PROXMIRE DISTORTS CIA DEFENSE SPENDING VIEW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-01448R000301210017-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: March 23, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : C A-RDP99-01448R000301210017-4
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To Kill A fX?
HUMAN. EVEN I.'S
23 March i 985
Proxmire. Distorts CIA
Defense Spending View
Sen. William Proxmire (D.-Wis.), one of the
leading doves in Congress, has used the testimony -
of Robert Gates, the CIA's deputy director for in-
telligence, to damage the Administration's con-
tention that the Soviets are still engaged in a major
military buildup.
In a press release issued by Proxmire on Joint
Economic- Committee stationery, the Wisconsin
solon?using some of Gates' own words?said that
Soviet military growth had been almost non-
existent in the recent past, adding that "it is time
for Washington to take official notice that Soviet
military Procurement has been stagnant for the
past seven years and to stop acting like nothing has
chanced."
Proxmire's press release ? based on testi-
mony Gates gave last November ? was.issued
just weeks before the Congress faces its first
big test on defense, the MX vote.
Proxmire's press release, however, gave a far.
from accurate portrayal -of the CIA's view on
Soviet defense spending, even though Gates?who
some say CIA Director Bill Casey had been think-
ing of making his deputy?couched his testimony
in language that the anti-defense lobby in and out
of Congress was bound to exploit.
Proxmire, for instance, twisted the truth when
maintaining the CIA had said that Soviet military
procurement has been stagnant for the past seven
years. Gates himself in his NoVember testimony
noted that, while the rate of Soviet defense spend-
ing growth had fallen from 4 to 2 percent from
1976 to 1983 (still not stagnant), there was "evi-
dence of some acceleration in the rate of increase
in defense spending" since 1983.
.. Gates alSo said that, despite the slowdown in
, growth, "spending levels were so high that the
; defense establishment was able to continue to
modernize its forces and to enhance substantially ,
its military capabilities."
A day after -Proxmire press release, the CIA
. countered with one of its bwri, stressing:
". ? ".[C]urrent Soviet levels of spending are so high
that, despite the procurement plateau, Soviet
'
forces received in the years 1977 -through 1983.a
total of 1,100 ICBMs, more than 700 SLBMs, 300
bombers, 5,000 fighters, some 15.0(X) nes ,- tarn
anc substantial numbers of new additional majot
Sur: Z7e combatants, nuclear-powered beilistic
submarines, and attack submarines.
"Durini the same period, the U.S. added lc its
inventory 135 ICBMs, 390 SLBMs, no bomt,rs,
3.000? fighters, 5,000 tanks, and 106 major war-
ships.....
"Soviet efforts to develop advanced weapon
systems continue in the 1980s at least at the rapid
pace of the previous two decades. Among these
.weapons are fighter and airborne control aircraft,
ballistic and cruise missiles, space systems and sub-
marines. The new syAems cover the full range of
technologically advanced weaponry the Soviets
will need to modernize all their forces."
Proxmire, in short, was giving a distorted view
of the CIA's position on defense spending, but
there is some concern within intelligence Circles
that Gates ? through his prepared statement to the
JEC?provided the Wisconsinite with much of the
ammunition. .
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/22 : CIA-RDP99-01448R000301210017-4