Latest news with #WilliamHWebster
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Unique CIA and FBI Boss Dies Aged 101
William H. Webster, the only US official to head both the FBI and CIA, died Friday at age 101, his family said.A former judge, he became FBI Director in 1978 as the agency reeled from corruption and surveillance scandals, serving nearly a decade before leading the CIA from 1987 to 1991 under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. family described him as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and patriot. The FBI called him a 'dedicated public servant' who spent over 60 years serving the country and said it would be 'forever grateful' for his on March 6, 1924, in St. Louis, Missouri, Webster served as a US Navy lieutenant in World War II and the Korean War. He earned a law degree from Washington University in 1949, later working as a federal prosecutor and district judge. His FBI appointment came as the agency reeled from scandals over warrantless surveillance and break-ins. Six weeks into his tenure, a federal grand jury indicted former officials from the bureau for illegal raids targeting associates of far-left said after accepting the post that CIA and FBI directors should be ready to resign if asked to do something they know is wrong. At the CIA, Webster steered the agency through the fallout of the Iran-Contra affair, a scandal in which senior US officials secretly sold arms to Iran, then under an arms embargo, and diverted the proceeds to Nicaraguan rebels despite a congressional ban. He retired in 1991 but remained active in public service, advising on homeland security and receiving the Presidential Medal of his high reputation, Webster faced criticism. At the CIA, he was faulted for not detecting Soviet mole Aldrich Ames sooner, and some questioned his lack of foreign policy experience. Others questioned his intelligence assessments during the Gulf War and the USSR's 2002, he briefly chaired a board overseeing accounting practices but resigned before its first meeting amid controversy over ties to a company accused of fraud. Some also criticized his cautious approach to domestic surveillance during his tenure at the FBI.
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
William H Webster, former director of FBI and CIA, dies aged 101
William H Webster, the former FBI and CIA director whose troubleshooting skills and integrity helped restore public confidence in those federal agencies, has died, his family announced on Friday. He was 101. Webster led the FBI from 1978 to 1987 and the CIA from 1987 to 1991, the only person to guide the nation's top law-enforcement agency and its primary intelligence-gathering organization. By the time he came to Washington, at age 53, Webster had practiced law for nearly 20 years, had served a stint as a federal prosecutor and had spent almost nine years on the federal bench in his native St Louis. Those who opposed him in court or disagreed with his rulings acknowledged that his honesty was beyond question. 'Every director of the CIA or the FBI should be prepared to resign in the event that he is asked to do something that he knows is wrong,' Webster said after he agreed to lead the spy agency. Former Republican president George W Bush said in a statement on Friday night that Webster's 'passion for the rule of law and for the greatness of America made him a model public servant'. Late Democratic president Jimmy Carter selected Webster, a Republican, for a 10-year term as FBI chief as the bureau sought to improve an image tarnished by revelations of domestic spying, internal corruption and other abuses of power. Demanding but fair in his treatment of his agents, he was generally credited with developing the agency's ability to handle new challenges such as terrorism. Republican president Ronald Reagan chose Webster to replace CIA chief William J Casey, who had been criticized for being too political, ignoring Congress and playing a part in the arms-for-hostages scandal known as Iran-Contra. Webster, again in the role of outsider with no political agenda, quickly sought to ease tensions with Congress. He reported regularly on the CIA's activities to lawmakers charged with intelligence oversight and avoided the appearance of trying to shape policy. Retiring from federal service in 1991, he joined a Washington law firm but still served on a variety of policy-related boards and commissions. In 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) selected Webster, on a partisan vote, to lead a board created by Congress to oversee the accounting profession in the wake of scandals involving Enron and other corporations. Before the board's first meeting, however, Webster resigned amid questions about his role as head of the audit committee of US Technologies, a company itself accused of fraud. The controversy over his role in Webster's appointment contributed to the resignation of SEC chair Harvey Pitt.
