William J. Casey
Encyclopedia
William Joseph Casey was the Director of Central Intelligence
from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity he oversaw the entire United States Intelligence Community
and personally directed the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA).
in 1934 and earned a law degree
from St. John's University School of Law in 1937. During World War II
, he worked for the Office of Strategic Services
(OSS) — the predecessor to the CIA — where he became head of its Secret Intelligence Branch
in Europe. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement. Casey ran for New York's 3rd congressional district as a "Javits Republican" in 1966, but was defeated in the primary by former Congressman Steven Derounian. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/obituaries/20derounian.html?ex=1335412800&en=78dbf9d13ec434e6&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink After practicing corporate law
in New York
, he served in the Nixon Administration
as the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
from 1971 to 1973; this position led to his being called as a prosecution witness against former Attorney General John N. Mitchell
and former Commerce Secretary Maurice Stans
in an influence-peddling case stemming from international financier Robert Vesco
's $200,000 contribution to the Nixon reelection campaign. He then served as Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs for 1973-74. He was a co-founder of the Manhattan Institute
in 1978. He is the father-in-law of Owen Smith, the president of Friends of the Planting Fields Aboretum State Historic Site in Oyster Bay.
of the successful presidential campaign of Ronald Reagan
in 1980, and served on the transition team following the election. After Reagan took office, Reagan named Casey to the post of Director of Central Intelligence
. Stansfield Turner
dubbed it the 'Resurrection of Wild Bill', referring to Bill Donovan, the brilliant and eccentric head of OSS in WWII whom Casey greatly admired. During his tenure at the CIA, Casey played a large part in the shaping of Reagan's foreign policy
, particularly Reagan's approach to Soviet
international activity. Based on the book, The Terror Network
, Casey believed that the Soviet Union was the source of most worldwide, terrorist activity in spite of CIA analysts providing evidence that this was in fact black propaganda
by the CIA itself. Casey obtained a report from a professor who agreed with his view. Casey also turned to DIA
for a competing analysis, that was ultimately reconciled with the CIA analysts to produce the estimate circulated within the government as "The Soviet Role in Revolutionary Violence." This, in turn, convinced Reagan that there was a threat. After records from the collapsed Communist governments became available in the 1990s it became clear that the disputed report under-estimated Communist involvement in terrorist activity.
Casey oversaw the re-expansion of the Intelligence Community to funding and human resource levels greater than those existing before the preceding Carter Administration; in particular, he increased levels within the CIA. During his tenure, restrictions were lifted on the use of the CIA to directly and covertly influence the internal and foreign affairs of countries relevant to American policy.
This period of the Cold War
saw an increase in the Agency's global, anti-Soviet activities, which is started under the Carter Doctrine in late 1980.
Notably, Casey oversaw covert assistance to the mujahadeen resistance in Afghanistan
, with a budget of over $1 billion, by working closely with Akhtar Abdur Rahman
, the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence
of Pakistan
. He also oversaw assistance to the Solidarity movement in Poland
; and was associated with a number of coups and attempted coups in South
- and Central America
.
Hours before Casey was scheduled to testify before Congress related to his knowledge of Iran-Contra, he was reported to have been rendered incapable of speech, and was later hospitalized. In a 1987 book, Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987, Washington Post, reporter, and biographer, Bob Woodward
, who had interviewed Casey on a number of occasions for the biography, said that he had gained entry into Casey's hospital room for a final, four-minute encounter—a claim which was met with disbelief in many quarters as well as an adamant denial from Casey's wife, Sofia. According to Woodward, when Casey was asked if he knew about the diversion of funds to the Nicaraguan Contras
, "His head jerked up hard. He stared, and finally nodded yes."
and a member of the Knights of Malta.
in 1987 at the age of 74. His Requiem Mass was said by Fr. Daniel Fagan, then pastor of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Roslyn, New York
. It was attended by, (among others) President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan. Casey is buried in the Cemetery of the Holy Rood
in Westbury, New York
. He was survived by his wife, the former Sophia McDaid, and his daughter, Bernadette Smith.
Director of Central Intelligence
The Office of United States Director of Central Intelligence was the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the principal intelligence advisor to the President and the National Security Council, and the coordinator of intelligence activities among and between the various United...
from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity he oversaw the entire United States Intelligence Community
United States Intelligence Community
The United States Intelligence Community is a cooperative federation of 16 separate United States government agencies that work separately and together to conduct intelligence activities considered necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and the protection of the national security of the...
and personally directed the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA).
Biography
A native of Elmhurst, Queens, New York, Casey graduated from Fordham UniversityFordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in 1934 and earned a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from St. John's University School of Law in 1937. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he worked for the Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
(OSS) — the predecessor to the CIA — where he became head of its Secret Intelligence Branch
Secret Intelligence Branch
The Secret Intelligence Branch of the United States' Office of Strategic Services was a wartime foreign intelligence service responsible for the collection of human intelligence from a network of field stations in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East....
in Europe. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious achievement. Casey ran for New York's 3rd congressional district as a "Javits Republican" in 1966, but was defeated in the primary by former Congressman Steven Derounian. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/obituaries/20derounian.html?ex=1335412800&en=78dbf9d13ec434e6&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink After practicing corporate law
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, he served in the Nixon Administration
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
as the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is a federal agency which holds primary responsibility for enforcing the federal securities laws and regulating the securities industry, the nation's stock and options exchanges, and other electronic securities markets in the United States...
from 1971 to 1973; this position led to his being called as a prosecution witness against former Attorney General John N. Mitchell
John N. Mitchell
John Newton Mitchell was the Attorney General of the United States from 1969 to 1972 under President Richard Nixon...
and former Commerce Secretary Maurice Stans
Maurice Stans
Maurice Hubert Stans was an American accountant, high-ranking civil servant, Cabinet member, and political organizer...
in an influence-peddling case stemming from international financier Robert Vesco
Robert Vesco
Robert Lee Vesco was a fugitive United States financier. After several years of high stakes investments and seedy credit dealings, Vesco was alleged guilty of securities fraud. He immediately fled the ensuing U.S...
