IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-78-7-7-1
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: August 10, 2010
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: August 11, 1975
• Content Type: MEMO

THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 11, 1975
T5i d
Major General John A. Wickham, USA
Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense
SUBJECT: Implementation of Recommendations of the
Rockefeller Commission
As you know on June 11 the President requested the Department of
-Defense and other agencies to comment on the recommendations of the
.Commission on CIA Activities within the U. S. (Rockefeller Commission).
The comments of all agencies have been received and the office of the
White House Counsel is preparing to submit its recommendations to the
president. Prior to doing so, Secretary Kissinger asked that we insure
--that Secretary Schlesinger's views are reflected in the paper.
It is the consensus of the White House staff that the thirty recommendations
of the Rockefeller Commission may be broken into two categories. The
first category contains those twenty recommendations which are relatively
non-controversial and concern reform measures internal to CIA (recom-
rnendations 6, 9-13, 14-B, 15B-C, 16-18, 20, 22-25, 27, 28, 29 and
3D). It is the tentative recommendation of the President's principal
'White House advisers that these recommendations be implemented forth-
i
t
e.
a
:with by the DCI in coordination with the Attorney General, as appropr
Qi: the ten remaining recommendations, two concern Congressional action
sand do not require Presidential decision at this time (the establishment
-,of a joint Congressional committee on intelligence and Congressional-
4-consideration of the desirability of making portions of the CIA budget
tpublic). A third -recommendation to the effect that the DCI should be a
man of integrity, stature and wisdom is hortatory and requires no
specific Presidential action at this time.
On the aremainxng seven 7recommendations (1, 2, 5, 8, 19, 21 and 26)
:there is a divergence of view as to the timing and character of Presidential
action. ? Some parties believe that the President should move promptly
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to endorse these recommendations and, specifically, that he should
require the development of appropriate executive orders and draft
legislation for his review and approval prior to September 1, 1975.
Others, however, referring to the continuing work of the Church and
Pike Committees, and to the likely prospect that these committees
will recommend significant changes in the intelligence community,
urge that the President establish an Ad Hoc group of his principal
advisers for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive study of
these "basic issues." This group would develop an options paper
containing detailed proposals for dealing with the above seven
recommendations of the Rockefeller Commission as well as these
more fundamental questions:
-- What is the role of intelligence in the national policy process?
How should the intelligence community be organized to fulfill this role?
Should there be'a supra-agency Dire-ctor (or Coordinator) of National
"Intelligence? If so, what should be his charter vis-a-vis the community
-injerms of resource allocation, intelligence budget development, and
management of the CIA? What should be his relatioizship to the President?
What are the roles of the NSC and OMB in providing guidance
to and management of the intelligence community?
:What are the roles of the NSC, the PFIAB and the Congress in
oversight of the intelligence community?
...: What is the Administration's policy on the conduct of covert
. actions?
-- What'are the limits of CIA authority to conduct activities within
ithe United States?
iThe two approaches for dealing with these "basic issues" (1) endorsing
the seven Rockefeller recommendations now and dealing with the other
!'basic issues" as they arise, versus (2) treating the seven major
;Rockefeller -recommendations and the above "basic issues" in a major
t3tudy.effort .-will both be reflected in the memorandum to the President.
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obert C. McF
t. Colonel - S. Marine Corps
Military Assistant to the Assistant
to the President for National
Security Affairs .
The purpose of this memorandum is to determine whether Secretary
Schlesinger would support either of these approaches, and if not, to
solicit his recommendations as to an alternative approach.
zl-
C- -All
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4P 1P
THE WHITE HOUSE
June 11, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR
THE SECRETARY OF STATE
THE SECRETARY OF TREASURY
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
SUBJECT; Report of the Commission on Central Intelligence
Activities Within the United States
On January 4, 1975, I established a Commission on Central
Intelligence Activities Within the United States to determine whether
any domestic activities of the CIA exceeded the Agency's statutory
??-authority. Tire -Gorrmihssion has, completed its work and has submitted
a report which contains a number of recommendations for changes
in the framework within which U. S. intelligence activities are
conducted. I have reviewed the report and believe that it establishes
a sound basis for addressing structural and other possible weaknesses
in the operation of the CIA and other intelligence bodies.
It is vital to the national security and foreign policy of the United
States that we preserve and strengthen our intelligence institutions
and capabilities. It is equally important that all government
intelligence activities strictly observe constitutional guarantees
against the violation of individual civil liberties. Within this context,
I request that you review the report and provide me your comments
on the report and its recommendations as soon as possible.
1 0/
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/11 LOC-HAK-78-7-7-1