LETTER TO WILLIAM FRENCH SMITH FROM LINCOLN D. FAURER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10M02313R000100640005-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 11, 2012
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: May 12, 1981
• Content Type: LETTER

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STAT
ecutive Secretary
13 May 81
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Dear Mr. Attorney General:
The Honorable William French Smith
The Attorney General
Department. of Justice
Washington, DC 20530
This responds to the request in your letter dated 29 April 1981
to Mr. Meese for comments on your proposed restructuring of the
National Security Council Structure.
As you know, NSA is not a participant in the discussions
on how this Administration will organize the National Security
Council and its various committees. This is a subject that is
principally a concern of those cabinet level entities that are
directly involved with the full range of the NSC's responsibilities.
Intelligence matters are a relatively small portion of the NSC's
concerns, and NSA is only one of several intelligence agencies. Our
experience has been that NSA participation on the NSC is not necessary
on a routine basis. To the extent it becomes necessary, the
existing provision that permits participation by invitation is
satisfactory. At the same time, it might be useful to include NSA
and FBI membership on the SIG-I, at least when matters directly
affecting their missions are addressed.
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE. MARYLAND 20755
Serial: N0511
12 May 1981
Normally, NSA has not had a role in reviewing special activities.
It does not appear appropriate to add this Agency to the group
responsible for reviewing those activities, except on those occasions
in which NSA may be participating in or supporting them.
Sincerely,
LINCOLN D. FAURER
Lieutenant General, USAF
Director, NSA/Chief, CSS
Copy Furnished:
Secret =_?y of State
Secretary of Defense
Counsellor lor to the President
Director of Central Intelligence
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
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Dot.
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NTIAL
May 1981
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
FROM: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: National Security Council Structure
1. I had breakfast with Meese today. I brought up, on the
basis of your advice last evening, the matter of getting National
Security Decision Directive No. 2 issued.. He said he thought it
had already. been issued.
2. Attached -is the Attorney General's new suggestion which
you had heard about from 41ilTard. The matter of FBI representa-
tion has.al ready. been resolved and it is Meese's thinking that
terrorism should be handled outside the IG system at the principals'
level for really critical-matters and at some kind of interdepart
mental level _ for- reviewing and developing preparations, readiness,
etc. There is.already an interdepartmental mechanism under the
chairmanshhip.:.of State, and- the Justice Department can handle
terror fsm-iR the?.Uoited-States on its own in that context. It
will get its: international intelligence input from State as well
as directly-from-the intelligence community, and the handling of
domestic threats-are its business.
Attachment:
As stated
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-emarks: For appropriate review and comment per
my conversation this date with
1 May 81
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STAT
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3 as1tngtun,fl. T. 28530
April 29, 1981
Edwin Meese, III
Counsellor to the President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Re: National Security Council Structure
Dear Ed:
You will recall that a draft of a proposed National
Security Decision Directive No. 2 was distributed at the
March 26 National Security Council meeting for our con-
sideration. I have reviewed that document and am enclosing
a proposed revision that I believe takes into account our
recent experiences in this area.
The revision recognizes the central role that the President
intends the NSC itself will fulfill in the area of special
activities and sensitive intelligence activities. Since these
matters are currently provided for in Executive order 12036, I
believe it to be essential that the three elements of the
existing NSC Special Coordination Committee (SCC) - special
activities, sensitive intelligence collection operations, and
counterintelligence activities - be accounted for in the
forthcoming new version of the Executive Order.
My proposed revision also makes clear that the Director of
Central Intelligence (DCI) is the President's primary adviser
in the area of national foreign intelligence, and conforms
the policy-making functions of the proposed SIG-I, which the
DCI chairs, to the functions of the other Senior Interdepart-
mental Groups (SIG-FP and SIG-DP). Because the Attorney
General and the Directors of the FBI and NSA have significant
responsibilities in the areas of foreign intelligence,
counterintelligence, and countering international terrorism,
they have been included as members of the SIG-I. The revision
also states more completely the functions of the Inter-
departmental Groups (IG's) that will support the NSC and the
SIG-I in these areas. The particular expertise and juris-
dictional responsibilities of the various entities involved
is recognized by designating chairmen of the IG's by refer-
ence to their functions. Thus, a DCI representative would
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chair IG's dealing with foreign intelligence matters and an
FBI Director representative would chair IG's dealing with
counterintelligence matters. A Secretary of State represen-
tative would chair IG's dealing with international terrorism
abroad, and a representative of the Attorney General would
chair IG's dealing with international terrorism in the
United States. These IG's could support both the NSC in its
operational approval role and the SIG-I in its policy
functions.
