RESULTS OF CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M00539R001702570021-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 8, 2009
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: July 25, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2009/09/08: CIA-RDP87M00539R001702570021-4
25 July 1985
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Director, Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis,
Directorate of Intelligence
SUBJECT: Results of Conference on Afghanistan
1. NESA on 19 July hosted a conference on Afghanistan for
approximately 90 analysts from the Intelligence Community to
provide a forum to exchange perspectives on the collection and
analytic effort on Afghanistan, to identify collection and ana-
lytic gaps and deficiencies, and to offer the opportunity for
analysts to aet to know each other better. The conference
was the first to gather analysts from
throughout the US Government to discuss Afghan issues. The NSA,
DIA, State, OSD, the military services (including CENTCOM), and
three directorates of CIA sent representatives.
2. A series of speakers, representing each of the major
participating agencies, gave presentations on collection,
analysis, and the policymakers' perspectives on Afghanistan
details necessary for policy decisions, not just to focus on the
"big picture," and to project the impact of specific policy
alternatives.
3. Several themes emerged from the conference to improve
analysis on Afghanistan:
-- We will have to be creative in finding ways to exploit
the growing volume of material on Afghanistan.
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Approved For Release 2009/09/08: CIA-RDP87M00539R001702570021-4
encouraged analysts to provide the
c-360'7
 Approved For Release 2009/09/08: CIA-RDP87M00539RO01702570021-4
SUBJECT: Results of Conference on Afghanistan
-- Analysts too often evaluate the situation from the US
perspective rather than looking at it from the Soviet
viewpoint.
4. The analysts welcomed the opportunity to exchange per-
spectives on collection and analytic efforts pertaining to
Afghanistan. Judging from the discussions during the sessions
and the breaks and comments from attendees at the end of the
conference, analysts obtained many valuable insights and
contacts
5. We are planning followup conferences later this year
centering on topical issues--the campaign season in review,
Soviet evaluations of their performance, an alternative' to the
Babrak regime acceptable to both the resistance and the
next year, a conference featuring prominent-scholars.
Attachment
As stated
and, early
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SECRET
Approved For Release 2009/09/08: CIA-RDP87M00539RO01702570021-4
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SUBJECT: Results of Conference on Afghanistan (U)
DDI/NESA/SO/
(25 July 85)
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee w/att
1 - ER w/att
1 - DDI w/att
1 - D/NESA w/att
1 - C/NESA/SO w/att
1 - C/NESA/SO/P w/att
1 - w/att
2 - Chrono,- w/att
Approved For Release 2009/09/08: CIA-RDP87M00539R001702570021-4
 Approved For Release 2009/09/08: CIA-RDP87M00539RO01702570021-4
Approved For Release 2009/09/08: CIA-RDP87M00539RO01702570021-4