HARVARD UNIVERSITY JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT WASHINGTON, D.C. ROBERT M. GATES DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89G00720R000700900001-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 14, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 14, 1987
• Content Type: MISC

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HARVARD UNIVERSITY
JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C.
ROBERT M. GATES
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
14 DECEMBER 1987
THE PROGRAM WE HAVE GATHERED TO ORDAIN TONIGHT IS NEW AND
DIFFERENT -- AND THUS UNSETTLING TO SOME PEOPLE. SOME CHARGE
THAT CIA IS OUT TO SUBVERT KENNEDY SCHOOL; OTHERS FEAR THAT
KENNEDY SCHOOL IS OUT TO UNDERMINE CIA. THOSE AT HARVARD WHOSE
OPPOSITION IS REFLECTED IN THE CRIMSON'S EDITORIAL ON THIS
PROJECT YOU MAY BE SURE HAVE THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN CIA.
IF MEMORY SERVES, THE FIRST STEP TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THIS PROJECT TOOK PLACE IN THE SUMMER OF 1985 WHEN, AS DEPUTY
DIRECTOR FOR INTELLIGENCE, I VISITED HARVARD. ERNIE MAY AND
GREG TREVERTON OF KENNEDY SCHOOL CAME TO ME WITH A PROPOSAL TO
COMBINE THEIR INTEREST IN THE STUDY OF US ASSESSMENTS OF
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS WITH CIA'S INTEREST IN ENHANCING THE
QUALITY AND UTILITY OF SUCH ASSESSMENTS. I ENCOURAGED THEM TO
DEVELOP SPECIFIC PROPOSALS.
BOTH PARTIES WERE PROBABLY TOO OPTIMISTIC. IT CERTAINLY
PROVED MORE DIFFICULT THAN ANY OF US ANTICIPATED TO OVERCOME
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THE BARRIERS TO COOPERATION BETWEEN AN AGENCY ACCUSTOMED TO
WORKING IN SECRET AND A UNIVERSITY THAT CAN ONLY FUNCTION IN
THE OPEN MARKET PLACE OF IDEAS.
HARVARD WAS DETERMINED THAT ANY WORK IT DID UNDER CONTRACT
TO CIA WOULD BE UNCLASSIFIED AND PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED. IN A
SPEECH AT KENNEDY SCHOOL IN FEBRUARY 1986, I ANNOUNCED WHAT WAS
FOR US A DIFFICULT DECISION.
IF CIA WANTED THE RESEARCH AND TEACHING SERVICES OF
HARVARD'S FACULTY AND INSTITUTIONS -- OR THOSE OF ANY OTHER
UNIVERSITY, AND IF THE UNIVERSITY HAD SET PUBLIC
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CONTRACTS AS A REQUIREMENT -- EITHER WE
WOULDN'T ASK OR WE WOULD COMPLY. IN THIS CASE, WE WANTED THE
PROGRAM AND SO WE COMPLIED. YOU CAN HARDLY IMAGINE THE HARD
SWALLOW THAT PRECEDED OUR POSITIVE RESPONSE WHEN THE HARVARD
CRIMSON RECENTLY ASKED FOR A COPY OF THE CONTRACT.
IT WASN'T SIMPLE TO WORK OUT THE TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT -- AS
SEVERAL OF YOU IN THIS ROOM CAN ATTEST. BUT WE DID IT. AND
TONIGHT WE CELEBRATE. WE HAVE A PROJECT IN WHICH HARVARD
UNIVERSITY AND THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ARE PROUD TO
WORK TOGETHER PUBLICLY IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST.
FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE INTELLIGENCE SIDE OF THE
PARTNERSHIP, WHY ARE WE DOING IT?
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AS I AM CONFIDENT ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM AGREE, THE
NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS OF THIS GREAT NATION REQUIRE THE
BEST THINKING AND SUPPORT OF ALL ITS INSTITUTIONS. THIS WAS
THE VIEW OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT AND BILL DONOVAN IN
ESTABLISHING OSS, AND IT REMAINS OUR VIEW TODAY.
