INTELLIGENCE DEFINITIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91M00696R000200050015-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: November 2, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director, National Foreign
Assessment Center
Special Assistant-NIO-Support
SUBJECT : Intelligence Definitions
1. Most of these definitions concern the activities of NSA.
The definitions working group on which I sit essentially allowed
the NSA representative to define what it is her organization does,
within the limits of language a layman could understand.
2. I wrote, and Dick Lehman approved, the definition of a
National Intelligence Estimate. My only distress with the definition,
as a former word merchant, is that "in the foreigYi environment" was
substituted for "abroad."
3. The definition of Foreign Intelligence is intended to dis-
tinguish the term from Intelligence Information--i.e., collectors
gather and processors translate information, but only when analysts
have dealt with information does it become intelligence.
4. International Terrorist Activities is a definition produced
by those working on EO 11905. The working group on which I sit had
a much simpler definition (see attachment), which particularly did
not include protectees of the Secret Service or State because we felt
that one facet did not deserve emphasis in a definition of an intel-
ligence term. Treasury was particularly adamant, however; the defini-
tions business seems in too many cases to boil down to protecting a
charter to do something.
Attachment:
As stated
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NFAC INTERNAL USE ONLY
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INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ACTIVITIES: Terrorist is the calculated
use of violence, or the threat of violence, to attain political goals
through fear, intimidation or coercion. It usually involves a criminal
act, often symbolic in nature, and is intended to influence an
audience beyond the immediate victims. International terrorism is
terrorism transcending national boundaries in the carrying out of the
act, the purpose of the act, the nationalities of the victims, or
the resolution of the incident. These acts are usually designed to
attract wide publicity in order to focus attention on the existence,
cause, or demands of the perpetrators.
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NATIONAL FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE BOAIW
NFIB-24.1/16
26 October 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR NATIONAL FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE BOARD
FROM: Walter Elder
Executive Secretary
SUBJECT: Definitions Requested by the Senate Select Committee
on Intelligence
1. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is drafting
legislation intended to clarify the authority and responsibilities
of the various departments and agencies performing intelligence
functions. In support of this effort, the Committee has requested
the Intelligence Community definitions of 26 listed terms.
2. The Director of Central Intelligence has requested that
the NFIB Principals be provided the attached copy 6f the proposed
definitions of these terms developed by an interagency group headed
by of the Intelligence Community Staff, as
mo i ie by e definitions of four terms contained in the draft
Executive Order now being considered by the NSC Special Coordination
Committee. The four definitions derived from what is now contained
in the draft Executive Order are: foreign intelligence, foreign
counterintelligence, international terrorist activities, and commun-
ications security.
3. In the interest of an expedited response to the Senate
Committee, your concurrence or comments on',the attached definitions
is requested by Friday, 4 November 1977.
Attachment:
Proposed Definitions
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IX X
INTELLIGENCE: A generic term which includes foreign intelligence and
foreign counterintelligence. (See below.)
INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES: A generic term used to describe the efforts
and endeavors undertaken by the departments, agencies, and elements
comprising the Intelligence Community.
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE (F!): The product of collection, processing and
analysis of information relating to the capabilities, intentions and
activities of foreign powers, organizations or persons, but not including
foreign counterintelligence except for information on international
terrorist activities.
FOREIGN COUNTERINTELLIGENCE: Information gathered and activities con-
ducted to protect against espionage and other clandestine intelligence
activities, sabotage, international terrorist activities or assassinations
conducted for or on behalf of foreign powers, organizations or persons,
and activities conducted abroad to protect national security information
and its means of collection from detection by or disclosure to foreign
powers, organizations or persons, but not including-personnel, physical,
document, or communications security programs.
TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE: That intelligence required by military commanders
in the field to maintain the readiness of operating forces for combat.
operations and to support the planning and conduct of military operations
under combat conditions.
INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ACTIVITIES: Any activities which
1 involve:
(a) killing, causing serious bodily harm to or kidnapping one
or more individuals, or
(b) violent destruction of property, or
(c) an attempt or credible threat to commit acts specified in
subparagraphs (a) or (b) above; and
(2) appear intended to endanger a protectee of the Secret Service
or the Department of State or to further political, social, or
economic goals by:
(a) intimidating or coercing a civilian population or any
segment thereof, or
(b) influencing the policy of a government or international
organization by intimidation or coercion; or
(c) obtaining widespread publicity for a group or its cause; and
v`
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DEFINITIONS OF INTELLIGENCE TERMS
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(3) transcends national boundaries in terms of:
(a) the means by which it is accomplished,
(b) the civilian population, government or international
organization it appears intended to coerce or intimidate,
or
(c) the locale in which its perpetrators operate or seek asylum.
DEPARTRIENT(AL) INTELLIGENCE: Foreign intelligence produced and used within
a governmental department or agency in order to meet unique requirements of
the department or agency mission.
INTELLIGENCE-RELATED ACTIVITIES: Those activities specifically excluded
from the National Foreign Intelligence Program which respond to depart-
mental or agency tasking for time-sensitive information on foreign activities
respond to national Intelligence Community advisory tasking of collection-
capabilities which have a primary mission to support departmental or agency 25X1
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are devoted to research and development of intelligence or related capabilities.
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATES (NIEs): Thorough assessments of situations
in the foreign environment that are relevant to the, .formulation of foreign,
economic, and national security policy, and project probable future courses
of action and developments. They are structured to illuminate differences
of view within the Intelligence Community, and are issued by the director
of Central Intelligence"with the advice of the National Foreign Intelligence.
Board.
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