This structure seems to me to be a more appropriate
mechanism for dealing with these sensitive and vitally
important activities. I am providing copies of this pro-
posal to the Secretaries of State and Defense, the Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs, and the
Directors of Central Intelligence, FBI and NSA for their
review and comment.
WILLIAM FRENCH SMITH
Attorney General
cc: (As stated.)
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NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION April 244, 1981
DIRECTIVE NUMBER 2
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STRUCTURE
I. National Security Council
General
The National Security Council (NSC) shall be the principal
forum for consideration of national security policy issues
requiring Presidential decision.
The functions and responsibilities of the NSC shall be as
set forth in the National Security Act of 1947, as amended,
except as further specified in this Directive.
The NSC shall meet regularly. Those heads of
Departments and Agencies who are not regular members shall
participate as appropriate, when matters affecting their
Departments or Agencies are considered.
Special Activities, Sensitive Foreign
Intelligence Collection Operations,
Sensitive Counterintelligence Activities
The NSC shall consider all proposed special activities, and
those foreign intelligence collection operations and counter-
intelligence activities, including activities to counter inter-
national terrorism, that require NSC review under standards
established by the NSC. When meeting for these purposes, the NSC
shall include the Attorney General; the Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs; the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Director of Central Intelligence; the
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Director
of the.National Security Agency.
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Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs
The Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs, in consultation with the members of the NSC, shall
be responsible for determining and publishing the agenda
and ensuring that the necessary papers are prepared
and provided to the members or their designated staff members
as far in advance of the meeting at which they will be discussed
as possible. Decision papers shall be approved by the President
and shall be disseminated by the Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs.
II. NSC Responsibilities of the Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is my principal foreign policy
advisor. As such, he is responsible for the formulation of
foreign policy and for the execution of approved policy.
I have assigned to the Secretary of State authority
and responsibility, to the extent permitted by law, -for the
overall direction, coordination, and supervision of the
interdepartmental activities incident to foreign policy
formulation, and the activities of Executive Departments and
Agencies of the United States overseas. Such activities do
not include those of United States military forces operating
in the field under the command of a United States area
military commander, and such other military activities as I
elect, as Commander-in-Chief, to conduct exclusively through
military or other channels. Activities that are internal to
the execution and administration of the approved programs of
a single department or agency and which are not of such
nature as to affect significantly the overall US overseas
program in a country or region are not considered to be
activities covered within the meaning of this Directive.
The Secretary of State is responsible for preparation
of those papers addressing matters affecting the foreign
policy and foreign relations of the United States for
consideration by the NSC.
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III. NSC Responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is my principal defense policy
advisor. As such, he is responsible for the formulation of
general defense policy, policy related to all matters of
direct and-primary concern to the Department of Defense, and
for the execution of approved policy. The Joint Chiefs of
Staff are the principal military advisors to me, the Secretary
of Defense, and the NSC.
I have assigned to the Secretary of Defense authority
and responsibility, to the extent permitted by law, for 'the
overall direction, coordination, and supervision of the
interdepartmental activities relevant to defense policy
formulation.
The Secretary of Defense is responsible for preparation
of those papers addressing matters affecting the defense
policy of the United States for consideration by the NSC.
IV. NSC Responsibilities of the Director of Central Intelligence
The Director of Central Intelligence is my principal advisor
on national foreign intelligence matters, responsible for the
formulation of policy and proposals relating to such matters, as
set forth in relevant Executive Orders. I have assigned to the
Director of Central Intelligence authority and responsibility, to
the extent permitted by law and Executive Order, for the overall
direction and coordination of interdepartmental activities
incident to such matters.
The Director of Central Intelligence is responsible for the
preparation of papers addressing matters affecting the national
foreign intelligence activities of the United States for consid-
eration by the NSC.