OUR CHALLENGES IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY ARE GROWING
FASTER THAN OUR RESOURCES OR OUR ABILITIES. THE WORLD WE
ASSESS GROWS EVER MORE COMPLEX AS THE TIES AMONG NATIONS AND
THEIR ECONOMIES MULTIPLY, AS COMPETITION FOR RESOURCES AND
MARKETS INTENSIFIES, AS SMALL NATIONS ACQUIRE IMMENSELY
SOPHISTICATED WEAPONS, AS WE FACE A FUTURE OF POSSIBLY
SIGNIFICANTLY RESTRUCTURED SUPERPOWER MILITARY FORCES, AS THE
SOVIET UNION AND CHINA STRIVE TO MODERNIZE, AND AS WAVES OF
CULTURAL, SOCIAL, RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL CHANGE CRASH AGAINST
GOVERNMENTS ILL-PREPARED TO COPE.
THUS, WE NEED THE HELP OF THE BEST MINDS IN THE COUNTRY.
WE NEED THIS HELP NOT ONLY FOR THINKING ABOUT COMPLEX
SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES BUT ALSO FOR THINKING ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INTELLIGENCE AND POLICY THAT CAN
DETERMINE THE USEFULNESS -- THE PAYOFF -- OF THE EFFORT WE PUT
INTO ACQUIRING INFORMATION AND REACHING JUDGMENTS -- AND HOW WE
CAN IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THAT EFFORT AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN
HELPING OUR OWN POLICYMAKERS.
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THE MISSION OF THOSE WHO LABOR ON INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS
CAN BE STATED SIMPLY. IT IS TO BRING TO BEAR DISTINCTIVE
INFORMATION, EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO ASSIST POLICY
OFFICIALS IN THE TASK OF DEVISING AND IMPLEMENTING THE POLICIES
THAT PROTECT AND ADVANCE THE NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS AND
WELL-BEING OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE MUST CONSISTENTLY MEET THREE STANDARDS:
-- WE HAVE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS OF
SUFFICIENT QUALITY TO COMMAND THE RESPECT AND ATTENTION
OF POLICY OFFICIALS.
-- WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE PRESSURES ON THE
POLICY COMMUNITY AND THE BURDEN OF ITS COMPETING
AGENDAS.
-- WE MUST PRESERVE THE SPECIAL ADVANTAGES OF OUR ANALYTIC
CALLING: OBJECTIVITY AND FREEDOM FROM ADVOCACY,
WHETHER OF A PARTICULAR POLICY OR OF THE INTERESTS OF A
POLICY AGENCY.
BATTING 3-FOR-3 ON THESE STANDARDS IS A CHALLENGING
UNDERTAKING. WE WORK HARD AT IT, DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
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BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OCCASIONS WHEN
INTELLIGENCE-POLICY RELATIONS HAVE NOT WORKED AS WELL AS THEY
SHOULD. OUR ASSESSMENTS WERE INADEQUATE TO THE COMPLEXITIES OF
THE ISSUE OR THEY WERE NOT APPRECIATED OR USED BY POLICY
OFFICIALS.
OUR STRONG ENDORSEMENT OF THE KENNEDY SCHOOL PROJECT ON
INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT AND POLICY REFLECTS OUR CONTINUING
COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND UTILITY OF INTELLIGENCE
IN SERVICE TO THE NATIONAL INTEREST. DIRECTOR WEBSTER AND I
LOOK FORWARD TO THE FRUITS OF THIS PROJECT -- TO GREATER
UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTELLIGENCE-POLICY RELATIONSHIP THAT WILL
HELP US TO STRENGTHEN THOSE ASPECTS THAT ALREADY WORK WELL AND
TO FIX WHATEVER MAY NEED FIXING.
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