TURNER HOPES TO NARROW GAP IN INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000300030037-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 28, 2007
• Sequence Number: 37
• Publication Date: July 8, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/03/01 : CIA-RDP99-00498R000300030037-9
Harvard political scientist who served on the S,.ate
=` 1-nteg -bXco~.by-m nsus`,-;~~A- hover administration, to select the consultants.s
>Lo find- common middle ground"and the middle =` - -
biases, theologies, and the philosophies.. of
a: ground
,
und probably never the gro p y ground on which you the .people we are assigning; Turner said.
-want to be - Turner also plans to consult with a board tom
Ie also offered one solution. -'T hink I lu3 e 'to.
hosed of all the kev members of the -intelligence 'l
bite more bullets-.myself When =.the commu.mtY 3 community, asking them if there is "any strain. of
can't agree,at.is the DCI [director of central intelli ;J opinion that ought to be represented." tgencel estimate Ithat mustmust -I've d:me it lj . He said: "I've told the board that.I donwant to
`Konce -since'Pve been -here already. I bit the bullet :i; find .out we left something out after it has been
=.and.said, `I think?you have.:waffl this one':.. As published."
+a:result, I deliberately took an:external position- -,'-,'Turner said he planned :to use basically the;
y = `- (Turner would, not ga: into detail on just just what' same approach in organizing the. national iritelli-
this= position was in the example he cited: Buthe{- genre estimates of other nations He also has cre
said-the case.involved an assessment of the n ili- ated a special board composed of,members -of_the'
-tart'' capabilities of two forces. One: ~ia? numerical- intelligence agencies that will help himdetermineJ
. ly larger:-than the-;other, buflie;said .he.,took::the which countries and subjects should be'studied.
position-that. the smaller.-force wasofliigher qual 'Top past. and present policy-makers have criti-.
ity, and thus should be considered superior) cized?, the CIA, analysts for not being sufficiently
ina: Many analysts have not even been to the coun-,j
controversy that.has surrounded -the most vital in ~~ icy: a w111tu w1Cy arc uoaigilcu, U1c ViiiLia10
telligence .estimate that the agency-,makes: the :as
sessment; of -Soviet ..strategicstrength and inters;,:
tions.
-. =In 1976, Bush, then the CIA director, took the
internal CIA -estimate and 'brought it before' a,,,
-board of experts from outside the government: That
.was called the A Team, B Team approach. But Bush purposely loaded. the outside team
'with hardliners, who predictably. said A he Boviets
Turner concedes that that is true. "We need
some .improvements in the training and education
and:`diversity and experience of our analysts,"-he j'
said. "We need to give our analysts more opportune 1
5. 1 ties-letting'some of,them: go to'-various courses,:'-
posts overseas, and with more interplay with. theta
,,academic community. and think-tanks
. Officialsahrotighout the executive b'ranch` and-
ri~
va
: had a much greater military capability than - the ri Capitol Hill currently are debatingrious pro
CIA -estimated and that the -Soviets were pursuing posals to reorganize the intelligence community.
superiority in nuclear weapons. _ Reorganization has become= a topic of major des
The hardliners leaked their version to the ress
p pute, especially between Turner -and Secretary of
and started a public controversy as the Carter ad- Defense Harold Brown.
ministration came into. offire.. The 1 b ' .
=Bush defended theA=team, B-team approach," bject has become so sensitive that Turner
saying,"Yes, if youpick hardline: guys, you're wouddn't .discuss`it in the.interview. But according
go-? t other'Wtelli ence officials' Turner wants to cre=>
o g
! ing to get.a hardline,response=-.so what? This waS`
were =posing was if you pick. hardliners, would they
n wh
necessarily tone up ,it analysis that.was more {
.
'The concept of having a team With an ideological
polarization is one Iwould use with great caution"
He added: ".'.'-.Bat there =could be some cases iris
which J. would want ' to do it;' =
::Turner. ~... says he is
-rising wdifferent procedure..
We are approaching The next estimate with a" sin
"gle team" and a single advisory_group rather than -
:the-A-B team -approach;": Turner said. 7. I don't
:ever want to get into an.A-team, B-team [dispute)'.'
..in. public again:'
:Turner's plan on the new Soviet estimate is to
bring in outside experts with a diversity of opinion.`
' to work with agency personnel within the analysis-;s1
have broad power over the enure intelligence come[
munity. ..
s
ake the
d
et
the
tO
i
Th
-,
a
a
bJu
g
rwou1U out,
rec
!. , -
e U
-'`: s' gnments and, possibly, directly control the analy ..
_sis of all collected information He would be an in
telligence, czar,
Brown' is. opposed `tb relinquishing 'administra
?five control of the huge National Security Agency,;.[
the agency that does most of the electronic collecl_
tion and currently is run by. the military.
Other' members - of ' the intelligence community;
say they fear that the.director would be.too power-s
ful and that dissenting opinions ;would not-get--,
through to policy makers. con#irly
_;He?is relying on top assistant Robert Bowie, :a'=_.
 Approved For Release 2007/03/01 : CIA-RDP99-00498R000300030037-9
'; Proponents of the reorganization argue: that it
:would make the agencies more accountable;,elimi-
'Hate duplication and inter-agency. rivalry and im-
prove the production and, quality. of intelligence;
Bush, the former. CIA director, is against, the re-Z
`?organization. He aaid: 'I-; oppose. the', concept. -of _a _
fciar if it means that he would. be removed from be-c
ing the head of the CIA'. and would-not have a CIAO
base I don't think the CIA should be just one com-
`ponent in a military dominated intelligence 'net-
work ?
Joseph Biden (D-Del.) a member, of the Senate',
Intelligence .Committee; says he favors the concept'!
f. 'a single director., with broad powers.
z . "There h-as got- to be; one. persona president ca
turn-.to, and say, 'Hey,-? Charley, what's the story?'
- e need one person=a director of intelligence=-t
thver: CIA, DIA, NSA and all _66 rest,". Biden said.
,.
.~,:The President is expected to make a?decision on:.
reorganizations before the end ;of the summer.
Even with, all the controversies and problems,
"high-level. officials ,in the intelligence community
hope'Turrier is the man who can bridge the gap be- .
tween. the needs of the decision-makers ?,nd the ca-.
spabilities of the intelligence community.
You see, I have -an--interesting perspective
here,".Turner- said. "Until March. 9,;,.I had been
nothing -'but - a' consumer of - intelligence '`:'r' 301h
.years. And I. sympathize with the consume; s.".