REVIEW OF WESTERN EUROPE SECTION, 1964 - 65

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81S00991R000100480003-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 1, 1999
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: March 24, 1964
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2000/0 1 S00991 R0001 00480003-8
24 March 1964
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, BR/CR
THRU: Chief, Western Branch
FROM: Chief, Western Europe Section
SUBJECT: Review of Western Europe Section, 1964 - 65
1964 TO
Professionals:
Intell. Clerk Typists
Intelligence Assistants
Total
1965 T o
1965 On Board
11
8
8
3
2
2
0
2
1
14
12
11
With increasing recognition over the past year (Mar 1964-Mar 1965),
the Section has functioned primarily as a source of both current and
finished biographic political intelligence, responsive to requests
from the White House, the Secretary of State, our Embassies abroad,
political desk officers in the State Department, the DCI, the DD/I
and the DD/P. In some instances the latter has also received material
for operational support. Through the Liaison Division/OCR, we have
frequently furnished biographic intelligence for other USIB components
and non-USIB members of Cabinet rank. In addition, we have provided
biographic support to OSI and OBI for various sections of the NIS.
Ranging from quick name checks or answers to specific questions
through extensive biographic studies on one individual to briefing
books for the White House on parties of foreign dignitaries visiting
Washington, these services occupy the major portion of the analyst's
time and efforts.
Through resignations and transfers within the year the section
has reduced its professional staff to the number allowed by the T/O.
We still lack one IA, however, and within one month, with the departure
of one of our best and most experienced analysts we will be short
one professional. Since September 1964 the 20-odd countries for
which the Section is responsible have been divided among 7 analysts,
each of whom is expected to have or develop the same degree of
writing and analytical competence necessary to handle any specific
area.
This arrangement, while far from ideal, has so far proven
workable with no one analyst being extremely overburdened and backlogs
in general are at a minimum. We have not, however, been able to
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accomplish our self-imposed schedule for completing the conversion
of all the files to numerical control. In addition, scientific
coverage has been cut to the absolute minimum, some areas of
political intelligence (i.e. International Communist front organization
activities) are not being processed to the optimum degree, and the
analysts are not yet entirely free of some clerical-type tasks. In
most instances the analysts have no time to review background
material or files or clean out deadwood from the files.
Since most of our requests occur on an ad hoc basis, it is, on
the whole, not possible to plan ahead or anticipate such projects
as briefing books, detailed biographic studies on certain individuals,
or a request for brief reports on several individuals at once.
Thus, when we are faced with short deadlines, it is frequently
necessary to put all analysts to work n a given project regardless
of the country involved. Since those projects on which we can make
educated guesses, such as reports on UNGA delegates, usually involve
all of WE, there are times when everyone must neglect daily work to
concentrate on requests or publications of one kind or another. There
is some danger that this situation may effect the quality of future
products in the Section, since the processing of incoming material
into the files as soon as possible is the best insurance of the
timeliness and value of our reports. Hopefully, well-trained, efficient
IA's will help alleviate this problem in the not-too-distant future.
It is my opinion, however, that to operate efficiently, without
lowering the quality of product for which the Section is becoming
known, we cannot do with any less people and, in reality, should
have at least one more IA and one more clerk.
Under the present T/0 we have not been able to keep up our
schedule for the Biographic Handbooks, prinicpally because since
the Senior Analyst who would normally assume editorial duties must
assume a country responsibility and the Section Chief-as editor-
becomes a bottleneck in the Handbook production effort. This is
particularly true when fitness reports, administrative duties, or
other projects of higher priority needing to be edited interfere
and the handbook reports must return to the bottom of the pile.
Fortunately, under the present circumstances at least, scientific
requests have decreased and except for a minimum coverage of travel
to Bloc areas we have no continuing requests which cannot be handled.
25X1A
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, OCR/BR
,V4
SUBJECT: Survey - Latin America
T /O
On Board
Professionals
11
10
Intelligence Assistants
3
1
Intelligence Clerk-Typists
4
4
Total
1$
15
Fundamental to an understanding of the nature of the Latin American
Section and the duties of its analysts are the following points:
1. The area under consideration is comprised of 22 volatile,
independent and unique countries.
2. The Section produces political intelligence; scientific
requests are practically non-existent.
3. The Section is primarily in the current intelligence busi-
ness and to a slightly lesser degree, in the operations support
business.
4. The same kind and degree of competence is required and ex-
pected at each desk; writing and analytical competence is as
necessary on the Haiti desk as on the Brazilian.
During the past year (March 1964-April 1965) the professional man-
power situation in the Section can best be described as being in a state
of almost continual change. In March 1964 LA consisted of 13 profession-
als and three clerk-typists. The Section now includes three less pro-
fessionals, one more clerk-typist and a recently assigned intelligence
assistant. No fewer than seven seasoned analysts resigned or transferred
during the period under review and were replaced by four analysts now on
duty in the Section less than seven months. Obviously many man-hours
have been spent training, guiding, advising and encouraging the newly
assigned analysts to become independently capable and professionally com-
petent as quickly as possible.
The Section's work pattern therefore has been one of desperately
trying to keep up with the day to day work load; unable to concern itself
with projects not absolutely essential. In fact, even a rather essential
program (Biographic Handbook Program) has had to be postponed or cancelled
on several areas because it is foolish to undertake such a project on any
area where the analyst has been on duty less than seven months. The Cuban
analyst has been bombarded with requests from many sectors to accept pro-
jects involving the expenditure of hundreds of man-hours. Some of these
requestors have been satisfied, others have had to be satisfied with some-
thing less than requested and a few, unfortunately, have not been satis-
fied at all. Few, if any, of the analysts have had the time to carefully
inventory their holdings, e.g., the country background and category files
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Section has been approached on numerous occasions with the suggestion
that we control the travel activities of Latins to Bloc Countries,
especially student types. A perfectly legitimate request, particularly
in view of the fact that such control is being maintained in some sec-
tions where the manpower situation is perhaps less critical. The ar-
rival of the full complement of intelligence assistants will no doubt
help free the analysts to perform many important tasks now being neg-
lected.
There is no question about the vitally important role biographic
intelligence plays in Latin American affairs. This fact was recently
attested to in an editorial which appeared in the New York Times of 15
March, "Latin America has always been a region where personalism plays
a great role."
25X1A
Chief, Latin America Section
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