From: Michael Novick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> A Not-Quite-Public Gathering of Spies Coming in From the Cold for Intelligence 2000 Meeting Nov. 17, 1999 By Chip Beck National Archives Ex-CIA Director Richard Helms in 1968 WASHINGTON (APBnews.com) -- The spooks came quietly for the unusual meeting: Some were infamous, many mysterious, and others had been quite invisible in their former lives. In late October, on the outskirts of the nation's capital, the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) brought together generations of America's past spies for a convention called Intelligence 2000. The purpose of this rare event, held over two days at Tyson's Corner, Va., and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in Chantilly, Va., was to seek broad public support for the maintenance of a professional and active national intelligence service. Not all of the legends of America's spy services attended the AFIO conference, but the former and current intelligence officers who were present nevertheless represented a formidable who's who (and "who used to be who") in the intelligence networks, past and present. Intelligence luminaries (Click for larger view) An editorial cartoon by Chip Beck The audience included intelligence luminaries such as former Central Intelligence director Richard Helms, "the man who kept the secrets"; Maj. Gen. Jack Singlaub, who parachuted into occupied France during World War II and later led the special operations group in Vietnam; Ted Shackley, a.k.a. the Silver Ghost; and Joe Beyle, a prisoner of war held by both the Germans and the Soviets in World War II. Other attendees preferred to remain anonymous, as old habits dictated, even though most of them have come in from the cold after joining AFIO. AFIO is a nonprofit, non-political "intelligence education" association. Its 2,600 members are spies, counterspies, spymasters and intelligence analysts who served the United States from the days of World War II's legendary Office of Strategic Services through the Cold War's cluster of alphabet soup intelligence agencies including the CIA, DIA, ONI, NRO, NSA and various other military and civilian groups. Incorporated in 1975, AFIO has become increasingly active since the end of the Cold War as various interests have engaged in a national debate about how much the United states should spend on intelligence services in the post-Cold War era. 'Off the record' for journalists In sessions that were officially "off the record" for journalists, a broad range of viewpoints were expressed by speakers such as Rep. Tim Sample of the House Intelligence Committee; Gen. Paul Gorman, former Commander-in-Chief of Southern Command in Panama; Michael Vatis, director of the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center; and Col. Michael Haenchen, vice commander of the Air Force Information Warfare Center. The general topics discussed at Intelligence 2000 were a matter of public record, even if the details of the presentations were not. The overall gist of the speakers was that, as America approaches the millennium, it faces broader and more complex problems than ever before and must maintain a strong and technologically adept intelligence community to be its eyes and ears around the globe. Sample talked about "Resource Allocation Considerations for National Security," and how intelligence requirements will be balanced with budgetary, political and national security concerns. Lively and blunt Gen. Pat Hughes, who provided perhaps the liveliest and most blunt presentation, replete with both slides and humor, talked about "contemporary intelligence achievements and challenges." Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet, also displaying a dry wit and a grasp of professional details, fielded questions from an audience that was as well-versed in the topics as he is, and he pulled very few punches, although he adroitly side-stepped a couple. The FBI's Vatis and the Air Force's Haenchen discussed the cyberthreat to the United States and defensive and offensive information operations, respectively. What can be said about their two presentations is that "warfare" in the 21st century is expected to be quite unlike anything experienced in the past 100 years. Both Jeffrey Harris, the former NRO director, and Keith Hall, the current director, discussed space imaging from both the private industry and governmental platforms, perhaps demonstrating how official and commercial assets will be dividing up the workload in this expanding realm. The overall warning that many observers said they took from the meeting was this: Just as Americans in 1899 could not fully anticipate the tumultuous events that lay ahead of them in 20th century, neither can the we in 1999 be fully aware of -- or prepared for -- what is coming in the next 100 years. Chip Beck, an APBnews.com senior analyst, is a former senior operations officer and U.S. Navy Commander who retired from the CIA in 1993 ([EMAIL PROTECTED]). In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. 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