The Guardian
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
William H Webster, former director of FBI and CIA, dies aged 101
William H Webster, the former FBI and CIA director whose troubleshooting skills and integrity helped restore public confidence in those federal agencies, has died, his family announced on Friday. He was 101. Webster led the FBI from 1978 to 1987 and the CIA from 1987 to 1991, the only person to guide the nation's top law-enforcement agency and its primary intelligence-gathering organization. By the time he came to Washington, at age 53, Webster had practiced law for nearly 20 years, had served a stint as a federal prosecutor and had spent almost nine years on the federal bench in his native St Louis. Those who opposed him in court or disagreed with his rulings acknowledged that his honesty was beyond question. 'Every director of the CIA or the FBI should be prepared to resign in the event that he is asked to do something that he knows is wrong,' Webster said after he agreed to lead the spy agency. Former Republican president George W Bush said in a statement on Friday night that Webster's 'passion for the rule of law and for the greatness of America made him a model public servant'. Late Democratic president Jimmy Carter selected Webster, a Republican, for a 10-year term as FBI chief as the bureau sought to improve an image tarnished by revelations of domestic spying, internal corruption and other abuses of power. Demanding but fair in his treatment of his agents, he was generally credited with developing the agency's ability to handle new challenges such as terrorism. Republican president Ronald Reagan chose Webster to replace CIA chief William J Casey, who had been criticized for being too political, ignoring Congress and playing a part in the arms-for-hostages scandal known as Iran-Contra. Webster, again in the role of outsider with no political agenda, quickly sought to ease tensions with Congress. He reported regularly on the CIA's activities to lawmakers charged with intelligence oversight and avoided the appearance of trying to shape policy. Retiring from federal service in 1991, he joined a Washington law firm but still served on a variety of policy-related boards and commissions. In 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) selected Webster, on a partisan vote, to lead a board created by Congress to oversee the accounting profession in the wake of scandals involving Enron and other corporations. Before the board's first meeting, however, Webster resigned amid questions about his role as head of the audit committee of US Technologies, a company itself accused of fraud. The controversy over his role in Webster's appointment contributed to the resignation of SEC chair Harvey Pitt.
NDTV
a day ago
- Politics
- NDTV
William Webster, Only Person To Lead Both FBI And CIA, Dies At 101
Washington: William H Webster, the former FBI and CIA director whose troubleshooting skills and integrity helped restore public confidence in those federal agencies, has died, his family announced Friday. He was 101. Webster led the FBI from 1978 to 1987 and the CIA from 1987 to 1991, the only person to guide the nation's top law-enforcement agency and its primary intelligence-gathering organization. By the time he came to Washington, at age 53, Webster had practiced law for nearly 20 years, had served a stint as a federal prosecutor and had spent almost nine years on the federal bench in his native St. Louis. Those who opposed him in court or disagreed with his rulings acknowledged that his honesty was beyond question. "Every director of the CIA or the FBI should be prepared to resign in the event that he is asked to do something that he knows is wrong," Webster said after he agreed to lead the spy agency. Former President George W. Bush said in a statement Friday night that Webster's "passion for the rule of law and for the greatness of America made him a model public servant." President Jimmy Carter selected Webster, a Republican, for a 10-year term as FBI chief as the bureau sought to improve an image tarnished by revelations of domestic spying, internal corruption and other abuses of power. Demanding but fair of his agents, he was generally credited with developing its ability to handle new challenges such as terrorism. President Ronald Reagan chose Webster to replace CIA chief William J. Casey, who had been criticized for being too political, ignoring Congress and playing a part in the arms-for-hostages scandal known as Iran-Contra. Webster, again in the role of outsider with no political agenda, quickly sought to ease tensions with Congress. He reported regularly on the CIA's activities to lawmakers charged with intelligence oversight and avoided the appearance of trying to shape policy. Retiring from federal service in 1991, he joined a Washington law firm but still served on a variety of policy-related boards and commissions. In 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission selected Webster, on a partisan vote, to lead a board created by Congress to oversee the accounting profession in the wake of scandals involving Enron and other corporations. Before the board's first meeting, however, Webster resigned amid questions about his role as head of the audit committee of US Technologies, a company itself accused of fraud. The controversy over his role in Webster's appointment contributed to the resignation of SEC Chair Harvey Pitt. William Hedgcock Webster was born on March 6, 1924, in St. Louis. He was raised in the suburb of Webster Groves, Missouri, his father the owner of ranch and farm land and the operator of small businesses. He served as a Navy lieutenant during World War II and returned to active duty for two years during the Korean War. He graduated from Amherst College with a bachelor's degree in 1947 and earned a law degree from Washington University