A NIGHT AT TH[ ]

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400440023-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: November 18, 1977
• Content Type: NSPR

STAT
Approved For Release 2005/01/13 : CIA-RDP88-01315
%THE FAIRFAX JOURNAL
By Victoria Duncan
Special to the Journal
"The James Bond movies add a
touch of realism to our work," the man
deadpanned. "But Bond never makes
reports. How. could he survive in a bu-
reaucracy?"
The man speaking was Paul Chreti-
en, senior briefer at the Central Intelli-.
gence Agency. Was he about to destroy
my romantic ideas about international
spying? .
Is the myth of James Bond exactly
that?
I went to a CIA meeting for journal-
ists determined to prove that spying
was every bit as glamorous as It
seems.
The night of the meeting, I met my
comrade - let's call him Andreovich
-- at the corner of 14th and F in Wash-
ington, all according to a pre-arranged
plan.'
Wearing a tan trenchcoat, a hat null-
ed down low over my eyes, and dark
glasses, I gave him the signal at exact-
ly 5:30-I flashed the car headlights.
He got in quickly. I looked with
approval at his unobtrusive navy blue
blazer and-gray slacks. "Are you
ready?" he muttered. I nodded.'
Everything was running according
to schedule.
We discussed the evening's plans as
we inched through the snarled George.
town traffic on M Street.
After crossing Key Bridge, we head- ?
ed west on the George Washington
Parkway, while visions of internation-
al Intrigue in London and Paris danced
in vnvTian rd
tree-lined road until we saw the sign,
"Central Intelligence Agency."
Driving onto the exit ramp, I expect-
ed any minute to:see hundreds of se.
cret agents dressed in trenchcoats
skulking around trees and sending
messages on walkie-talkies.
I was disappointed.
We were stopped by alone man,
dressed in a conservative blue suit, at
the CIA entrance gate. He peered into
the car.
-"We're here for the journalists'
meeting," my colleague said, pulling
some identification out of his pocket. I
eagerly reached into my trenchcoat
for credentials and took off my dark
glasses (I took them off more for my
benefit that the guard' A it was dusk
and I couldn't see a thin koprove o
The guard shrugged off our identi-
fication. He just put a "Visitor" pass
on the'windshield and gave directions
to the main building. The pass wasn't
even numbered; I had hoped we would
We passed several buildings as we
and finally ended up at the main build-
ing, a huge, many-windowed site. We
"Are you the press?"' he asked. He
told us where to park, and then direct-
ed us to a mysterious-looking, igloo-
shaped building we had passed earlier.
in a building like that until we found
out it was simply an auditorium.
The sensation we caused when we
entered the building was amazing. "it
must be because we look like spies," I
early. No one was expecting anyone to
arrive so soon.
A CIA employe took my purse from
me and inserted it in a metal-detector
machine. He returned it to me without
comment: "I guess I'm 'clean,"' I
thought.
We were given badges and instruct-
ed to wear them during our entire
-visit,-IheJ adges-said,-~~Confereiee?
Visitor," were numbered, and had the
CIA seal on them. Still no 007, but we
were getting; closer - my badge was,
number 702 and my cohort's was 701. .
All during the evening, we were
never asked once to show identifica-
tion. "What kind of a spy organization .
is this?" I asked bitterly. + - ?::. vs. '
Lavon Strong, CIA public affairs,
told us why no identification was need-
ed. "The people were checked on
ahead of time, just to see if they work-
ed for whom they said they did."
Asked how many employes the CIA
had, Strong said the two things that
were confidential were personnel and
the CIA budget. These .subjects are
protected under the 1949 Central Intel'
ligence Agency Act. . ?
When the journalists took seats In
the 500-person capacity auditorium
that was decorated with potted plants,
Herbert Hetu, assistant to the director
of central intelligence for public af-
fairs, made some opening remarks.
.The CIA is hard to find, get into,
just dug this afternoon to nave cuimv
and cookies." ? -
Was that a warning? ?-
"You are helping us break the ice,"
Hetu said. "We? have a new openness
-policy,"
He said "the group, members of
Sigma Delta Chi, was the first group of
journalists to be admitted to the CIA.
The television shows Go Minutes and
Good Morning; America, and maga-
zines Time and Newsweek, have indi-
vidually been admitted.
As Hetu went on, I began to feel de-
jected. This evening was going to turn
out to be just a simple meeting. No
covert activities or brainwashing of
any kind. This would never happen in a
James Bond movie. --. ,
When Patil Chretien took the lectern
and began to talk about intelligence
collection, I perked up, adjusting my
bat to a more rakish angle. ?
"Clandestine collection" is the CIA
phrase for spying, he -said. The "intel-
ligence community" is made up of the
State Department, and Department of
-Defense and the CIA. .
? "Approximately 93 percent of the
CIA's budget is used for intelligence
purposes," lie said. " 1. ~.
The production of intelligence is a-
process, Chretien said. The collection
of Information is the first step, fol-
lowed by the analysis of that informa-
tion. , y..~; .
There are, he said, three methods of
informiation collection -- overt, which
involves foreign radio broadcasts,
;newspapers and embassies; technical,
which is obtained through photography
and electronics; and clandestine,
which is obtained from secret sources,
such as agents anddefectors. - -i
- Analysts take this "raw Intelli-
genc'e," evaluate and interpret Its
meaning and significance, and pro-
duct "finished intelligence," accord.
ing to a CIA pamphlet: . -4. -- ' -. -
The CIA is responsible to the Senate
and House Select Committees on Intel-
ligence, a total of.about 140 people (70
congressmen and 70 staff).
The CIA does not give its intelli-
gence methods or sources to the
committees. No information, however,
Is withheld from the President. He also
:has access to the CIA's sources. . _? ??
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