INTELLIGENCE COVERAGE OF CUBAN ACTIVITIES IN ANGOLA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00603A002700040011-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2005
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: June 16, 1977
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Re l0 a 2006/01/035 ; 79R00603A0,00040011-0
MEMORANDUM FOR: D/DCI/NI 16 June 1977
SUBJECT : Intelligence coverage of Cuban activities in Angola
1. Last September, Hank Knoche, then Acting DCI, expressed concern
about the lack of information on the Cuban military intervention in Angola,
as well as coverage of Cuban activities in general. This prompted a special
assessment of the performance of the entire intelligence community, which
was accomplished under my chairmanship, and addressed to the SIGINT, COMIREX,
and Human Resources Committees. Called "Special FOCUS Cuba", the assessment
covered a number of subjects including Cuban military intervention in Angola.
A copy of this assessment is attached with the sections concerning Cuban interven-
tion in Angola marked in red. The assessment was published on 23 February
1977, and a copy was sent to Admiral Turner who, by then had been appointed
DCI.
Intelligence Community through the r,auuL1 i. EW-5- ~------
the form of an Interagency Intelligence Memorandum (NI IIM 77-004).
3. The Human Resources Committeepromptly took several actions as a
result of this assessment. The requirements were sent to all DDO Stations
where a capability existed to collect the intelligence. The Department of
State sent out selected requirements from this list to all US Embassies in
Latin America and Africa, as well as to US Embassies in other countries
where there is a Cuban presence. The Defense Intelligence Agency levied
the requirements on the Defense Attache System through the Intelligence
Collection Requirements (ICR) tasking system. TheCOMIREX Committee noted
the requirements in its Strategy Report, commenting that imagery will be
given priority when it can make a contribution to satisfy the requirements.
The Strategy Report from the SIGINT Committee has been held up as a result of
a resource squabble between the SIGINT Committee and the National Security
Agency. To improve collection, the DDO assigned staff officers to various
field stations amd increased the staff of the Cuban Operations Group at
Headguatters. The Defense Intelligence Agency, in cooperation with the
tracked down and interrogated Cuban defectors who
served in Angola, revealing hitherto unknown details on the Cuban move to
Angola and activities there.
2. In connection with the assessment, I had a series of conversations
with senior officials in Washington who formulate and implement US policy
concerning Cuba. Based upon these conversations, I developed a list of
intelligence requirements including a substantial number on the Cuban role
in Angola and elsewhere in Africa. I formalized these requirements in the
Current Intelligence Reporting List (CIRL); established priorities for them
.,,,.i i cc11Pr1 them to the
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4. I Ion Cuban involvement in Angola and elsewhere in
There has25X1
Africa has increased in volu
also been a build-up in analytical intelligence on the subject. Since 1 January
1977, there have been 18 items in the Presidential Daily Brief on Angola;
20 articles in the National Intelligence Daily (NID); six items in the
Current Intelligence Weekly Report; three major DDI memoranda; and one
Interagency Intelligence Memorandum.
5. As a followup to the Special FOCUS Cuba Assessment, the undersigned
monitors and stimulates all-source intelligence collection on Cuba. The
NIO for Africa also fulfills this function in Africa.
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A/NI0/LA
Attachment: As noted in paragraph 1
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