PROCEDURES FOR STRATEGIC WARNING NOTICES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82B00421R000100030022-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 23, 2005
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: January 16, 1976
• Content Type: MF

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 SECRET
USIB - D-71.11/18
16 January 1976
UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE 130ARD
MEMORANDUM FOR THE UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE 130ARD
SUBJECT : Procedures for Strategic Warning Notices
REFERENCES : a. DCID No. 1/5, "Strategic Warning,"
Effective 26 February 1975
b. USIB-M-709, 11 December 1975, Item 2
c. USIB-M-711, 8 January 1976, Item 1
The attached set of proposed Procedures for Strategic
Warning Notices, formulated by the Strategic Warning Staff and
coordinated with the Intelligence Community Staff, is circulated for
Board consideration. It is planned to schedule this item on the
USIB agenda for the meeting of 23 January 1976.
Executive Secretary
 SECRET
Attachment
USIB-D-71,11/18
16 January 1976
PROCEDURES FOR STRATEGIC WARNING NOTICES
1. The Strategic Warning Notice (SWN) is a special.
report prepared by the Special Assistant for Strategic
Warning (SA) and issued by the DCI when, in his judgment,
there appears to be evidence that the Soviet Union, the
Warsaw Pact, the People's Republic of China or North Korea
is considering military action by its armed forces beyond
its borders or is employing its military capabilities beyond
its borders in ways that might threaten confrontation with
the US.
2. The DCI will notify the President ahd the National
Security Council of the warning notice and take such other
action as he deems necessary. The DCI will also transmit
the Strategic Warning Notices to the USIB Principals for
further dissemination within their departments and agencies.
(When appropriate, the DCI will also propose release of the
substance of the warning notices to allied governments.)
When time is of the essence, the SA may issue such notices
directly to the President and NSC with concurrent dissemina-
tion to the DCI and USIB Principals.
3. An SWN will normally be initiated by the SA or, in
his absence, the Director of the Strategic Warning Staff
(SWS). It may also be proposed to the SA by a USIB Principal,
SECRET
 a National Intelligence Officer, or by any other senior
officer of the intelligence or foreign affairs communities.
A proposal for an SWN will be addressed to the SA but the
decision to issue an SWN will rest with the DCI .
4. Responsibility for preparing an SWN will rest with
the SA, and he may call on any element of the Intelligence
Community for support. Whenever possible the SWS will
coordinate a draft of the SWN with the USIB agencies and the
appropriate National Intelligence Officer (NIO) . Any dis-
senting views will. be described in the SWN. The SA is
authorized to limit or forego coordination when time is of
the essence. All SWNs will note the extent of coordination
within the Community.
S. At the earliest possible time, the SWS should
notify appropriate USIB agencies of the decision to draft
a Strategic Warning Notice. When time permits, the SWS
should also indicate the source of information that led to
the decision, the extent of coordination being sought, the
amount of assistance desired, and the likely time of issuance.
When feasible, appropriate US embassies and field commands
should also be notified that an SWN is being prepared and
their views should be solicited. An SWN will. in most cir-
cumstances be a paper which provides the basic rationale
for the issuance of a warning. Occasionally, however, an
SWN may consist simply of a covering memorandum attached to
 an existing intelligence document, suggesting in essence
that the policy maker should :focus on the situation reported
in the basic document.
6. An SWN will. also clearly indicate what special
actions are being taken to ensure effective coverage of the
situation, e.g., the initiation of special collection efforts.
7. A supplementary SWN should be prepared whenever, in
the view of the SA, the situation has greatly intensified or
changed in some especially significant way. An appropriate
advisory should be issued by the DCI whenever, in his judg-
ment, events indicate that the crisis at hand has abated or
terminated. Collection efforts arising from the :issuance
of the SWN should also be modified or canceled as appropriate.