William Casey

[[File:William J. Casey, Director of Central Intelligence.jpg|165px|thumb|right|William Casey]]
{{uspolitics}}
{{cquote|I cannot conceive now of any circumstance… which… would result in my not being able to provide this committee with the information it requires.<ref name=slansky>''The Clothes Have No Emperor: A Chronicle of the American 80s'' by Paul Slansky (1989) Fireside. ISBN 0671673394.</ref>{{rp|16}}{{Better source}}}}
'''William Joseph Casey''' {{lived|1913|1987}} was a politician most famous for his role as the director of [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) during the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-J-Casey William J. Casey]</ref> Before Reagan was elected, Casey played an important role in the campaign, creating an alliance between Reagan and the more moderate Republican [[George H.W. Bush]],<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/07/obituaries/william-casey-ex-cia-head-is-dead-at-74.html WILLIAM CASEY, EX-C.I.A. HEAD, IS DEAD AT 74] ''The New York Times''.</ref> a decision which almost did not occur given the personal dislike that Reagan and Bush had for one another at the time of the convention.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/the-dynasty-that-almost-wasnt-213150/ The Dynasty That Almost Wasn’t] by Jules Witcover (September 15, 2015) ''Politico''.</ref> He is also responsible for founding the [[Manhattan Institute]], a [[neoconservatism|neoconservative]] [[think tank]].<ref>[https://centerjd.org/content/fact-sheet-manhattan-institute Fact Sheet: Manhattan Institute], ''Center for Justice and Democracy''</ref>

==Time in the CIA==
Like many of Reagan's appointees, his tenure was filled with scandals and controversies. Within his first year in office, a man he appointed named {{wpl|Max Hugel}} was forced to resign after "allegations of fraud in connection with certain of his transactions in the early 1970s" came to light.<ref name=slansky/>{{rp|27}}

Like many others in the Reagan White House, his most famous work in the Executive Branch comes from his actions during the [[Iran-Contra]] scandal. Casey was a notable supporter of the Contras, a [[right-wing]] [[Guerrilla war|guerrilla]] group trying overthrow the left-wing Sandinista government in [[Nicaragua]], to the point where leader Adolfo Calero even started calling him "Uncle Bill."<ref name=slansky/>{{rp|201}}) Of note was his decision to add "thrust and purpose" to a CIA manual "advising Nicaraguan rebels how to blackmail unwilling citizens into supporting their cause, how to arrange the deaths of fellow rebels to create [[martyr]]s and how to kidnap and kill (or, as the manual puts it, 'neutralize') government officials" in hopes he could "improve the effectiveness of the Nicaraguan rebels in 'face-to-face communication.'"<ref name=slansky/>{{rp|115-116}}<ref>[https://archive.org/details/freedomfightersm00unit/page/n1/mode/2up ''The Freedom Fighter's Manual: Practical Guide to Liberating Nicaragua from Oppression and Misery by Paralyzing the Military-Industrial Complex of the Traitorous Marxist State Without Having to Use Special Tools And With Minimal Risk for the Combatant''] by The Central Intelligence Agency (1985) Grove Press diglot edition.</ref> (Reagan, who claimed to have never read the manual, defended the use of the word "neutralize" through saying it meant "remove from office" and not "assassinate."<ref name=slansky/>{{rp|118}})

The publication of the manual caused a White House investigation regarding whether this violated the law against the CIA providing help to overthrow the government of Nicaragua, which was banned at the time. Said investigation found "no violation" occurred.<ref name=slansky/>{{rp|118}}

===Deathbed interview with Bob Woodward===
In [[Bob Woodward]]'s 1987 book ''Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA''<ref>''Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA'' by Bob Woodward (1987), {{isbn|0671601172}}</ref> the famous journalist claims to have gotten a four minute deathbed interview with Casey where he confirms to have known about Iran-Contra. Reagan (already had a bit of a bone to pick with Woodward after he reported that the Administration was lying to the media about what was going on in Libya the previous year, in hopes of destabilizing the Qaddafi regime<ref name=Paul>''The Clothes Have No Emperor: A Chronicle of the American 80s'' by Paul Slansky</ref>{{rp|171}}) specifically denied this interview occured,<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/01/AR2007050102070.html Ronald Reagan, In His Own Words]</ref> as did Casey's daughter.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/story/2012/04/6-bob-woodward-controversies-075738 6 Bob Woodward controversies]</ref>

Those who attempt to discredit the interview argue that Casey was unable to speak at the time of the interview. However, Casey was able to talk, and Robert Gates—Casey's second-in-command at the time—even said that, although his words were slurred, one could still understand "enough to get sense of what he was saying."<ref>[https://www.bobwoodward.com/biography Biography]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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[[Category:Catholics]]
[[Category:Former U.S. Cabinet Members]]
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Categories: Catholics, Former U.S. Cabinet Members, Lawyers, New York, Right-wing activists