TURNER DOWNPLAYS INTRIGUE AS CIA INTERVENTION TACTIC

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100130078-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2007
• Sequence Number: 78
• Publication Date: January 30, 1978
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Approved For Release 2007/08/30: CIA-RDP99-00498ROO0100130078-5
THE WASHINGTON STAR (GREEN)
30 January 1978
Turner Downplays Intrigue
As CIA Intervention Tactic
United Press International uo
`~ >zz
The CIA is reducing but not aban-
doning the political interference and
intrigue it once employed in such
countries as Vietnam and Angola,
CIA Director Stansfield Turner says.
"Today, we don't think that kind of
interference in other people's govern-
ments - political action - Is as use-
ful a tool for this country,", Turner
said in a copyrighted interview in the
current issue of U.S. News & World
Report.
"We're not eschewing it .. com-
pletely, but we're downplaying it,"
said Turner, who has just gained ex-
panded powers as director of central
intelligence.
"We are not cutting the clandes-
"
tine service overseas,
Turner said. . STANSFIELD TURNER
"We are not emasculating its capa- Forced retirements "long overdue"
bility to collect intelligence for us."
HE SAID 30 YEARS ago the bring "young blood" into the intelli-
agency was interested primarily in gence hierarchy who might other-
spying upon "the Soviet Union, its wise have left the agency, convinced
satellites, and the few countries they never would get promoted.
around the world where they were "I would rather have a short-term,
trying to establish a position. Today, morale problem among these disaf-
we're interested in intelligence in a fected people whom we have had to
wide variety of countries." ask to leave," Turner said.
"Also, for most of the past 30 "I'D RATHER HAVE -them dis-
years, the Central Intelligence Ag- gruntled for a very short period of
ency was called upon by the nation time than I would to have a long-
not only to tell what was going on term, gnawing morale problem exist-
overseas but to help influence-events ing in the bowels of this organization,
- for example, in Guatemala, Iran, where the future lies," Turner said.
Cuba, Vietnam, Angola,." Turner Turner, a four-star admiral, criti-
said. cized those CIA personnel who have
Turner acknowledged * there had gone "to the media with their per-
been many complaints about his sonal complaint against me and
ordered retirement of 820 clandestine against the fact that I have had to
officers, many of them senior em- bite what is a difficult and unpleas- .a
ployees, but said "very frankly, it's ant bullet in carrying through a re-
long overdue." He acted, he said, to trenchment." - .
Approved For Release 2007/08/30: CIA-RDP99-00498ROO0100130078-5