Law School in St. Louis in 1949. Webster practiced law with a St. Louis firm until 1960, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. He resigned the following year after President John F. Kennedy's election and then spent most of the 1960s in private practice. Appointed by President Richard Nixon to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in 1971, Webster established a reputation as a moderate jurist. Nixon elevated Webster to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1973. "I think of myself as operating from a position of restraint but being ready to take any judicial actions necessary to achieve the ends of justice," Webster said as he closed his judicial career to join the FBI. Critics, however, faulted him for a tendency to favor the prosecution in criminal cases. Liberals and conservatives commended Webster for an even-handed record on civil rights, even though he was a member of St. Louis social organizations that excluded minorities. He contended that he would not belong to any club that actively practiced racism. As FBI director, he brought more Black people and women into the bureau. Replacing Clarence M. Kelley, Webster focused the FBI's efforts on organized crime, white-collar offenders and drug enforcement. Highlighting attention to political corruption was the Abscam sting, in which officials offered bribes to bureau employees posing as Middle Eastern businessmen. Eleven people, including six members of Congress, were convicted. Webster also stepped up the FBI's anti-terrorism and counterintelligence activities, which helped prepare him for the CIA post. Some who questioned his appointment as director of central intelligence contended that his lack of operational experience and foreign affairs experience was a detriment. Webster was credited with building morale within the CIA and beginning its shift from a Cold War stance. The agency was accused, some claimed unfairly, of not anticipating how quickly the Soviet Union and its Eastern bloc would crumble and not doing more in advance of Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1991. It was commended for the intelligence it provided during the Gulf War. Over a nine-year period that included Webster's term, CIA officer Aldrich Ames sold secrets to the Soviet Union and compromised dozens of operations before he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1994. Webster and other CIA chiefs were criticized for failing to detect Ames' activities. In retirement, Webster served on a presidential panel on homeland security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was a member of a commission investigating security lapses at the FBI. Webster, a Christian Scientist who did not smoke, seldom drank and enjoyed playing tennis and reading history, married Drusilla Lane Webster in 1950; they raised two daughters and one son. Following her death from cancer in 1984, he married Lynda Jo Clugston in 1990. Webster is survived by his second wife, three children from his first marriage and their spouses, seven grandchildren and spouses and 12 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held in Washington on September 18.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
William H. Webster, only person to lead both FBI and CIA, dies at 101
William H. Webster, the former FBI and CIA director, has died at the age of 101, his family announced Friday. Webster led the FBI from 1978 to 1987 and the CIA from 1987 to 1991, making him the only person to head the nation's top law enforcement agency and its main intelligence agency. "We are proud of the extraordinary man we had in our lives who spent a lifetime fighting to protect his country and its precious rule of law," his family said in a statement. Before his time leading agencies in Washington, he served as federal prosecutor and later spent about eight years as a federal judge. He also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War. Former President Jimmy Carter tapped Webster, a Republican, for a 10-year term as head of the FBI as the agency attempted to boost a reputation that had been tarnished by revelations of domestic spying, internal corruption and other abuses of power. Webster was later selected by President Ronald Reagan to lead the CIA, replacing director William J. Casey, who had been criticized for being too political, ignoring Congress and contributing to the arms-for-hostages scandal known as Iran-Contra. "Every director of the CIA or the FBI should be prepared to resign in the event that he is asked to do something that he knows is wrong," Webster once said. In 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission chose Webster to lead a board created by Congress to oversee the accounting profession in response to scandals involving Enron and other corporations. The FBI said it sends its prayers and condolences to Webster's family after learning of his passing. "He was a dedicated public servant who spent over 60 years in service to our country, including in the U.S. Navy, as a federal judge, director of the CIA, and his term as our Director from 1978-1987," the agency said in a statement. "We are grateful for his life and legacy and wish his family, friends, and colleagues peace and comfort during this time." Former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who departed the agency earlier this year, said he was "deeply saddened" by Webster's death. "My heart goes out to his family in this time of loss. His legacy will endure — not only in the institutions he guided, but in the generations of public servants he inspired to carry the torch forward," Wray said in a statement. Webster is survived by his second wife, Lynda Clugston Webster, and three children from his first marriage and their spouses, seven grandchildren and spouses and 12 great-grandchildren. His first wife, Drusilla Lane, died in the 1980s.