V. Interagency Groups
To assist the NSC at large and its individual members
in fulfilling their responsibilities, interagency groups are
established as described herein. The focus of these interagency
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groups is to establish policy objectives, develop policy
options, make appropriate recommendations, consider the
implications of agency programs for foreign policy or overall
national security policy, and undertake such other activities
as may be assigned by the NSC.
A. The Senior Interagency Group -- Foreign Polite
-.(SIG-FP)
To advise and assist the NSC in exercising its
authority and discharging its responsibility for foreign
policy and foreign affairs matters, the SIG-FP is established.
The SIG-FP shall be composed of the The Director of Central
Intelligence; the Assistant to the President for National
Security Af fairs; the Deputy Secretary of State (Chairman);
the Deputy Secretary of Defense or-Under Secretary of Defense
for Policy; and the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Representatives of other Departments and Agencies with
responsibility for specific matters to be considered will
attend'on invitation by the Chairman.
The SIG-FP will:
1. Ensure that important foreign policy issues
requiring interagency attention- receive full, prompt,
and systematic consideration;
2. Deal with interdepartmental matters raised
by any member or referred to it by subordinate inter-
agency groups, or, if such matters require higher-level
consideration, report them to the Secretary of State
for decision or referral to the NSC;
3. Assure a proper selectivity of the foreign
policy/foreign affairs areas and issues to which the
United States applies its efforts;
4. 1oni_tor the execution of approved policies
and decisions; and
5. Evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of
interdepartmental overseas programs and activities.
A permanent secretariat, composed of personnel of the
State Department augmented as necessary by personnel provided
in response to the Chairman's request by the Departments and
Agencies represented on the SIG-FP, shall be established.
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B. The Senior Interagency Group -- Defense Polic}
(SIG-DP)
To advise and assist the NSC?in discharging its
authority and responsibility for defense policy and defense
matters, the SIG-DP is established. The SIG-DP shall consist
of the The Director of Central Intelligence; the Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs; the Deputy
or an Under Secretary of State; the Deputy Secretary of
Defense (Chairman); and the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Representatives of other Departments and Agencies with
specific matters to be considered will attend on invitation
by the Chairman.
The SIG-DP will:
1. Ensure that important defense policy issues
requiring interagency attention receive full, prompt,
and systematic consideration,
2. Deal with interdepartmental matters raised
by any member or referred to it by subordinate inter-
agency groups, or if such matters require higher-level
consideration, report them to the Secretary of Defense
for decision or referral to the NSC; and
3. Monitor the execution of approved policies
and decisions.
A permanent secretariat composed of personnel of the
Department of Defense augmented as necessary by personnel
provided in response to the Chairman's request by the Departments
and Agencies represented on the SIG-DP, shall be established.
C. The Senior Interagency Group -- Intelligence (SIG-I)
To advise and assist the NSC in discharging its
authority and responsibility for intelligence policy and intelli-
gence matters, the SIG-I is established. The SIG-I shall consist
of the Director of Central Intelligence (Chairman); the Assistant
to the President for National Security Affairs; the Deputy
Secretary of State; the Deputy Secretary of Defense; the Deputy
Attorney General; the Director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation; the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the
Director of the National Security Agency. Representatives of
other Departments and Agencies with responsibility for specific
matters to be considered will attend on invitation by the
Chairman.
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The SIG-I will:
(1) Ensure that important intelligence policy
issues requiring interagency attention receive full,
prompt, and systematic consideration,
(2)-Deal with interdepartmental matters raised by
any member or referred to it by subordinate interagency
groups, or if such matters require higher-level con-
sideration, report them to the Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs for decision
by the NSC; and
(3) Monitor the execution of approved policies and
decisions.
A permanent secretariat composed of personnel of the
Central Intelligence Agency, augmented as necessary by
personnel provided in response to the Chairman's request by
the Departments and Agencies represented on the SIG-I, shall
be established to support the SIG-I.
D. Regional and Functional Interagency Groups
To assist the SIG-FP, Interdepartmental Groups
(IGs) shall be established by the Secretary of State for
each geographic region corresponding to the jurisdiction of
the geographic bureaus in the Department of State, for
Political-Military Affairs, and for International Economic
Affairs- Each IG shall comprise the Director of Central
Intelligence-; the Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs; the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; the
appropriate Assistant Secretary of State (Chairman) and a
designated representative of the Secretary of Defense.
