FIFTH REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT BY THE PRESIDENT'S BOARD OF CONSULTANTS ON FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R001100060007-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 14, 2002
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: March 1, 1960
• Content Type: MF

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T3 142044
MAR 1960
MEMORANDUM FOR THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY,
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Fifth Report to the President by the President's
Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence
Activities, dated 11 December 1959. (Recommenda-
tion Regarding "National Intelligence Priorities")
I. The subject recommendation reads as follows:
it is recommended that a realistic appraisal of
our priority national intelligence objectives be under-
taken on an urgent basis; and that the Intelligence
Community's emphasis on collection objectives be re-
directed to insure that primary emphasis and support
are given by the entire Community to the fulfillment
of our most critical national intelligence collection
programs, as distinguished from fulfillment of depart-
mental intelligence requirements of lesser importance
to the national security.
2. The text preceding this recommendation indicates that
the Board of Consultants was particularly concerned with our
lack of success, to date, in discovering the operational
characteristics and deployment of ,ioviet ballistic missile units,
and that the Board attributes this lack of success to two factors:
a. "a tendency on the part of certain elements
of the Community to place undue emphasis on fulfilling
departmental rather than. national intelligence require-
ments"; and
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b. the approach presently taken to the matter
of establishing and implenaenting the most meaningful
national intelligence priorities,
3. All members of the Intelligence Community are deopiy
conc?rnd regarding our inability. to date, to identify and
describe Soviet operational ballistic missile units. No member
of the Intelligence Community would subordinate the isolation of
this urgent problem to the pursuit of a parochial interest. Insofar
as the Priority National Intelligence Objectives are concerned,
this subject has been a matter of rirst Priority since the present
PNIO series was instituted in 1954. Our partial lack of 1114CCOSO
to date, is attributable, not to want of priority in the direction of
our effort, but to the inherent difficulties of the problem and to
the fact that, due to the risks involved, we have been permitted
to use only sparingly the most promisieg (certainly the most
effective) source of bard intelligence on this subject. An
intensive research and analysis effort has been undertaken in
order to define the limits of the coverage required for this
purpose and so to enhance the chances of achieving a breakthrough
by this means. We remain hopeful of achieving this at the
earliest date which the nature of the problem and of the resources
at our disposal will allow. some progress has been made since
the date of the Board's report. We shall exert every effort to
improve this situation.
4. The latest revision of the Priority National Intelligence
Objectives was adopted as recently as 15 December 1959. It is
subject to continuing review.
5. The YNIOs prepared pursuant to N3CID-1 are a statement
of the most critical substantive problems currently confronting
the Intelligence Community, for the guidance of intelligence research
as well as of intelligence collection. These however are of necessity
in rather general terms and must be developed by more specific
collection gaides. The derivation of specific collection requirements
from these stated objectives requires analysis by research
personnel to determine the elements of information essential to a,
solution of the problem, the *laments already available or readily
accessible through research, the additional information obtainable
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through routine collection, and the additional information of
each importance as to warrant a priority collection effort.
After such priority collection requirements have, been conveyed
to collection agencies, there still remain administr ative
determinations to he made regarding the suitability of a given
means of collection to the task and the proper allocation of
limited resources.
possible Soviet missile bases as described above, I riecotntrend
that the President defer action on the subject recommendation,
pentAing a further report on this subject which we will make to
your Board of Consultants at its next meeting.
SKentidu:19Feb60
Rewritten pages 2 and 3: AWD/mfb 29Feb60
Distribution:
#1 Itt #2? Addressee
#3 PBCFIA
- DD/I
- DCI
- ER
#7 - IG (via DDCI for inf
- AD/NE
SIGNED
f4 . DULLES
25X1
ILLEGIB
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TS#142044-a
19 February 1960
MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: Fifth Report to the President by the President's
Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence
Activities, dated 11 December 1959. (Recommenda-
tion Regarding "National Intelligence Priorities")
1. You will recall that, when you were being briefed
for the USIB meeting of 1 December 1959, Mr. Sheldon ob-
jected to the draft revision of DCID 1/3 (Priority National
Intelligence Objectives) on the ground that they were not directly
usable as COMINT collection requirements. After some dis-
cussion, you held with us that they were not supposed to be,
and that the derivation of COMINT collection requirements was
OCI's business. It now appears, however, that Mr. Sheldon
had already appeared before the President's Board of Con-
sultants, and that his views are probably the origin of the
subject recommendation.
2. The Board of National Estimates recommends that
you reply to the attached memorandum from the Executive
Secretary, NSC, substantially as in the attached draft.
