LETTER TO CHARLES R. BUXTON FROM STANSFIELD TURNER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000300100021-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 28, 2007
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: May 20, 1977
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2007/03/01 : CIA-RDP99-004989000300100021-8
the Director of Central Intelligence
Dear Mr. Buxton,
2-a wvg4y I T 7 7
Your editorial of April 24, "CIA Report a Cooked-Up Job,"
which referred to our recent report on the "International Energy
Situation," has just come to my attention. I take considerable
issue with your allegation that there was a "fraudulent air" about
the analysis we presented to the President.
CIA has been involved in analyzing the strategic aspects of
the world energy situation as part of its intelligence mission
since its establishment some 30 years ago. Originally the con-
centration was on Communist nations, but as the world energy
shortage and higher prices developed in the 1970's our analytical,
work in this area was extended to cover other parts of the world.
CIA's role in analyzing world energy trends is well known by
U.S. industry, the trade press and international agencies
concerned with this subject. Indeed, every other week the CIA
issues a widely distributed, unclassified statistical survey,
"International Oil Developments," through the Document Expediting
Project of the Library of Congress.
The particular study to which you have referred was started
over a year ago. The President did not know of it until a few
days before he mentioned it at his press conference. That's why
I take exception to your remark that "the CIA's warning of future
oil shortages was a cooked-up job, even though its general thrust
was correct."
I also cannot agree with your allegation that CIA "managed to
inject" a "pessimistic tone" to its report for the dramatic purpose
of a "sales pitch." Our analysts jealously protect their objectivity,
and neither I nor they would manipulate a report to support a
government policy. To do so would make a travesty of our entire
analytical process, which is designed to provide the President and
the policymakers of our government with objective and accurate
analyses and estimates.
As for Mr. Carter's mentioning the report and its subsequent
declassification and release, I believe the intelligence community
should make more information available to the public on an unclassified
basis. The public deserves to benefit from our work to the extent
possible within the bounds of necessary secrecy.
STAT
 Approved For Release 2007/03/01: CIA-RDP99-00498R000300100021-8
The public should have as much objective information as
possible on issues such as the energy situation, and we will
continue to declassify such reports on a variety of subjects
whenever possible.
Mr. Charles R. Buxton
Editor, The Denver Post
650 15th Street
Denver, Colo. 80201
)A/DCI/PA fc/7676
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 Approved For Release 2007~/LQ ,&: P&A,TRDP99-00498R000300100021-8
24 APRIL 1977
1 -4 C a',
A. Report
From the very moment it was. "leaked" to the
news media, the report of the Central Intelli-
gence Agency (CIA) on worldwide oil shortages
and anticipated sizable price increases.by 1985
had a fraudulent air about it.
This was disturbing, insofar as President
Carter a few days later made the CIA assessment
the foundation of what was to. become a week-
long sales pitch for a comprehensive U.S..:en-
ergy conservation policy:,
Few Americans doubt that Mr.. Carter's nio-
tives were pure or that the American profligacy
in energy consumption must somehow `be
curbed. But to base his appeal on what was
purported to be a fresh and detailed CIA look at
global energy reserves was unquestionably a
wrong tactic.
Sparking the initial 'suspicion that the CIA
figures might not be all that revealing was the
fact that they roughly conformed to those of two
respected Paris-based organizations, the-Inter-
national Energy Agency and the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development
-(OECD). }
However, despite using the same basic `as
--sumptions as the. International Energy Agency
and the OECD, the CIA managed to inject a
considerably more pessimistic tone into its re-
port. This pessimism, it was acknowledged, was
--done fora purpose: to provide a dramatic back-"
,'ground for Mr. Carter's presentation.
In fact, Mr. Carter described the report (three
days before his first televised appeal to 'the"
nation) as being "deeply disturbing." `x
Ralph Nader immediately ' questioned -,the
CIA's informational authenticity, maintaining
Cooked-Up Job
that the data incorporated in. the report probably
came from. such vested interests as the oil com-
panies. But not many Americans pay much at-
tension to Mr. Nader any more and his hunch
was downplayed.
Now, however, comes the revelation tha: the
CIA's warning of future oil shortages was a
cooked-up job -even though its general thrust
was correct."According to the Wall Street Jour
nal;.U.S. energy officials belatedly concede-'that-
the report released by the White House. con
tained nothing new. In fact, all of the informa-
tion- utilized had been published previously;' none of it deserved a "secret" label. It had
simply been rearranged. within a drab frame-'
work.
Subsequent to' Mr. Carter's series of appeals
to the American people, the White- House an-
nounced it is considering a public service. ad-
vertising campaign to keep hammering on the
President's energy message: we face a crisis and
it must be resolved. Carter aides have asked the
Advertising Council which conducts public-
service campaigns, to 'present suggestions for
broadcast and print commercials on the gravity
of the energy problem. -
This is all well and good. After all, no Amer-
ican in his right mind would question the need
and inevitability of energy conservation. :
But if Mr.. Carter is to push his program
through a balky Congress, he'll need'the support
of the people, to. whom any advertising cam-
paign would presumably be directed; -
This task can be complicated by such tactics
as the presentation of the CIA's dull recital as
high drama instead of hackneyed fact.`. _:.`