MURATTI DEFENDS CIA'S RIGHT TO CARRY OUT COVERT ACTIVITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200700072-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 21, 2010
• Sequence Number: 72
• Publication Date: April 10, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/21 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200700072-3
MARQUETTE MINING JOURNAL (MI)
10 April 1985
Muratti defends CIA's ri
carry out covert activities
to in World War 11 and how long Iraq can
By DAVE SCHNEIDER
Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE - The-CIA:s covert
activity in Nicaragua is morally. but
not legally wrong. a member of the U.S.
Army War College said Tuesday at
Northern Michigan University.
--Some activities I can't agree with.
but I support the ability of the U.S to
carry out covert activities if needed for
national defense." said Lt. Col Jose A.
Muratti. field artillery representative
for the group.
Members of the panel are students at
the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle.
Pa.. and gave their personal views on
military issues as part of a panel
discussion.
Members include: Lt. Col. Louis M.
Jackson, chemical corps: Lt. Col.
James H.P. Kelsey. military in-
telligence: Lt. Col. Dennis P. McGuirk.
U.S. Air Force: Muratti: and Col.
David Hansen. air defnese artillery.
Hansen. a member of the Department
of National Security. served as
moderator.
The War College is the army's senior
educational institution. U.S. military
policy-making process is reviewed and
studied at the college. Hansen said the
panel was established about 15 years
ago to encourage dialogue with college
students and faculty members about
national security policy formulation.
This year's panel will visit 38 college
campuses.
The panelists are experts in a variety
of fields and Muratti. who is an expert
on U.S. policy in Latin America and
served in Washington during both the
Reagan and Carter administrations. hold on is the question.
fielded the majority of questions from How loyal are Warsaw Pact countries
the audience to Russia and are NATO conventional
When asked about differences in forces strong enough?
policy-making by Carter administra- 1 would be scared to go to war with
tion compared to Reagan's. Muratti Warsaw Pact countries. I think they
said. "Carter relied a lot on one man. would like to go against Russia and
Zbigniew Brzenski. (Carter's national take a little bite out of their power.'
security adviser His national security Kelsey said. "We rely on nuclear deter-
staff wasn't as large. He relied more or rent to make up for our shortfalls. We
fewer People." can't match Warsaw Pact force with
In contrast. "Reagan has more direct our conventional force."
contact with national security staff and He added that he didn't think there
relies on a network of secretaries, would be a confrontation between the
mainly in the departments of defense. U.S. and Russia because the sur-'
state and the National Security Council vivability of Russia is questionable and
and Central Intelligence Agency. and the Soviets fear the consequences of a
their under-secretaries." Muratti said. Superpower war.
Several questions were also directed Muratti and Kelsey disagreed on the
toward .lluratti dealing with U.S. answer on one question asked. If the
military policy in Central America. The U.S. eased pp on Castro could he be an
focus of many of the questions was asset to us?
Nicaragua. "Castro is mellowing a bit. He knows
He added that the Reagan ad- Angola isn't good for his people and I
ministration has a weak case against don't think he likes Cuba's growing
Nicaragua. but that it will hold up dependency on the Soviet Union. We
because Nicaragua has been the have been making little deals with him.
agressor against El Salvador. "Patrols. but it will take a little while i for any
from Nicaragua have been stopped major deals).- Muratti said.
passing through Honduras with Kelsey countered b} saying. "I don't
weapons and maps of El Salvador." think Russia will let that happen 4 bet-
lluratti said. "Aerial photos of arms ter relations with U .S. 1. Cuba is a land-
shipments have also been taken." mark for Russia and a foothold in
Other questions branched into the America. They can change leadership.
Middle East and U.S Soviet relations. and maintain control."
Kerlsey. an expert on those two topics. Hansen stressed the point that com-
answered the questions, ments made by panel members are
What about the Iran-Iraq War"" "Un- their own opinions which _ they have
fortunately. it will go on until Iran wins. developed from studying military
As long as Khomeini is in power policy in the U.S. Their remarks do not
anyway." Kelsey said. "iran has lost reflect the ideas of the armed forces or
.. the W ar College Hansen said.
These five military veterans, day night on U.S. military policy. tion process. The War College
from left, Lt. Col.. Dennis P. The group is from the U.S. Army students were on the campus of
McGuirk, Lt. Col. Jose A. Murat-,. War College and members have : Northern - Michigan University
'ti, Col. David G. Hansen, Lt. Col. ' served at least 18 years each in as part of a tour in which 38 col-
Louis M. Jackson and Lt. Col'- the military. Students at the War leges will be visited. (Journal
James H. P. Kelsey, enlightened College review.and study the na- photo by Dave Schneider)
a crowd of about 100 people Tues- tional sect}rity, policy formula-.,
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