United States Assistance to CHAD: Qadhafi-Bashing?
Abstract
Bob Woodward's book, Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA. 1981-1987, provides a unique perspective on the power play between personalities in Washington and offers some interesting insights into the foreign policy decision-making process within the Reagan Administration. Not only does this book detail events surrounding the Iran-Contra affair, but it also purports to reveal why the United States decided to support Chad's President Nabre in his fight against Libya. If Mr. Casey did in fact share the secrets documented in the Veil, one could conclude that "Qadhafi-bashing" was the major driving motive behind the Administration's assistance to Chad. In chapter four, Mr. Woodward revealed that the idea to increase military aid to President Habre originated in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Soon after William Casey took office as President Reagan's Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), he received a classified national intelligence estimate outlining potential Libyan activities for the coming year. This twelve-page document concluded that some of Libya's regional foes, including President Sadat of Egypt, were focusing their military resources on quietly bleeding Qadnafi at his most vulnerable point--his overextension in Chad. The message, wrote Bob Woodward, "was that the Chad adventure was the Achille's heel for Qadnafi, and the implied course to thwart Qadhafi in Chad appealed to Casey's strategic sense. Casey wasn't going to have the CIA sit on its hands with such an opportunity available. Woodward goes on to say, "Soon within Haig's new State Department and Casey's new CIA, a proposal for covert support to Habre was drawn up. It was called the `second track' as distinguished from the normal `first track' of standard open diplomacy and aid.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 18, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA440797
Entities
People
- Jonathan S. Gration
Organizations
- National War College