Fred Ikle
Encyclopedia
Dr. Fred Charles Iklé was a United States Department of Defense
official during the presidency of Ronald Reagan
who is credited with a key role in increasing U.S. aid to anti-Soviet rebels in the Soviet War in Afghanistan
. He successfully proposed and promoted the idea of supplying the rebels with anti-aircraft Stinger
missiles, overcoming CIA opposition. Iklé was director for the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
in 1973-1977 and later Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
. Iklé was a Distinguished Scholar with the Center for Strategic and International Studies
. Iklé's expertise was in defense and foreign policy; nuclear strategy; and the role of technology in the emerging international order. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Iklé sponsored a proposal to supply the rebels with Stinger shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. The Stinger proposal was at first strongly opposed by the CIA, the U.S. State Department, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. CIA Deputy Director John McMahon, who resisted the proposal, was the target of a letter-writing campaign by conservative groups. At a meeting on December 6, 1985, Iklé asked McMahon if the CIA needed Stingers. "I decided then and there that I had enough of carrying water for the Joint Chiefs and I said 'Fred, I'll take every Stinger you can send me,'" McMahon recalled. Despite McMahon's apparent change of heart, the CIA again vetoed the Stinger proposal at an interagency meeting in mid-February 1986. President Reagan signed an executive order to supply the Angolan guerrilla group UNITA
with Stingers on February 18, and the CIA finally agreed to supply them to the Afghan rebels on February 23. McMahon resigned soon afterward. The decision to supply the Stinger to the Afghan rebels is often viewed as the turning point of the war.
, which produced the Report of the National Commission on Terrorism
in June 2000, and he served for nine years as Director of the National Endowment for Democracy. director for the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
(1973–1977).
He also co-chaired the bipartisan Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy, which published Discriminate Deterrence in January 1988. In 1975 and 1987, Iklé received the highest civilian award of the Department of Defense, the Distinguished Public Service Medal. In 1988, he was awarded the Bronze Palm.
Iklé has served as chairman of the Board of the Telos Corporation and as a director of the Zurich-American Insurance Companies. He was a Director of CMC Energy Services and served as Governor of the Smith Richardson Foundation
and as a Director of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.
He was the author of several books and numerous articles on defense, foreign policy, and arms control, including How Nations Negotiate and Every War Must End. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago
and spoke French and German.
Iklé's newest work Annihilation From Within was published November 2006 by Columbia University Press.
http://csis.org/images/stories/Misc/ikle_pubs.pdf
Books:
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
official during the presidency of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
who is credited with a key role in increasing U.S. aid to anti-Soviet rebels in the Soviet War in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
. He successfully proposed and promoted the idea of supplying the rebels with anti-aircraft Stinger
FIM-92 Stinger
The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...
missiles, overcoming CIA opposition. Iklé was director for the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
The U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency was established as an independent agency of the United States government by the Arms Control and Disarmament Act , September 26, 1961, a bill drafted by presidential adviser John J. McCloy. Its predecessor was the U.S. Disarmament Administration, part...
in 1973-1977 and later Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense for all matters...
. Iklé was a Distinguished Scholar with the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C., foreign policy think tank. The center was founded in 1962 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire, originally as part of Georgetown University...
. Iklé's expertise was in defense and foreign policy; nuclear strategy; and the role of technology in the emerging international order. He was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Iklé's war
As an under secretary of defense, Iklé led the effort to lobby for National Security Decision Directive 166 ("Expanded US Aid to Afghan Guerrillas"), signed by Reagan in March 1985. When he visited Pakistan in April 1985, Iklé found that the CIA was still pursuing the war in a halfhearted manner. "We began to understand that what to us was a very big deal back in Washington, from the point of view of the president, is a second order priority handled by one GS [civil service officer]," according to Michael Pillsbury, Iklé's deputy.Iklé sponsored a proposal to supply the rebels with Stinger shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. The Stinger proposal was at first strongly opposed by the CIA, the U.S. State Department, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. CIA Deputy Director John McMahon, who resisted the proposal, was the target of a letter-writing campaign by conservative groups. At a meeting on December 6, 1985, Iklé asked McMahon if the CIA needed Stingers. "I decided then and there that I had enough of carrying water for the Joint Chiefs and I said 'Fred, I'll take every Stinger you can send me,'" McMahon recalled. Despite McMahon's apparent change of heart, the CIA again vetoed the Stinger proposal at an interagency meeting in mid-February 1986. President Reagan signed an executive order to supply the Angolan guerrilla group UNITA
UNITA
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in the Angolan War for Independence and then against the MPLA in the ensuing civil war .The war was one...
with Stingers on February 18, and the CIA finally agreed to supply them to the Afghan rebels on February 23. McMahon resigned soon afterward. The decision to supply the Stinger to the Afghan rebels is often viewed as the turning point of the war.
Later life
Iklé remained at the Defense Department until 1988, when he joined CSIS. Iklé served as a Commissioner on the National Commission on TerrorismNational Commission on Terrorism
The U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century , also known as the Hart-Rudman Commission or Hart-Rudman Task Force on Homeland Security, was chartered by Secretary of Defense William Cohen in 1998 to provide a comprehensive review of US national security requirements in the 21st century...
, which produced the Report of the National Commission on Terrorism
Report of the National Commission on Terrorism
The Report of the National Commission on Terrorism, also known as the Bremer Commission, "Countering The Changing Threat of International Terrorism", Pursuant to Public Law 277, 105th Congress, was published June 2000. Ambassador L...
in June 2000, and he served for nine years as Director of the National Endowment for Democracy. director for the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
The U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency was established as an independent agency of the United States government by the Arms Control and Disarmament Act , September 26, 1961, a bill drafted by presidential adviser John J. McCloy. Its predecessor was the U.S. Disarmament Administration, part...
(1973–1977).
He also co-chaired the bipartisan Commission on Integrated Long-Term Strategy, which published Discriminate Deterrence in January 1988. In 1975 and 1987, Iklé received the highest civilian award of the Department of Defense, the Distinguished Public Service Medal. In 1988, he was awarded the Bronze Palm.
Iklé has served as chairman of the Board of the Telos Corporation and as a director of the Zurich-American Insurance Companies. He was a Director of CMC Energy Services and served as Governor of the Smith Richardson Foundation
Smith Richardson Foundation
The Smith Richardson Foundation is a private foundation based in Westport, Connecticut, that supports policy research in the realms of foreign and domestic public policy....
and as a Director of the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea.
He was the author of several books and numerous articles on defense, foreign policy, and arms control, including How Nations Negotiate and Every War Must End. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and spoke French and German.
Iklé's newest work Annihilation From Within was published November 2006 by Columbia University Press.
Further reading
List of publications:http://csis.org/images/stories/Misc/ikle_pubs.pdf
Books:
- Ikle, Fred Charles Annihilation From Within (Columbia University Press 2006)
- Ikle, Fred Charles Every War Must End (Columbia University Press, 1971, 1991, 2005 with new prefaces)
- Ikle, Fred Charles How Nations Negotiate (Harper and Row, 1968)
- Ikle, Fred Charles The Social Impact of Bomb Destruction (University of Oklahoma Press, 1958)