29 May 98

With the passing of Barry Goldwater, the U.S. Intelligence Community has lost one of its greatest friends and most astute advocates. A longtime Senate expert and leader on intelligence and national security issues, his distinguished service culminated in his chairmanship of the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees at the height of the Cold War. With unwavering conviction, and iron independence, the Senator called 'em as he saw 'em, and insisted that we in the Intelligence Community do the same.

Senator Goldwater saw intelligence as our country's first line of defense against war and terrorism. He fought long and hard to restore the Central Intelligence Agency, to build up our nation's intelligence capabilities, and to ensure that the Intelligence Community found its proper place within the world's greatest democracy. Barry Goldwater knew that clear understanding and genuine trust must exist between the White House and Congress and the Intelligence Community if it is to serve our nation well. No one worked more diligently or successfully to improve this level of trust and understanding than did Senator Goldwater. He was as candid with others; he expected them to be candid with him. He understood the needs of intelligence, but more than that, he understood the needs of the country.

We in the Intelligence Community admire and respect Barry Goldwater as a man who cared more about ideas than ideology, more about the nation's security than politics.

Duty, Honor and Country were Barry Goldwater's watchwords and he lived them to the hilt.

On behalf of the U.S. Intelligence Community, I wish to express our deepest condolences to Mrs. Goldwater and the entire Goldwater family.