1
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Do you think there was or could have been a CIA conspiracy to remove you from office?

2
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I don't know.

3
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I know many people think so.

4
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I would say that I've found it difficult to understand why the CIA, which apparently

5
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had advanced knowledge of the break-in, didn't inform me.

6
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I've found it difficult to understand how it could have been that at least two of those

7
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involved had CIA connections, and nevertheless that it was not brought to my attention as

8
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far as the break-in occurring.

9
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I must say, too, the CIA had motive.

10
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It was no secret that I was dissatisfied with the CIA, with its reports and particularly

11
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their appraisals of Soviet strength and our other problems around the world.

12
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Do you think they feared you?

13
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No question about it, and they had reason to.

14
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I was going to shape up that organization and the Defense Department, the whole government

15
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for that matter, but particularly that one.

16
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On one occasion I said I thought we could cut a third of the people out of the CIA and do

17
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a better job.

18
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I didn't want to weaken it, as unfortunately it was castrated in the post-Watergate era.

19
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I wanted to strengthen it.

20
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I wanted to get rid of some of the dead wood and so forth, and they knew it, so they had

21
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a motive.

22
00:01:27,500 --> 00:01:33,500
I'm not prepared to say whether there was a conspiracy or not.

23
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I would only say that it should make a fascinating study for an investigative reporter.

24
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He won't win any prizes by writing anything that would not be anti-Nixon, but on the other

25
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hand, it would perhaps be historically interesting.

26
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If there was such a conspiracy, do you think that reporter would ever live to write about

27
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it?

28
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Is it the kind of thing that will ever come out?

29
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I have a feeling that all of this talk that the CIA is going to knock off those that will,

30
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shall we say, reveal some of their covert operations, those in this country, I think that's exaggerated.

31
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I think that may have been the case in times past, not now.