(EST PUB DATE) CHAOS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01481951
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: January 1, 1973

Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01481951
[This is an unclassified version of the original memorandum. A minor
deletion was necessary to permit the production of this unclassified version.]
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: CHAOS
CHAOS is restricted to the collection abroad of information on foreign
activities related to domestic matters. CIA will focus clearly on the foreign
organizations and individuals involved and only incidentally on their American
contacts. As a consequence, CIA will not take on the primary responsibility
for following Americans abroad, although CIA can accept a request by the FBI
to be passed to an appropriate liaison service in a foreign country for the
surveillance of such an American and the transmission of the results back to
the FBI. It must be plainly demonstrated in each such transmission that the CIA
is merely a channel of communication between the FBI and the appropriate foreign
service and is not to be directly engaged in the surveillance or other action
against the American involved.
With respect to Americans abroad who become suspect for security or
counterintelligence reasons, any official U.S. personnel will be reported to
their parent agency's security authorities, CIA will merely serve as a trans-
mission belt for the information concerned. Specific CIA operations will not
be mounted against such individuals, but they will be reported when their
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ANNEX H
[This is a cable of 5 March 1974 from CIA Headquarters to CIA addressees
abroad. Certain deletions were necessary to permit the production of this
unclassified version.]
CHAOS
FROM COLBY
SUBJECT: TERMINATION OF CHAOS PROGRAM
1. THIS MESSAGE IS TO NOTIFY YOU OF THE TERMINATION OF THE
CHAOS PROGRAM AND TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES UNDER WHICH HQS HAS BEEN
OPERATING FOR SOME TIME ON CERTAIN ACTIVITIES FORMERLY INCLUDED
IN CHAOS.
2. GUIDELINES
ALL COLLECTION TAKES PLACE ABROAD. COLLECTION IS RESTRICTED
TO INFORMATION ON FOREIGN ACTIVITIES RELATED TO DOMESTIC MATTERS.
�
CIA WILL FOCUS CLEARLY ON THE FOREIGN ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS
INVOLVED AND ONLY INCIDENTALLY ON THEIR AMERICAN CONTACTS. IN
DOING THIS, FOLLOWING WILL APPLY:
A. WHENEVER INFORMATION IS UNCOVERED AS A BYPRODUCT
RESULT OF CIA FOREIGN-TARGETED INTELLIGENCE OR COUNTER-
INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS ABROAD WHICH MAKES AMERICANS
ABROAD SUSPECT FOR SECURITY OR COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
REASONS, THE INFORMATION WILL BE REPORTED BY CIA IN
THE FOLLOWING MANNER.
(1) WITH RESPECT TO PRIVATE AMERICAN CITIZENS
ABROAD, SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE REPORTED TO THE
FBI.
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FOREIGN TERRORIST OR COUNTERINTELLIGENCE MATTERS INVOLVING
PRIVATE AMERICAN CITIZENS, SUCH COLLECTION ACTIVITY MAY
INVOLVE BOTH LIAISON SERVICES AND UNILATERAL OPERATIONS.
IN THE CASE OF LIAISON SERVICES, WHENEVER FEASIBLE IT SHOULD
BE PLAINLY DEMONSTRATED IN THE TRANSMISSION OF THE REQUEST
TO SUCH LIAISON SERVICES THAT CIA IS ACTING AS A CHANNEL OF
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE FBI AND THE APPROPRIATE FOREIGN
SERVICE. ANY UNILATERAL OPERATIONAL ACTIVITY WILL REQUIRE
SPECIFIC PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE DDO, AND THE DCI WILL BE
ADVISED THEREOF. PERTINENT INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE
PROVIDED BY CIA TO THE FBI.
3. THE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH 2 ABOVE WILL BEAR THE
CRYPTONYM [ . TRAFFIC WILL BE IN [CRYPTONYM] STAFF CHANNELS
SLUGGED [CRYPTONYM, CRYPTONYM] . DISPATCH TRAFFIC SHOULD BE
ADDRESSED TO CHIEF, OPS/ITG (2 COPIES) WITH ONE INFO COPY FOR THE
CHIEF OF THE AREA DIVISION (EYES ONLY).
Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01481951
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ANNEX .I
NOTE: A selected group of attachments to this
memorandum is attached. The selection
includes all those which might be related to
the allegations in The New York Times article
of December 22nd.
W. E. Colby
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Similarly, each activity is placed on a separate page so that the
Deputy Director concerned may most easily forward it to the office
or offices directly concerned without distributing it more broadly.
3. In the event that these instructions raise substantial
difficulties of implementation or compliance, I would appreciate
your raising such cases with me directly, with whatever recommenda-
tions you may have for modification to carry out the spirit of the
action undertaken here but to avoid undue disruption of legitimate
activities. In the absence of such notice, I will expect full
compliance with the instructions outlined herein.
4. Each addressee Deputy Director is instructed to recommend
to the DDM&S modification or addition to Agency regulations of
appropriate language to reflect the direction included in this
memorandum and attachments addressed to him. DDM&S will be
responsible for consolidating such recommendations and making an
overall report to the Director through the IG, coordinating with
General Counsel.
signed/
W. E. Colby.
Attachments
-2-
Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01481951
Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01481951
[This is an unclassified version of the original memoranuum. A minor
deletion was necessary to permit the production of this unclassified version.]
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Audio Surveillance
CIA will not operate audio equipment or otherwise actively assist
other agencies in such operations against domestic targets. Equipment
may be made available in such cases if:
1. There is full disclosure of the operation and there is
no legal inhibition against it when carried out by the other
agency.
2. No CIA participation is involved.
Approved for Release: 2017/01/18 C01481951