MISSION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03362A000500020003-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 26, 2002
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: SPEECH

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MISSION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
As it has been pointed out, national security is a concept which
involves all aspects of our national life. This country's natural and
human resources, its productivity in consumer goods, its productivity in
defense materiel, its government's domestic and foreign policy - all
these broad categories of activity relate to the national security.
The organization to protect national security is complex and is as
broad as the term is itself. The National Security Council should be
regarded as the apex of the whole structure, for in the literal sense
it represents the collective efforts of all the departments and agencies
of the government (supplemented often by industry leaders) concerned with
defense and foreign policy. The responsibility of the heads of these
government departments is to advise the President regarding the making
and the integration of domestic, foreign and military policies as they
relate to national security.
It is in the field of foreign affairs, of course, where the primary
threat to our national security is found. This has always been the case,
but today it is urgent and unique. The predatory ways of Communism and
the Soviet Union have required the United States to seek every means
possible of protecting not only American national security but, where
feasible, the security of other free people. This fact, combined with
the assumption of world leadership, forced upon the United States in
large measure by the vast destruction in human lives and capital assets
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of Western European nations, makes it necessary that this government be
alert to its responsibilities.
One element in this respect is a sound domestic economy. Another
is military preparedness. A third element is a foreign policy which not
only protects our interests abroad, but also one which extends our
interests. To achieve what we desire in these - and other - elements,
but particularly in the latter two - it is necessary that government
officials have the best possible information for their use in determining
policy.
in foreign affairs, the term applied to this essential ingredient
is "intelligence". Intelligence, as is known, is processed information -
information which has been collected, evaluated, analyzed, correlated,
synthesized, and disseminated.
Every agency or department of the government having to do with national
security in general and foreign affairs (in the broadest meaning of the
term) in particular needs intelligence. The Department of State, for
example, must have intelligence on the political situation in all countries
of the world. The Navy must have intelligence regarding the capabilities
and potentialities of SovdAt naval forces. And so on. Because of their
particular needs and functions, intelligence units will be found in the
State, Navy, Armor, and Air departments. The Atomic Energy Commission and
the Federal Bureau of Investigation have their intelligence organizations,
and in a special sense so does the Treasury Department. To coordinate
the armed forces' intelligence interests, the Joint Chiefs of Staff
maintain a Joint Intelligence Group which, itself, directs the Joint
Intelligence Committee.
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These several units constitute the intelligence community, a subject
which will receive separate treatment at a later date. The point to
consider here is that for the most part these intelligence organizationsi
are concerned with their own departmental responsibilities. If, taken as
a whole, these organizations compose an intelligence community, some kind
of a coordinating arrangement is important. It is at this point, then,
that the Central Intelligence Agency comes into the picture and makes its
primary contribution to the national security efforts of the United States
Government.
As it has already been made clear, the intelligence interests of
this country were not coordinated before our entry into World War II.
The methods used to achieve a joint and cooperative effort during the war
were made somewhat more formal in 1946 by an executive order establishing
the National Intelligence Authority (NIA) and under it a Central
Intelligence Group (CIG). The NIA was made of the Secretaries of State,
War, Navy and Admiral Isahy.
In 1947, with the enactment of Public Law 253 by the 80th Congress
The National Security Act - the NIA became the National (MC) and GIG
became the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The organization and purposes
of the NSC have already been discussed.
According to the provisions of the law, CIA under the direction of
the NSC, has five stated duties which it is to perform for the purpose
of coordinating the intelligence activities of the several Government
departments and agencies in the interest of national security.
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They are as follows:
(1) to advise the National Security Council in matters con-
cerning such intelligence activities of the Government departments
and agencies as relate to national security;
(2) to make recommejidations to the National Security Council
for the coordination of such intelligence activities of the depart-
ments and agencies of the Government as relate to the national
security;
(3) to correlate and evaluate intelligence relating to the
national security; and provide far the appropriate dissemination
of such intelligence within the overnment using where appro-
priate existing agencies and facilities: Provided, That the Agency
shall have no police, subpena, law-enforcement powers, or inter-
nal-security functions: Provided further, That the departments
and other agencies of the Government shall continue to collect,
evaluate, correlate, and disseminate departmental intelligence:
And provided further, That the Director of Central Intelligence
shall be responsible for protecting intelligence sources and meth-
ods from unauthorized disclosure;
(4) to perform, for the benefit of the existing intelligence
agencies, such additional services of common concern as the
National Security Council determines can be more effieiently
accomplished centrally;
(5) to perform such other functions and duties related to
intelligence affecting the national security as the National Sec-
urity Council may from time to time direct.
In the broad sense of the term, these five duties constitute the
intelligence mission of CIA. But it is not until one looks at the
organization of the Agency to see how it is set up to carry out the
assigned duties that one appreciates that one appreciates the tremendous
scope of the mission and the significance of CIA's contribution to the
national security.
