Statement of Bobby Ray Inman on Withdrawing His Nomination

The New York Times - National Page - January 19, 1994 - [Excerpt]

"...Subsequently, in early 1981 when the Israelis bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor, I looked at the distance on the map from Israel to Baghdad, and thought, I wonder how and where they got the targeting material?

We had long established procedures that in honoring our commitment for Israel's defense, we permitted Israel to requisition satellite photography of potential direct threats to their system. When I asked what materials had been drawn under that process for the last six months, I found not only a lot of information on Baghdad had been drawn but also on other countries substantially removed from Israel: Pakistan, Libya. And I made the decision as the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, the acting director, to limit the process, to say that in the future they could draw material within 250 miles of the border, but beyond that, they would have to ask.

The Defense minister, general Sharon, was so furious he came to the U.S. to protest to Mr. Weinberger. The Secretary of Defense supported my decision. Casey had been on a trip down to Australia and New Zealand. When he came back, his favorite journalist and former campaign manager, Mr. Safire, complained to him about the decision. When we had a rather heated discussion, I recommended that Mr. Casey talk to Mr. Weinberger, who had supported me, and he elected not to override the decision. But from that point on, if you will trace the coverage, it's been hostile...."

J4JP Note:

In actuality, what occurred here was that Casey's absence created an executive level vacuum or "discontinuity" in the CIA which Inman, as the organization's "acting director," was able to exploit. Approximately 1 year later, during Operation peace for the Galilee, this same type of high level bureaucratic vacuum was used by Weinberger to implement his own anti-Israel agenda at the Pentagon.

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