THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 29, 1994 TAG: 9412290421
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Reaction from key members of Congress and others to R. James Woolsey's resignation Wednesday as director of the CIA and the spy agency's future:
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee and an old friend of Woolsey:
Woolsey is a ``distinguished public servant'' who had not been able over time ``to develop a give-and-take with Congress. It was one sequential stonewall after another.''
He made ``errors in judgment. . . . The reprimands that Woolsey gave to the individuals who were singled out (in the Aldrich Ames spy case) . . . were not commensurate with what should have been given those individuals.''
The next director should be someone ``who has instant credibility across America as a person who has achieved recognition in the area of national security.''
Sen. Dennis DeConcini, D-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee:
What is needed is ``the whole overhaul of the intelligence community, and that means the culture of how it operates. So I think it is an opportunity for the president to put somebody in who is prepared to really make some changes. That's not going to be popular and it isn't something that is easy by any means . . . but that's what needs to happen today.''
Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee:
``This resignation will hopefully clear the way for real change to occur at the CIA. I am hopeful that the next director of the CIA is someone who will take it upon him or herself to bring about the thorough top-to-bottom review and reform that is necessary to restore confidence in our intelligence agency.''
Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee:
``In matters ranging from people to technology, Jim Woolsey made the tough decisions. He is unfairly associated in the public mind with the Ames case, which transpired long before Mr. Woolsey arrived at the CIA. In my view, Mr. Woolsey's responses to the case, especially the upgrading of counterintelligence, will bring long-term improvements at CIA. In addition, I admire Mr. Woolsey's tenacious loyalty to the rank-and-file employees of the intelligence agencies.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., former vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee:
Woolsey made a ``fatal mistake'' by spending ``so much time defending those indefensible things that happened before he came there'' instead of making changes to prevent future failures. The Ames case ``itself should have called for a wholesale revamping. To respond to that with letters of reprimand was nowhere near enough.''
William Webster, CIA director under President Bush:
``I think (Woolsey) should be applauded for serving his country well.''
KEYWORDS: RESIGNATION CIA by CNB