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Interview Questions for Richard Kerr

Position: Former Acting Director of Central Intelligence (1991), Deputy Director of


Intelligence for Operations (1989-92), and CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence (1986-9)

Purpose: The purpose of this interview is to explore (1) how the Intelligence
Community approached counterterrorism during the 1980s and early 1990s; (2) how the
Intelligence Community reacted to the end of the Cold War, including downsizing and
developing a strategy for the post-Cold War world; and (3) how the intelligence/policy
nexus worked during his tenure as DDCI. The Counterterrorism Center was established
the year that Mr. Kerr became DDL

Key Questions
Background:
1) Please provide for us an account of your positions at the CIA and the years that
you held those positions.
2) What is your connection with the Intelligence Community since retiring? Have
you served on any national security-related panels?
Management of the Intelligence Community:
1) How did the end of the Cold War impact the CIA and the 1C concerning
personnel levels, stations and bases, resources, skill mix, etc.? Were there any
strategic plans regarding the CIA and the 1C after the Cold War?
2) What were your priorities as DDCI? Could you align resources with those
priorities?
3) Has the role of the DCI changed over time? Are the DCI's authorities sufficient
for his responsibilities?
4) How has the IC's responsibility for (1) supporting policymakers, (2) preventing
Pearl Harbors, and (3) supporting military operations evolved over time?
5) Has the concept of an "Intelligence Community" succeeded in practice?
Intelligence/Policy Nexus;
1) How did the NSC set priorities for the CIA during your tenure? Did you
participate in any NSC committee meetings?

2) How did the White House conduct oversight of intelligence?

Analysis:
1) Has the quality of intelligence analysis changed over time? Can you discuss any
specific instances of successes or failures?

2) Do you think that analysis for counterterrorism is a unique tradecraft compared to


other intelligence analysis? How would you assess training and education of
analysts for counterterrorism?

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3) What does "all-source" intelligence mean, and is it actually done in the 1C? And
what is the feedback loop between analysts and collectors?

Warning:
1) How is "warning" defined? What is your opinion of the IC's conduct of warning?
How should the 1C undertake warning in the future?

Risk Aversion:
1) Has the culture of the CIA (DO, DI, DS&T) and the 1C with respect to risk-taking
changed over time? If so, why?

Counterterrorism:
1) During your tenure at the CIA, how did Counterterrorism rank among the DFs,
CIA's, and IC's competing priorities? Were you able to apply sufficient
resources to the terrorism problem?
2) How was the DI organized to conduct Counterterrorism analysis? Why was CTC
established? Who was responsible for overseeing CTC? What was CTC's
original mission, and how did it evolve over time?
Congressional Oversight:
1) Has Congressional oversight improved the IC's performance?

9/11:
1) How do you define "intelligence failure?" Do you think 9/11 was one? If so,
what were the causes?

Special Activities:
1) Please give us your assessment of the state of special activities capabilities when
you became DDCI and when you retired from the agency. What guidance did
you receive from the NSC in developing and/or maintaining these capabilities?
2) Should the CIA continue to be help responsible for special activities when DoD
can conduct such activities?
Open Source:
1) What sources of information are you aware of now that you wish the DI had?

COMMISSION SENSITIVE
COMMISSION SENSITIVE

Interview Questions for Richard Kerr

Position: Former Acting Director of Central Intelligence (1991), Deputy Director of


Intelligence for Operations (1989-92), and CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence (1986-9)

Purpose: The purpose of this interview is to explore (1) how the Intelligence Community
approached counterterrorism during the 1980s and early 1990s; (2) how the Intelligence
Community reacted to the end of the Cold War, including downsizing and developing a
strategy for the post-Cold War world; and (3) how the intelligence/policy nexus worked
during his tenure as DDCI. The Counterterrorism Center was established the year that
Mr. Kerr became DDL

Key Questions

Background:
S 1) Please provide for us an account of your positions at the CIA and the years that
^ you held those positions. Pas*jeJLJl?
2) Have Ynn bad any financial link* wil.li lln Tnldligence Community since retiring?-
Management of the Intelligence Community:
1) What was the impact of the end of the Cold War on the CIA specifically and the
1C generally? How did it impact personnel levels, resources, skill mix,
retirements, etc?
2) What were your priorities as DDCI? What flexibility did you have to align
resources against those priorities? Please describe any strategic plans that were
drafted or in effect regarding the CIA and the 1C following the end of the Cold
War.
3) Did you close stations and bases overseas - and if so, how did you decide what
assets and missions to cut? How much discretion did you have in deciding what
to cut?
4) How did the White House and the National Security Council set priorities for the
CIA during your tenure? How did the White House conduct oversight of
intelligence? Did you participate in NSC committee meetings or any other such
bodies?
5) How has the role of the DCI changed over time? Were the DCI's authorities
sufficient for his responsibilities? What is your perspective on how DCIs have
split their time between being CIA Director and being DCI?
6) How has the Intelligence Community's responsibility for (1) supporting
policymakers, (2) preventing Pearl Harbors, and (3) supporting military
operations evolved over time?
7) Has the concept of an "Intelligence Community" failed in practice?
Risk Aversion:
1) Describe the culture of the CIA and the Intelligence Community with respect to
risk-taking. How has this changed over time? Can you provide particular

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instances where the officers of the DO were challenged, investigated or


disciplined for actions that were legal, but politically sensitive?
Analysis and Warning:
1) How would you assess the quality of analysis in the 1C? What metrics should be
used for assessing quality?

2) What does "all-source" intelligence mean, and who has responsibility for doing
that in the 1C? Does the DI due all-source analysis? How do we assess whether
analysis is truly "all-source?"

3) How is "warning" defined? What is your opinion of the IC's conduct of warning?
How should the 1C undertake warning in the future?

Counterterrorism: '
1) During your tenure at the CIA, how did counterterrorism rank among the DI's,
CIA's, and IC's competing priorities? Were you able to apply sufficient
resources to the terrorism problem?
2) How was the DI organized to conduct counterterrorism analysis? What were the
motivations for establishing the Counterterrorism Center? Who was responsible
for overseeing CTC? What was CTC's original mission, and how did it evolve
over time?
3) How should we assess the quality of HUMINT and other ENTs in combating
terrorism?
/, Congressional oversight:
1) How would you assess Congressional oversight? Has it improved the IC's
performance?
9/11
1) How do you define "intelligence failure?" Do you think 9/11 was one?
Special Activities:
1) Please give us your assessment of the state of special activities capabilities when
you became DDCI and when you retired from the agency.
2) What guidance did you receive from the DCI and/or NSC in developing and/or
maintaining these capabilities?
3) How did you evaluate the performance of the CIA to conduct special activities?
4) What are your views on whether the CIA should continue to be help responsible
for special activities when the Department of Defense can conduct such activities?
Open Source:
1) What sources of information do you have access to for your private-sector
employment, and how do they compare to what the DI had?
2) What sources of information are you aware of now that you wish the DI had?

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