You're listening to the CyberWire Network, powered by N2K. Hello and welcome to Spycast from the Secret Files of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

I'm Peter Ernest, the Executive Director of the Museum. I served for some

36 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, largely as what is called an operations officer

or a case officer.

Every month will be bringing you interesting talks with visitors,

with authors, with others who have something to do

with the world of intelligence and espionage.

My guest today is Judge William Webster. A gentleman with a very distinguished career

in Washington having been the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency at a time when I was very pleased to work with him.

And since then he has continued to be involved in public affairs

and he is currently a member of the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council.

And he has had to deal with some of the very vexing issues which face that new Department of

Government as it seeks to reinforce both our domestic security and take other measures in the face of

disasters such as Katrina. Let me ask you, Judge Webster, given your background

if you had an opportunity, and certainly it's possible that you might, had an opportunity to brief, let's say, the new occupant of the White House, possibly his National Security Advisor, are there

any things that come readily to your mind that you feel are important that the President take into consideration or address as he begins his tenure as president?

Well, there are probably so many of those that I would forget to name the most important ones but one

would hope that as there will be a change of administration there will be a new president regardless of which party prevails

that that person understands the correct role

both of national security as such and of intelligence gathering to support the

policy decisions that are made elsewhere but for which the president will be responsible.

I think that it's important that he understand that the intelligence community and there are several agencies, and especially the CIA,

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