3. Before preparing this draft reply, we consulted with
Mr. Coyne (Secretary to the Board of Consultants),
25X1 (CCPC), and I tOCI).
FOR THE BOARD OF NATIONAL ESTIMATES:
SIth.RMAN KENT
Chairman
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b. "the approach presently taken to the
matter of establishing and implementing the most
meaningful national intelligence priorities."
1
I feel that the Board is under some misapprehension with
respect to both of these matters.
3. All members of the Intelligence Community are
deeply concerned regarding our inability, to date, to identify
and describe Soviet operational ballistic missile units. No
department would subordinate the solution of this urgent prob-
lem to the pursuit of a parochial interest. Insofar as the
Priority National Intelligence Objectives are concerned, this
subject has been a matter of First Prior* since the present
PNIO series was instituted in 1954. Ourillacki,of success, to
date, is attributable, not to want ?redirection IM effort, but
to the inherent difficulties of the problem and to the fact that
) we have beenjer ittedmito1a,?1 e only sparingly the most
r Lt
promising (p ba?ps the only effective) source of
1+.
on this subject. An intensive re e rich and analysis effort
has been undertaken in order to the limits of the
coverage required for this purpose and so to enhance the
chances of achieving a breakthrough by this means. We re-
main hopeful of achieving saike4t.-.4v-isariaarlr.t.lizaaragoir-at the earliest
date which the nature of tthe problem and of ithe rpsources at
our disposal will LIVo-0 Ntit4.4.14414-1c*,A4 it"A.ro 64-,:"C""
4 f, rt tAL
4. The latest revision of the Priority National Intelli-
gence Objectives was adopted as recently as 15 December 1959.
4t---i-rir--fkot-appatent that itis .in need- of-urgent r-econsicl,eratian.
+16 6 ?Az, ,
The 13_Q.a.r.cLapp.eaz a -to- coniese-41Te-furritulatian ,ef
etictri.t4:-.1\1a-tional, Intelligence -ObyectitiVs with- the 'development
zacLimplamenta,tion, .spe..cifi_c- int.e11igaaeewetrtte-ft'Mr-prtpg-nams.
The PNIOs prepared pursuant to NSCID-1 are a statement of
the most critical substantive problems currently confronting
the Intelligence Community, for the guidance of intelligence re-
search as well as of intelligence collection.A The derivation of
specific collection requirements from these stated objectives
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1 ft
Approved For Release 2003/01/29 : CIA-RDP80601676R001100060007-9
requires analysis by research personnel to determine the
elements of information essential to a solution of the prob-
lem, the elements already available or readily accessible
through research, the additional information obtainable
through routine collection, and the additional information
of such importance as to warrant a priority collection effort.
After such priority collection requirements have been con-
veyed to collection agencies, there still remain administrative
determinations to be made regarding the suitability of a given
means of collection to the task and the proper allocation of
limited resources.
25X1
ALLEN W. DULLES
Dir ector
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A
b. "the approach presently taken to the matter
of establishing and implementing the most meaningful
national intelligence priorities. ''
t
_
Lf--e-e-t+te'Burdt3under avyne? 1,48,0:prore ens-turf...with
1 re-s-pee-t-t-tr-brettrcif entes-t-ntatter.s:
Es.nt
instituted in 1954. Our partial lack of success, to date, is
attributable, not to want of priority in the direction of our effort,
but to the inherent difficulties of the problem and to the fact that,
due to the risks involved, we have been permitted to use only
sparingly the most promising (certainly the most effective) source
of hard intelligence on this subject. An intensive research and
analysis effort has been undertaken in order to define the limits
of the coverage required for this purpose and so to enhance the
chances of achieving a breakthrough by this means. We remain
hopeful of achieving this at the earliest date which the nature of the
.Problem and of the resources at our disposal will allow. Some
progress has been made since the
_ date of the Board's ARvirretwo67
AAlA4A 4-44,A
4. The latest revision of the Priority National Intelligence
Objectives was adopted as recently as 15 December 1959. It is
subject to continuing review.
5. The PNIOs prepared pursuant to NSCID-1 are a statement
of the most critical substantive problems currently confronting
the Intelligence Community, for the guidance of intelligence research
as well as of intelligence collection. These however are of necessity
in rather general terms and must be developed by more specific
collection guides. The derivation of specific colLection requirements
from these stated objectives requires analysis by research
personnel to determine the elements of information essential to a
solution of the problem, the elements already available or readily
accessible through research, the additional information obtainable
et,
-z -
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