's $200,000 contribution to the Nixon reelection campaign. He then served as Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs for 1973-74. He was a co-founder of the Manhattan Institute
Manhattan Institute
The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is a conservative, market-oriented think tank established in New York City in 1978 by Antony Fisher and William J...
in 1978. He is the father-in-law of Owen Smith, the president of Friends of the Planting Fields Aboretum State Historic Site in Oyster Bay.
Director of Central Intelligence
Casey was campaign managerCampaign manager
A campaign manager is a paid or volunteer individual, whose role is to coordinate the campaign's operations such as fundraising, advertising, polling, getting out the vote , and other activities supporting the effort, directly.Apart from the candidate, they are often a campaign's most visible leader...
of the successful presidential campaign 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....
in 1980, and served on the transition team following the election. After Reagan took office, Reagan named Casey to the post of Director of Central Intelligence
Director of Central Intelligence
The Office of United States Director of Central Intelligence was the head of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the principal intelligence advisor to the President and the National Security Council, and the coordinator of intelligence activities among and between the various United...
. Stansfield Turner
Stansfield Turner
Stansfield M. Turner is a retired Admiral and former Director of Central Intelligence. He is currently a senior research scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Policy....
dubbed it the 'Resurrection of Wild Bill', referring to Bill Donovan, the brilliant and eccentric head of OSS in WWII whom Casey greatly admired. During his tenure at the CIA, Casey played a large part in the shaping of Reagan's foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
, particularly Reagan's approach to Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
international activity. Based on the book, The Terror Network
The Terror Network
The Terror Network was a 1981 book by Claire Sterling which argued that the USSR was using terrorists as a proxy force.In part because of the book, CIA director William J. Casey commissioned a Special National Intelligence Estimate on Soviet support for terrorism...
, Casey believed that the Soviet Union was the source of most worldwide, terrorist activity in spite of CIA analysts providing evidence that this was in fact black propaganda
Black propaganda
Black propaganda is false information and material that purports to be from a source on one side of a conflict, but is actually from the opposing side. It is typically used to vilify, embarrass or misrepresent the enemy...
by the CIA itself. Casey obtained a report from a professor who agreed with his view. Casey also turned to DIA
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
for a competing analysis, that was ultimately reconciled with the CIA analysts to produce the estimate circulated within the government as "The Soviet Role in Revolutionary Violence." This, in turn, convinced Reagan that there was a threat. After records from the collapsed Communist governments became available in the 1990s it became clear that the disputed report under-estimated Communist involvement in terrorist activity.
Casey oversaw the re-expansion of the Intelligence Community to funding and human resource levels greater than those existing before the preceding Carter Administration; in particular, he increased levels within the CIA. During his tenure, restrictions were lifted on the use of the CIA to directly and covertly influence the internal and foreign affairs of countries relevant to American policy.
This period of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
saw an increase in the Agency's global, anti-Soviet activities, which is started under the Carter Doctrine in late 1980.
Notably, Casey oversaw covert assistance to the mujahadeen resistance in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, with a budget of over $1 billion, by working closely with Akhtar Abdur Rahman
Akhtar Abdur Rahman
General Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan , born in Rampur, was a 4-star general in the Pakistan Army. He served as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee from 1987–1988 and as Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence from 1980-1987...
, the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He also oversaw assistance to the Solidarity movement in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
; and was associated with a number of coups and attempted coups in South
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
- and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
Hours before Casey was scheduled to testify before Congress related to his knowledge of Iran-Contra, he was reported to have been rendered incapable of speech, and was later hospitalized. In a 1987 book, Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987, Washington Post, reporter, and biographer, Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist and non-fiction author. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post....
, who had interviewed Casey on a number of occasions for the biography, said that he had gained entry into Casey's hospital room for a final, four-minute encounter—a claim which was met with disbelief in many quarters as well as an adamant denial from Casey's wife, Sofia. According to Woodward, when Casey was asked if he knew about the diversion of funds to the Nicaraguan Contras
Contras
The contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship...
, "His head jerked up hard. He stared, and finally nodded yes."
Personal life
Casey was a devout CatholicCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and a member of the Knights of Malta.
Death
Casey died of a brain tumorBrain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
in 1987 at the age of 74. His Requiem Mass was said by Fr. Daniel Fagan, then pastor of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Roslyn, New York
Roslyn, New York
Roslyn is a village in Nassau County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 2,770...
. It was attended by, (among others) President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan. Casey is buried in the Cemetery of the Holy Rood
Cemetery of the Holy Rood
The Cemetery of the Holy Rood is a Roman Catholic cemetery located in Westbury, New York. The cemetery, established in 1930, is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre.-History:...
in Westbury, New York
Westbury, New York
Westbury incorporated in 1932 as a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 15,146 at the 2010 census.The Village of Westbury is in the Town of North Hempstead....
. He was survived by his wife, the former Sophia McDaid, and his daughter, Bernadette Smith.