Since the Agency works under the direction of the NSC, the specific
directives as related to the intelligence mission are to be found in NSC
instructions. These instructions are expressed in National Security Council
Intelligence Directives and National Security Council Directives. When
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they apply to CIA, they are related directly to any one or more of the
five duties stated in the law.
An illustration of the above may be noted in the collection programs
of CIA. In the law no mention is made of CIA's collection functions.
This major undertaking is carried out as a result of NSC intelligence
directives based on duties 4 and 5 listed above. The law makes no
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was assigned to the Agency by the NSC because it is a service of common
concern which can be more efficiently accomplished centrally (duty #4).
The Central Intelligence Agency's mission is very broad, then, when
one comprehends all the ramifications of the duties designated by the
National Security Act of 1947.
Specific jobs, or missions, performed are: the collection of many
types of information by clandestine means when other means are impossible
or would involve greater risk to the national security; the collection of
many types of information by overt means
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the production of counterespionage intelligence; the
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production of economic intelligence on the USSR and bloc countries; the
production of certain types of scientific and technological intelligence;
the production of National Intelligence Estimates; and in the nature of
services, a tremendous intelligence library,, and offices which provide the
staff work for several interdepartmental co2mnittees. Related to the
intelligence mission is CIA's responsibility in the conduct of certain
"unorthodox" activities which will be described at a later date. This is
not a complete list of all that CIA does, but it is sufficient to indicate
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the great diversity of activity.
CIA's position in the intelligence field is literally central. It
does not direct or control the work of departmental intelligence organ-
izations. In the best sense of the word, it supplements them, and through
coordination it is able to provide the National Security Council - and
hence the President - with national intelligence, that is to say, "high
level, foreign positive intelligence" - or intelligence which is something
more than departmental, or tactical; it is national, or strategic. It
is this kind of intelligence which our national security policy makers
must have, and it is this kind which is provided by the Central Intelligence
Agency.
In looking at an organization chart of the Agency, it will be seen
that it can be broken down into four separate groups. The first is the
DCI - or the top, directing echelon under the Director of Central Intelli-
gence. This is the subject of another lecture and so requires no detailed
discussion here, Reference should be made, however, to the fact that the
Offices of Training and Communication are placed at this level of the
organization because they serve all groups within the Agency,
The second group - or complex - is the DDA, which stands for the.
Deputy Director (Administration). As the name implies no intelligence
activities as such are conducted under the DDA and therefore no detailed
analysis of its activities is necessary at this time. D. renders that
administrative support which is essential if CIA is to conduct its work
successfully. The individual employee should be acquainted at leastitth
the Medical Office and the Office of the General Counsel where valuable
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personal services are mailable. The manual on organization in the student's
B Kit is helpful in acquiring further information about the work of DM.
The third aspect of the CIA Structure is the DDP, the Deputy Director
(Plans). This is the Clandestine Services part of the organization.
Under it espionage, counter-espionage, and "unorthodox" activities - (or
executive action programs) are conducted. Separate lectures will deal
with the various phases of DI' activity.
The fourth part of CIA (though the numerical order here in no way
reflects the relative degree of importance of any of the four parts) is
the DDI - the Deputy Director (Intelligence). It is this part of CIA
with which we are most concerned here. DDI is generally, and somewhat
loosely, regarded as the substantive side, or part, of CIA, substantive
in that its primary mission is to produce finished intelligence. DDP
is not generally considered to be a substantive part of the Agency because
its primary function - aside from executive action programs - is to collect
information clandestinely. In other words, DDP is rather loosely regarded
as procedural since it'is engaged in the collection of information which
receives final processing by other intelligence units of the government
or by the DDI of CIA which is working with the substance of information
to produce intelligence.
Generalizations are permissible under limited circumstances. For
as will be seen later, DDP does in fact produce finished intelligence -
namely, counterespionage. Also DDP produces(for its own purposes only,
to be sure) operational intelligence. The point to remember is that DDP
is not primarily concerned with the production ofL tgh-level, strategic,
national intelligence. That is the primary mission of DDI.
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Now the same warning about the confusion of terms and functions applies
to the DDI as well as to the DDP. DDI engages in a good deal more activity
than the assembling - or producing - of substance (in this ease, intelli.-
genoe). DDI also collects information in its new form from which
intelligence is produced, the
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above being an example. Again.. DDI collects processed information - or
finished intelligence - from other government sources. For example, the
Liaison Division of the Office of Collection and Dissemination (OCD) con cts
finished intelligence reports of the Department of State, etc.
The concept which one should have in mind, therefore, is that in the
intelligence profession it is very difficult and sometimes very unwise to
become doctrinaire as to what is procedure and what is substance; what
is raw information and what is finished intelligence, etc.
As stated in CIA regulations, "The Deputy Director (Intelligence)
will assist the Director of Central Intelligence in the coordination of
the intelligence activities of the government, as prescribed by statute
and by National Security Council directives. He will also be responsible
for directing and coordinating the activities of the Offices of
Collection and Dissemination, Research and Reports, National Estimates,,
Intelligence Coordination, Current Intelligence, Scientific Intelligence,
and Operations, and for the fulfillment of such additional functions as
may be specified the Director.
