Minutes of Talks between the Political and Operational CIA Delegation and the Delegation of the UOP Intelligence Service on 6/30/1990

Warsaw  July 4, 1990

TOP SECRET

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MINUTES

of talks between the political and operational CIA delegation and the delegation of the UOP intelligence service on 6/30/1990

Delegations: CIA: Paul Redmond, John Palevich, William Norville (CIA resident in Warsaw), UOP Intelligence Service: Henryk Jasik, Krzysztof Smolenski, Ryszard Rabś (translator).

Director Henryk Jasik discussed:

- Recruitment system of the intelligence service;

- System and scope of operational training in the OKKW^[1].

In the sphere of political affairs, Director H. Jasik informed:

- The intelligence service of the Republic of Poland has ceased operations in the United States. Residencies are subject to significant personnel restrictions. We are not planning to place our officers at the consulate in Los Angeles. Symbolic residents in the USA will not work against the US government, but will deal with German, Soviet and anti-terrorist issues.

The residents will not use agents in their work;

- The most important thing for us is the economic affairs. We have welcomed the objective, up-to-date information — an  the analysis of the CIA on the Polish economy and the ongoing reforms.

Director Paul Redmond:

- Recruitment system of the CIA. The recruitment sources are: press announcements, field recruitment offices, individual applications of candidates, the selection of possible candidates at universities (recruitment officers meetings with students of the final years of study). Some practical advice on the background of the long-standing experience of the CIA in this field. He stressed the importance of the first interview with the candidate. Such discussions shall be conducted by experienced operational officers.

- He discussed the system of training for new CIA officers. It includes:

- 2 weeks of ideological/political training, familiarization with the structure and tasks of the CIA;

- 4 weeks of practice in the Directorate of Operations (writing reports on the basis of residency materials) and the Information Directorate;

- 4 weeks of training in a special paramilitary course (discipline development, integration with the CIA, etc.);

- 4 weeks of follow-up practice in different cells of the Headquarters,  including mandatory training in the Information Directorate;

- 18 weeks of practical operational training (simulated operational situations, observation work). The activities are carried out by the operational officers of the individual CIA cells;

- Allocation to individual CIA Headquarters units. It is based on an analysis of the assessments of the various stages of the training.

No language training shall be provided during the operational training.

- He presented a system of screening of CIA  candidates and officers.

Each candidate undergoes a very detailed "security clearance" procedure which lasts about 6-8 months, including a mandatory polygraph test. The trial period shall be three years.  They are followed by a re-examination in terms of "security clearance" and a a polygraph test. Permanent CIA officers shall undergo polygraph tests every five years;

- He assessed that candidates for the intelligence service who are graduates of Soviet universities should be approached with great care. Mainly because the KGB counter-intelligence led and conducted extensive recruitment among foreign students in the Soviet Union;

- He said that he would immediately inform the National Security Council and the FBI about the cessation of operations in the US by the Polish intelligence service. He announced, however, that "the FBI will take some time to switch its activities with respect to the Polish institutions";

- He offered to provide extensive material on the recruitment and training of staff at the CIA;

- He asked for our assessments of the situation in the Soviet Union and in the Baltic republics. The CIA has poor orientation due to Soviet counterintelligence the regime. He offered to provide material on the experience of the CIA in Moscow's operational work and a study on the KGB intelligence service;

- He offered a referral for a few days (if the Polish side expresses such a wish) of the operational lecturers for the OKKW course;

- He said that the CIA had no residencies in Iran or Libya. He asked for consideration of the possibility of assisting the CIA to identify the situation in the two countries.     

- They are particularly interested in the production plant of combat gases located near Tripoli;

- He stated that the CIA began paying more attention to the situation in the German states that are undergoing reunification.

Compiled by K. Smoleński

^[1]Ośrodek Kształcenia Kadr Wywiadu, Intelligence Service Training School.