President Clinton speech to the Intelligence Community, at the CIA, 14 July 1995:
. . . . . I know that the Ames scandal has colored much of the current debate over the future of the CIA.
We must not minimize the damage Ames did or the changes we must make to prevent future scandals.
But Aldrich Ames was a terrible exception to a proud tradition of service and sacrifice – – a tradition reflected in the 59 stars that shine on the CIA’s memorial wall in honor of those who gave their lives for our country.
We owe it to all of you in the intelligence community and to the American people to make sure we act on the lessons of his treason.
And we are. As soon as Ames was brought to justice, I ordered a comprehensive reexamination and both internal and external studies of our counterintelligence operations.
As a result, we’ve changed the way the intelligence community does business. Each agency now requires more intensive and continuous training in counterintelligence and evaluates its employees more thoroughly and frequently.
Above all, we are insisting that those involved in an operation take responsibility for its integrity. That requires careful, advance planning that integrates counterintelligence into everything you do — from day one.
This isn’t just about safes and locks. It’s about designing operations to minimize the possibility of a security breakdown.
DCI Deutch and I want to ensure that these new policies are carried out carefully to avoid creating a climate of suspicion that embitters rather than empowers you. Achieving this delicate balance won’t be easy. But it must be done.
As we guard against a repeat of the Ames episode, we must be careful not to produce a culture so risk averse that case officers refuse to take chances and analysts are afraid to speak their minds. You must not be paralyzed by the fear of failure.
This administration will continue to support bold, aggressive actions by the intelligence community — consistent with the laws of the land, with our interests and with our values. . . . . .
National Security Council Anthony Lake Speech, March 1995:
. . . .But first, let me tell you what we’ve done to prevent another Ames scandal. As soon as Ames was brought to justice, the President ordered a comprehensive reexamination of counterintelligence by a CIA, FBI, Justice Department and NSC working group. He established a National Counterintelligence Policy Board under the National Security Council. And the president commissioned an independent study on counterintelligence by the Joint Security Commission and a report on the Ames affair by the CIA Inspector General.
These efforts have resulted in important changes in the way the intelligence community does business. Each intelligence agency now requires more intensive, ongoing training in counterintelligence. Employees are being evaluated on a more continuous basis. Managers have greater access to security and personnel information so that they can better assess an employee before appointing him or her to a sensitive post.
Above all, we are demanding that those involved in an operation take responsibility for its integrity. Meeting that responsibility requires careful, advance planning that integrates counterintelligence into everything you do — from day one. This isn’t just about safes and locks. It’s about designing operations to minimize the possibility of a security breakdown.
These new policies will take time to implement fully. And they must be carried out with care and caution if we are to avoid creating a climate of suspicion that embitters rather than empowers the men and women of our intelligence community. For example, if an employee has a personal problem, we must encourage him to seek counseling while ensuring him that, in coming forward, his record will not be indelibly tarred. Achieving this delicate balance won’t be easy. But it must be done.
We must also make sure that, as we guard against a repeat of the Ames episode, we do not create a culture that is so risk averse that operators refuse to take chances and analysts are afraid to speak their minds. We cannot be paralyzed by the fear of failure. As long as they are consistent with the laws of the land and common sense, aggressive, bold actions by the intelligence community will have the full support of this administration. . . . . .