OCT_pus

[jya@pipeline.com (John Young)]

   5-6-96. Time:

   "Master of the Game. The formidable John Deutch is becoming
   the most powerful CIA chief ever."

      This power didn't fall accidentally into Deutch's lap;
      he has lobbied hard for it. While he mouthed
      technocratic demurrals before the Senate committee,
      promising not to be too "intrusive" and humbly noting
      that "my Cabinet colleagues have concerns about how
      future DCI's would, over the long term, play a role in
      this concurrence," it was clearly time for the winner to
      take all.

      The CIA is already upgrading many of its techniques:
      breaking into computer systems, intercepting faxes,
      experimenting with dead drops in cyberspace to receive
      secrets.

      The big-ticket spending that is out of control has been
      satellites. The CIA wants to build $1 billion-apiece
      "8X" spy satellites to photograph targets, even though
      it has sitting in warehouses about half a dozen
      satellites that have the capacity to take pictures for
      the next decade. But satellites may simply not be that
      useful. A secret CIA study recently concluded that
      satellites provide less than 10% of the valuable signal
      intelligence collected from such rogue states as Iraq
      and Iran. Most such data are scooped up by ground
      stations or via phone taps.

      There is deep anxiety at Langley that Deutch's grab for
      power is designed to advance his own career.

   OCT_pus

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William Safire adds to this in 5-6-96 NYT: www.nytimes.com.