Representatives of other Departments and Agencies with
responsibility for specific matters to be considered will
attend on invitation by the Chairman. The IG for International
Economic Affairs will, in addition to the above membership,
inplude representatives of the Secretary of Treasury, the
Secretary of Commerce, and the U.S. Trade Representative.
The Assistant Secretaries of State, in their capacities
as Chairmen of the IGs, will assure the adequacy of United
States policy in the areas of their responsibility and of
the plans, programs, resources, and performance for implementing
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that policy. They will be responsible for the conduct of
interagency policy studies within the areas 'of their responsi-
bility for consideration by the SIC.
The Regional IGs also shall prepare contingency plans
pertaining to potential crises in their respective areas of
responsibility. Contingency planning will be conducted
under the direction of and in coordination with the Chairman
of the Political-Military IG.
To deal with specific contingencies, the IGs will
establish full-time working groups which will provide
support to the crisis management operations of the NSC.
These groups will reflect the institutional membership of
the parent body, together with such additional members as
may be required to respond to the contingency with the full
weight of available expertise.
To assist the SIG-DP, IGs shall be established by the
Secretary of Defense to consider interdepartmental activities
of direct and primary concern to the Department of Defense
and defense policy.
To assist the SIG-I, IG's shall be established by the SIG-I
to consider intelligence policy issues. Each IG shall consist of
representatives of the SIG-I members and, upon invitation of the
IG chairman, representatives of other Departments and Agencies
with responsibility for specific matters to be considered. A
representative of the-Director of Central Intelligence shall
chair IG's dealing with national foreign intelligence matters.
A representative of the Director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation shall chair IG's dealing with counterintelligence,
except for international terrorism. A representative of the
Secretary of State shall chair IG's dealing with international
terrorism abroad, while a representative of the Attorney General
shall chair IG's dealing with international terrorism in the U.S.
The chairmanship of IG's dealing with other types of matters
shall be determined by the SIG-I when such additional IG's are
formed.
As deemed necessary to deal with specific operational
proposals, the IG's will establish working groups that will pro-
vide support to the approval mechanisms of the NSC for such
matters. These groups will reflect the institutional membership
of the parent body, together with such additional members as may
be required to deal with the specific proposal with the full
weight of available expertise.
The operational responsibility or authority of a Secretary
or other Agency Head over personnel from the Department or
Agency concerned? serving on IGs -- including the authority
to give necessary guidance to the representatives in the
performance of IG duties -- is not limited by this Directive.
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NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION DIRECTIVE 1
The Vice President
The
The
The
The
The
The
Secretary
of
State
Secretary
of
the Treasury
Secretary
of
Defense
Attorney
General
Secretary
of Commerce
Secretary
of Energy
be
O.L.
The Director of. the Office of.Management & Budget
The Director of Central Intelligence
The United States Representative to the United Nations
The Counselor 'to the President (Policy)
The Chai nan,'Council of Economic Advisers
The Assistant.to the President. for National-Security Affai]
The Director,'Arms Control and, Disarmament Agency
The Chief of Staff
The'Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Subject:. Establishment of NSC Decision and Study
Directive Series
The following two directive series are hereby-established to
nfer;a the Departments and Agencies of Presidential actions
i
N ATIONAL SECURITY DECISION DIRECTIVE (NSDD)
This 'Series shall be used to promulgate Presidential decisions
implementing national policy and objectives in all areas involving
national security.
NATIONAL SECURITY STUDY DIRECTIVE (NSSD)
This series shall be. used to direct studies
national policy and objectives. in all areas
The Presidential Review Memorandum (PPM)
-undertaken involving
national securitv
and Presidential Deci sion
(PD) series are. hereby abolished. A PSDD/NSC will be issued'
shortly setting forth the status and disposition of existing
PRMs, PDs and other NSC directives.
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ASAP
Re""?rk'To9;Attached are the 3 draft NSC DD's Mr. Casey
obtained. Mr. Bross asked that I convey to you
to develop coordinated comment on same.
ILLEGIB
STAT
Executive cre
27 January 198
ACTION J INFO I DATE INITIAL
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