SSCI AND HPSCI STAFF REVIEW OF PES STUDY ON CENTRAL AMERICAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00135R000500820018-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 4, 2017
• Document Release Date: April 18, 2008
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: May 26, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000500820018-9
MI 3849-83
26 May 1983
FROM: Ross E. Cowey
Acting Chief, Product Evaluation Staff
SUBJECT: SSCI and HPSCI Staff Review of PES Study on Central America
1. In accordance with arrangements agreed to by the DCI and others on
13 May 1983, PES took steps to make available to the SSCI and HPSCI staff the
recent PES evaluation of DI production on Central America.
2. On 24 May, the undersigned handcarried the PES report to Rob Simmons,
Staff Director, SSCI. After reviewing the study, Simmons called it an
excellent exposition of the problem; involved and a fair, balanced
assessment. He also endorsed the general approach which PES has been using in
its evaluations-that is, picking active, substantive issues to examine,
thereby avoiding the perjorative and essentially negative approach typical of
postmortems. Simmons' only minor disagreement with the findings of the PES
study was on the question of DI participation in the policy process; Simmons
believes that distance fran the process is preferable to proximity. We both
agreed that intelligence officers need to keep the dangers of proximity in
mind no matter how far or close they are to the policy process.
3. Simmons expressed regret that we did not plan to make the report more
widely available to the Committee, especially to Senator Lugar, Chairman of
the Subcommittee on Analysis and Production, and to the minority staff
chief. (Technically, Simmons said he is obliged to share everything in his
"possession" with the minority staff chief.) In closing, I indicated to
Simmons that the DDCI might refer to the PFS study in his statement to the
Committee the following day; Simmons indicated that if he did, the Committee
could then request a copy of the report. (The DDCI and ADDI were so
informed.)
4. During the course of our discussion, Simmons suggested that the
yellow rain issue would be another good subject for PES to examine. He thinks
that there was a distortion of both the collection and analytic process on
this issue in the past-for political reasons-and indicated that the SSCI
staff would be taking a look at the problem this summer with an eye toward
possible SSCI hearings in the fall.
Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000500820018-9
 Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000500820018-9 -'
SUBJECT: SSCI and HPSCI Staff Review of PPS Study on Central America
5. On 25 May 1983 Tan Latimer, Staff Director, HPSCI, came to
Headquarters to review the Central America study. Latimer was also
complimentary of the study, although he felt that the Key Judgments of the
report were less critical of the product and the process than the basic
text. In his other comments, Latimer focused primarily on the collection
problems cited in the report. He was struck both by the divergent views
within the Canmunity on the effectiveness of various collection efforts and by
the need for more vigorous pursuit of nontraditional, nonclandestine sources;
he strongly endorsed the PES recommendations on the latter point. He also
expressed the hope that steps would be taken soon to ensure more direct DI
access to the policy process on this increasingly important issue.
cc: DDCI
DDI
D?I/CSS
D/AIA
2
SECRET
Approved For Release 2008/04/18: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000500820018-9