THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _______________________________________________________ For Immediate Release December 28, 1994 PRESS SECRETARY STATEMENT ON WOOLSEY RESIGNATION The President today announced that he had accepted with regret the resignation of R. James Woolsey as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In doing so, the President praised Woolsey's many accomplishments in advancing the transformation of U.S. intelligence in the aftermath of the Cold War. "Jim Woolsey has been a staunch advocate of maintaining an intelligence capability that is second to none. He has taken initiatives to streamline and improve costly collection systems, improve the quality of both analysis and intelligence and correct security and management lapses in the critical area of counterintelligence. Jim Woolsey deserves the gratitude of all Americans for his service to our country. He has my deep appreciation," the President said. The President reiterated the importance that intelligence plays in protecting American interests around the world. "Intelligence is a vital element of our nation's power and influence. The men and women of U.S. intelligence must know how grateful I am for their dedicated and often unheralded service. I remain committed to ensuring that they have the support, resources and leadership needed to continue their outstanding service to their country." -30-30-30-