Following is a general discussion of each of the above-mentioned
offices and their missions. Further organizational details will be
provided In other lectures and in seminars..
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Office of Collection and Dissemination (OCD)
The Office of Collection and Dissemination provides a central service
for the coordination of foreign intelligence collection requirements of QA
with those of other government intelligence agencies. OCD determines, in
collaboration with other agencies concerned, the government collection
facilities which are best able to satisfy specific requirements, and then
assigns the collection responsibility. OCD receives intelligence inform-
ation and materials from all possible sources, determines the appropriate
dissemination, on the basis of standing requirements or special requests
from CIA and other IAC agencies, and performs the necessary distribution.
OCD maintains an intelligence library and other reference facilities to
serve all offices of the Agency and other government agencies to the
extent possible.
Office 2L Research end Reports (ORR)
The Office of Research and Reports is responsible for carrying out the
functions assigned to CIA by National Security Council Intelligence Directive
No. 15 dated 22 June 1950 with respect to coordination and production of
foreign economic intelligence. These functions include:
Maintaining a continuing review of the requirements of the United
States Government for foreign economic intelligence relating to the
national security and of the facilities and arrangements available
to meet those requirements, making from time to time such recommend-
ations concerning improvements as may require action;
Evaluating the pertinence, extent and quality of the foreign
economic data available bearing on national security issues, and
developing ways in whidh quality could be improved and gaps could be
filled;
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Insuring that the full economic knowledge and technical talent
available in the Government is brought to bear ern important issues
involving national security; and
Conducting, as a service of common concern, such foreign economic
research and producing such foreign economic intelligence as may be
required (a) to supplement that produced by other agencies either in
the appropriate discharge of their regular departmental missions or
in fulfillment of assigned intelligence responsibilities and (b) to
fulfill requests of the Intelligence Advisory Committee.
The ORR mission in regard to economic research has been interpreted
to require that ORR Locus on those world areas of highest priority from a
national security standpoint and those least thoroughly covered by other
agencies. Consequently, ORR is concentrating its research activities on
the economy of the Soviet Orbit.
In addition to economic research, ORR has responsibilities for
coordination and productions of geographic intelligence and for map making
in support of various intelligence activities. ORR is also charged with
administering and coordinating the National Intelligence Survey program,
a long term inter-agency project for the production of basic intelligence
on every country in the world.
Office of National Estimates (ONE)
The basic concept of ONE is that it has but one mission: to produce
national intelligence estimates in close collaboration &th the IAC agencies.
All else has been subordinated to this end. The NIE is the end product cf
the entire national intelligence process, a product designed to serve as
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essential intelligence backing for US policy and planning at the highest
level of the government, The National Security Council,
In the discharge of its mission ONE considers itself an integral part
of a joint production mechanism, of which it serves as coordinator. ONE
sets the estimate process in motion, guides it through this process, and
coordinates and reviews the estimate as it emerges until'the estimate is
forwarded to the IAC with a recommendation for its approval.
?f fic j of Intelligence Coordination (OIC )
The primary mission of CIA is to coordinate the Intelligence activities
of the Federal Government. The primary responsibility for advising the
DCI as to coordination within the Intelligence community rests, within CIA,
on the Office of Intelligence Coordination,, OIC is not an intelligence
producing office. It is concerned with advising on methods and means; for
increasingly effective coordination.
Office of Curren Intelligence (0CI)
The Office of Current Intelligence is charged with producing all-
source current intelligence and with informing the DCI and the Assistant
Director of National Estimates of significant current day-to-day world
developments which could affect the immediate operations or decisions of
those directing action programs, and of presenting such intelligence to
the top policy makers of the government through daily bulletins and
periodic digests.
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Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI)
The Office of Scientific Intelligence carries out the responsibilities:
of CIA in the production of scientific and technical intelligence. Its
main objective is to forewarn or predict the development of new weapons,
equipment, or techniques so that timely countermeasures may be taken. A
secondary objective is the improvement of our own weapons and equipment.
OSI is concerned with: scientific innovations and their potential or actual
development; the technical characteristics of weapons, equipment, already
developed; the vulnerability of foreign scientific and technical personnel,
organizations, and facilities to our capabilities; and indications of the
intentions of foreign nations to exercise their scientific capabilities.
CIA has the primary production responsibility for intelligence on
fundamental research in the basic sciences, scientific resources, and on
medicine (other than military medicine), plus intelligence on pertinent
applied research and development.
Office of Operations (00)
The Office of Operations is responsible for collecting foreign intel-
ligence information from overt non-government sources. It renders two
special services assigned to CIA by the National Security Council, which
are of common concern to the entire intelligence community. These are:
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dissemination to the various governmental intelligence agencies; and, (2)
the collection and reporting of information on foreign countries, from
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The Office of Operations is also responsible for the exploitation for
intelligence information of foreign language publications and for the
collection and technical analysis of material objects produced within
the Soviet Orbit,
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