ACCESSION 
NUMBER:350828

FILE ID:EUR206

DATE:06/28/94

TITLE:CIA DIRECTOR CALLS FOR COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA, UKRAINE (06/28/94)

TEXT:*94062803.PFE

*EUR206   06/28/94

CIA DIRECTOR CALLS FOR COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA, UKRAINE

(Points out dangers in post-Cold War age) (570)

By David Pitts

USIA Staff Writer

Washington -- CIA director James Woolsey June 28 urged greater cooperation

between the intelligence organizations of the United States, Russia, and

Ukraine.  "We have many things we need to do together -- to prevent

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the spread of regional

conflicts," he remarked.



Speaking at a conference sponsored by the American University in Moscow and

the Summit Council, Woolsey said he is "particularly concerned about the

possibility that organized crime groups will see an opportunity for making

money by smuggling nuclear materials, or even nuclear warheads and nuclear

weapons."  But he stressed that "we haven't seen it yet."  He said most "of

what we have seen so far are essentially scams."



Woolsey said he sees "increasing opportunities" for the three countries "to

cooperate on security matters."  He added: "There is a great deal of room

for common purpose and common undertakings.  We very much value renewed

friendships with your countries."



Asked by a Russian participant whether the three countries should move

toward uniform security standards in view of the fact that Russia's

intelligence procedures are stricter than those in the United States,

Woolsey said, "It is a matter which each country has to decide on its own."



He pointed out that despite the fact that the United States had been to war

with Mexico and Canada in the distant past, the country in recent history

has been bordered by two friendly nations.  "In modern times, we are an

island in terms of security.  Russia and Ukraine are not," he remarked.



Most of Woolsey's remarks were devoted to a historical overview of the

origins of the CIA and the way in which intelligence gathering in the

United States is organized.  He stressed that the CIA "functions

differently than intelligence organizations in most countries."



Contrary to popular perception, the CIA "is not a product of the Cold War.

It was founded shortly before the Cold War -- in 1947 -- and was an

outgrowth of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS)."  The essential reason

for its founding was to prevent another surprise attack on the United

States such as occurred at Pearl Harbor, he explained.



Woolsey stressed that the CIA "has no internal security function and no

police powers."  It is not a law enforcement organization; that function

belongs to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), he added.  "We obtain

intelligence and the FBI conducts investigations and works with law

enforcement in other countries," he noted.



He also pointed out that oversight of the CIA and other intelligence

organizations is performed by Congress.  The current system, "which was

spawned during the 1970s, works reasonably well," he noted.  Last year, he

said he appeared at Senate or House hearings 180 times.



Woolsey said that in the past an emphasis was placed on presenting a more or

less uniform intelligence view to administration officials, which

inevitably resulted in compromises among various intelligence organizations

and within the CIA itself.  As a result, he said that intelligence

1stimates in the sixties, seventies, and even eighties "were often vague."



"Now, we don't try to reach some kind of common, vague prediction," he

explained.  Instead, he said the intelligence community tries to use

intelligence estimates "as teaching documents" and to include disagreements

with appropriate explanations.



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