The Psychological Assessment of Political Leadersand interviews with personal acquaintances of the leaders under
study. I wanted to know all about Begin and Sadat. What had
made them national leaders? What was the root of their ambi-
tion? What were their most important goals in life? What
events during past years had helped to shape their characters?
What were their religious beliefs? Family relations? State of
their health? Political beliefs and constraints? Relations with
other leaders? Likely reaction to pressure in a time of crisis?
Strengths and weaknesses? Commitments to political con-
stituencies? Attitudes towards me and the United States?
Whom did they really trust? What was their attitude toward
one another?...
From time to time I paused to consider the negotiating
strategy I would follow at Camp David; I made careful detailed
notes. These few evenings away from Washington were an ideal
time for me to concentrate almost exclusively on a single major
challenge—peace in the Middle East. During the coming days
at Camp David, my studies at the foot of the Grand Tetons
were to pay rich dividends. (Carter 1983, 319—20; original
emphasis)The recent declassification of the article "Personality Profiles in
Support of the Camp David Summit" (Post 1979) permits discussion
of the personality profiles sent to Carter. The history of the Camp
David profiles is discussed in detail because of their historic
significance. This is the first time a detailed consideration of the
development and use of the profiles has been presented.
On a visit to CIA Headquarters in August 1978, President Carter
interrupted a briefing to ask the assembled analysts and intelligence
managers how they could help him with the forthcoming summit,
which had only recently been announced. In particular, he wanted to
be "steeped in the personalities of Begin and Sadat" (Post 1979).
In response to this request, the CIA's CAPPB prepared three
political personality profiles: a profile of Menachem Begin, which
called attention to the increasing trend of oppositionism and rigid-
ity in his personality; a profile of Anwar Sadat entitled "Sadat's
Nobel Prize Complex," which stressed his increasing preoccupation
with his role in history and the leverage it could provide in negotia-