PRESIDENTIAL INTELLIGENCE PRIORITIES LIST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91M00696R000300010050-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 10, 2004
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: March 18, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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ICS-77-6222
18 March 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. Richard Lehman
Deputy to the DCI for National
Intelligence
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erector, Office of Performance,
Evaluation and Improvement, ICS
Director, Office of Policy and Planning
SUBJECT: Presidential Intelligence Priorities List
1. On 9 March 1977 the President indicated his desire
to participate in the process of establishing national
intelligence requirements and priorities. The attached
draft memorandum to the DCI is designed to be responsive to
the President's desires.
2. Request your views and/or concurrence on the
memorandum by 23 March 1977.
Attachment
As stated
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downgrc'ed toUnclassified__
when en o ure4g1Z~'~ t .r
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Approved For Release 2005/07/28 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000300010050-8
 Approved For Release 2005/07/28 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000300010050-8
M Form 163a
8-66
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 Approved For Release 2005/0Sf-RDP91 M00696R000300010050-8
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy to the DCI for the Intelligence
Community
SUBJECT: Presidential Intelligence Priorities
List
1. As you know, we are currently pursuing a rigorous
zero-base scrub of DCID 1/2, the principal existing
mechanism for identifying intelligence requirements and
priorities within the Community. At his 9 March 1977 meeting
with NFIB, the President expressed his interest in
participating in the process for which the DCID is designed.
His participation would be extremely valuable, therefore
I propose that we suggest a framework within which he might
provide guidance for this important work. We might refer
to it as the Presidential Intelligence Priorities List.
Such a document would:
a. Give the President evidence of the importance
being placed on his personal intelligence
concerns;
b. Be easy to establish and maintain, given the
frequent contacts taking place between the DCI
and the President;
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c. Give National Intelligence Officers a convenient
means of focusing on the President's concerns,
and assessing consumer satisfaction with intelli-
gence being provided on such topics during their
frequent interaction with high level users of
intelligence;
d. Provide some focus for assessing intelligence
performance in conjunction with semi-annual re-
views, particularly appropriate in that the reviews
are done on behalf of the NSC which the President
chairs.
2. As the form and content of the Presidential list
develops, we would reassess existing mechanisms within the
Intelligence Community Planning Systems to insure compatibility
and avoidance of duplication within our family of documents.
Particularly we would wish to reexamine the function of the
present Key Intelligence Questions and the criteria for
assignment of priorities within DCID 1/2.
3. Attached is a notional initial Presidential
Intelligence Priorities List. If you decide to pursue this
initiative, we would envision our proceeding as follows:
a. The notional list would be reviewed and revised
in coordination with the National Intelligence
Officers and within the Community Staff.
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b. The draft initial list would be provided
to you for discussion with the Secretaries of
State and Defense, as you earlier indicated was
your intention with regard to similar matters
which you raised, and with the National Security
Advisor to the President.
c. The proposal, with an initial list suitably revised
and expanded with specific questions under each
category, would be provided to the President.
d. If the President approves the proposal, the initial
list would be disseminated, and the National
Intelligence Officers and the Intelligence
Community Staff would take necessary action to
acquire and provide the intelligence indicated
and to assess performance in doing so.
e. Subsequent changes to the list would come about as a
result of:
(1) Presidential guidance;
(2) Proposals to the President generated
by the DCI or the National Security
Advisor, and approved by the President.
4. With your approval, we will develop the proposal for
your use in discussions with Secretaries Vance and Brown
and Dr. Brzezinski.
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Attac~@va Eor Release 2005/07/28 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000300010050-8
SECRET
 Approved For Release 2005/0n & i
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Presidential Priorities List
Arms Transfers
European Issues
International Summit Issues
Latin America
Middle East
,National Strategy Questions
North-South Issues
Nuclear Testing
SALT Negotiation Issues
Foreign Space Activities and Foreign Reactions to
all (including US) Space Activities
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