientific and technological conferences, and sending so-called students
over here to study. Between 1970 and 1976, the Soviets pruchased some $20
billion of Western equipment and machinery, much of which had potential
militry applications.
But when they can't get it legally, they steal it. The Soviets have set
up a number of dummy firms in sophisticated international operations to divert
and steal Western technology. We have identified nearly 300 such firms
operating from more than 30 countries engaged in such schemes. Most diversions
are by way of Western Europe or Canada, which is why we have made such a
strong effort to enlist the help of our Canadian and European allies in
combating illegal trade activities.
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Today, we are witnessing the frightening upswing of state-supported
terrorism. The chief protagonists of this new departure in international
murder and brigandage are none other than Colonel Mu'ammar Qadhafi of Libya
and, more recently, the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran. Probably more blood has
been shed by these two tyrants during the last five years than by all other
terrorists combined.
In fact, Qadhafi and Khomeini have adopted terrorism as an integral part
of their state policy. Terrorism has become for them an indispensable weapon
to destroy their enemies, destabilize "hostile" governments, and instill fear.
among millions of innocent citizens.
Although rule by terror has become institutionalized by Libya and Iran,
its impact has become global. 'Through sponsorship of terrorists, thugs, and
insurgents, Libya and Iran have made an impact not only in the Middle East,
but in South Asia, East Asia, and even Central America. Moreover, there are
signs that their brands of state-sponsored terrorism may be coming our way.
For several years, various European leftwing terrorist groups have called
for the establishment of an international united front against "Western
Imperialism," and particularly against its most powerful symbols -- NATO and
the American presence in Europe. Since the summer of 1984, at least three of
these groups -- the West German Red Army Faction, the French group Direct
Action, and the Belgian Communist Combatant Cells -- have apparently collaborated
in a terrorist offensive against NATO that reached a fever pitch of violence
by early February 1985.
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I outline these challenges rather quickly, not to give you a feeling of
despair, but rather to show you something about the many challenges we
Americans must face as a free people. Make no mistake, these and several
other challenges are real and they are formidable. It is also true that the
world's problems promise only to grow more difficult and more complex in
coming years.
Nonetheless, there are good reasons to be optimistic. The United States
still enjoys enormous respect around the world, and I have already mentioned
our considerable economic technological, and military power. True, we need
to use this power judiciously and with restraint. And in this large world,
we must recognize that there are some events that are indeed beyond our
control. But our natural resources, the creativity of our people, and
particularly our values assure us considerable influence around the world and
continued control over our national destiny.
Despite what must appear to be an unbroken string of successes, our
major adversary has a few things to worry about over the longer term. The
Soviets have some serious economic problems to solve -- they export little,
productivity remains low, and the waste and corruption pervading the Soviet
system is legendary. Moreover, the Soviets are having increasing difficulty
coping with the demands of the many ethnic minorities within the USSR who
wish to retain their traditions and heritage. This may become a particularly
nettlesome problem in the Islamic areas of Soviet Central Asia. Added to
this, the Soviets themselves recognize that the closed nature of their
political system makes change -- and much needed reform -- nearly impossible
to achieve.
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Abroad, the Soviets also must deal with the failure and wreckage of
their conquests and "victories." Without exception, the economic record of
the countries that have come under Soviet domination has been abysmal.
Vietnam is bankrupt. Ethiopia faces massive starvation. Cuba depends on
massive Soviet economic aid. Nicaragua's economy is near collapse. By
contrast, economic growth in the non-Soviet areas of East Asia and Latin
America has been brighter. Consider, too, the fact that 120,000 Soviet troops
are bogged down in Afghanistan -- fighting a war to prop up an unpopular
Communist government that can barely control its own capital city, Kabul
[COBBLE]. Perhaps the most telling indicator of Soviet failure is the growth
and spread of anti-Soviet guerrilla movements. In half a dozen countries now
occupied by Soviet and surrogate forces, close to half a million ordinary
people have taken up arms against Communist regimes.
Having said all this, I would be remiss if I did not spend a few minutes
describing the intelligence process at CIA and the many talented people who
serve your country today. We get the raw information needed in the production
of finished intelligence through photography, electronics, acoustics, seismic
readings, and other technolgoical marvels which gather facts from all corners
of the earth. These capabilities have been, and are being, enhanced as new
technologies and new intelligence needs emerge. As a result, we show a sharp
increase in photos, signals, and reports and expect an even greater increase
in the next five years. To sift and evaluate and get practical meaning from
this enormous flow of facts we must recruit and develop dedicated people. We
have scholars and scientists in every discipline of the social and physical
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sciences -- as well as engineers ans specialists.in computers and
communications -- in a profusion unmatched by any university. Moreover, we
frequently ask scientists, engineers, businessmen, and specialists in the
humanities who roam the world in their professional capacities to volunteer
information that comes their way and for the insights and understanding they
develop.
All this is distilled into CIA intelligence assessments and, where
appropriate, addressed in National Intelligence Estimates relevant to the
decisions which the President and his colleagues must make.
To get the assistance of people around the world who share our values
and want to help us in this work, CIA must maintain its reputation for
integrity, competence, confidentiality, reliability, and security. The
quality of the intelligence we produce, the loyalty and dedication of our
people, and the large numbers of Americans interested in joining our ranks
clearly demonstrate that we do maintain that kind of a reputation despite a
drumbeat of criticism in the media.
Let me tell you something about the people who meet this challenge every
day.
They have survived one of the most rigorous screening processes known
to man -- the highest skill requirements, the toughest intelligence and
psychological testing, close medical scrutiny, a 15-year background investigation,
security clearances, and a polygraph examination. The ones who get through
this obstacle course are smart, clean of drug and alcohol addiction, healthy,
and psychologically able to cope. Last year we had' 153,000 inquiries for
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for employment, we selected 23,000 applicants for, interviews; of those, 10,000
were actually considered for employment. Four-thousand were given all the
tests. Of those only 1,500 made it through the entire screening process and
entered on duty. We have over 500 Ph.D.'s at Langley and at least four times
that number who hold MA's or other advanced degrees. Naturally, as you might
suppose, a great number of these talented and well-educated young people are
in the "traditional" intelligence disciplines of history, political science,
foreign languages, cartography, international relations, area studies and
library science.
But as the intelligence field becomes more specialized, our requirements
for people having other skills has increased considerably. We now have aboard
specialists in such discipines as agronomy, demography, aerospace and nuclear
engineering, medicine and the life sciences, photogrammetry, geology, and
other esoteric fields. And we certainly are looking to hire more of these
highly-trained specialists.
After a candiate has emerged from that funnel, there is a 3-year
probationary period. Those who obtain career status must live with any number
of security responsibilities, heavy travel demands, heavy pressure and time
requirements, complete anonymity in many cases, and many other constraints.
Last year they forfeited.nearly 100,000 hours of annual leave and worked
untold hours of uncompensated overtime. Finally, throughout their career
they know that there is little public recognition for their achievements and
that criticisms -- justified or not -- must be tolerated in silence.
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Let me close by saying that CIA is your intelligence service. It works
for our common security and well being, and there are several things you can
do to help it:
-- You could speak up when our work and purposes are misunderstood
and misrepresented.
-- You can share your knowledge and insight with our officers who
contact you for guidance and information.
-- You can direct promising young people looking for a challenging
and honorable career to our recruiters.
-- And some of you could continue to develop and to apply relevant
technology and creative capabilities to the better, faster, and deeper
collection, processing, and analysis of information as you heave in the past.
Without that,' we would not be able to keep up with our mission.
Thank you.
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