Lafayette Journal & Courier

Ex-CIA head looks at U.S. problems

By JOE LARSON

The former director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said Monday night that problems posed by climate change and al-Qaida might have the same solution.
R. James Woolsey, director of the CIA from 1993 to 1995, speaking at Purdue University, said America faces two categories of problems: malignant and malevolent.

"They can function exponentially and catch most people by surprise" he said.

Woolsey told the crowd of about 355 people that reducing America's dependence on imported oil will help address issues in both categories. It was a message many were eager to receive.

"He said a lot of things I'd never heard before about ways you can solve the energy problem and the Middle East problem at the same time," said Logan Rice, a junior at McCutcheon High School.

Woolsey was the first of four scheduled speakers in the 2007-2008 Louis Martin Sears Lecture Series, this time titled "U.S. Security in an Insecure World."

The malignant problems facing the U.S. that Woolsey identified included the country's carbon dioxide emissions, its vulnerable power grid and its oil-intensive transportation grid.

The malevolent ones he pointed out included terrorism and hostile leaders in the Middle East.

"If you don't think Iran is interested in nuclear weapons ... I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd be happy to offer you," Woolsey said. "Of course it's a nuclear weapons program."

His dual focus on the environment and foreign policy caught some off guard.

"It was definitely different than I thought it would be," Purdue sophomore Logan Stalions said.

Woolsey ended his speech with an imaginary dialogue between John Muir, a famous "tree-hugger" in the former CIA director's words, and Gen. George Patton.

The exercise gave Woolsey a chance to explain a number of measures he felt would be agreeable to people on both sides of the political spectrum that would also help the U.S. greatly reduce its energy consumption.

His ideas impressed many in the crowd.

"I liked how you could tell he was a very knowledgeable person and very in tune with (what's going on in) the government," Purdue sophomore Alison Finn said.