CHRONOLOGY OF THE 40 COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-331-4-24-3
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: November 1, 2012
• Sequence Number: 24
• Content Type: MISC

NSS review
completed.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19: LOC-HAK-331-4-24-3
CHRONOLOGY OF THE 40 COMMITTEE
September 1947 National Security Act of 1947 created CIA and NSC.
December 1947 NSC 4A directed the Director of Central Intelligence
(DCI) to initiate and conduct covert operations.
June 1948 NSC 10/2 directed the DCI to work through the
Designated Representatives of the Secretaries of
State and Defense (the Under Secretary of State and
Deputy Secretary of Defense) to ensure covert opera-
tions are consistent With U.S. foreign policy.
October 1951 NSC 10/5 called for expansion and intensification
of covert operations; Psychological Strategy Board
(PSB), chaired by Under Secretary of State, estab-
lished as approval mechanism.
September 1953 Operations Coordinating Board (OCB) replaced PSB.
March 1954 NSC 5412 superseded NSC 10/2 and 10/5; coordination
of covert operations reverted to the Designated
Representatives of State and Defense.
March 1955 NSC 5412/1 directed the DCI to consult the Planning
Coordination Group of the OCB (chaired by Nelson
Rockefeller) in advance on covert operations.
December 1955 NSC 5412/2 reverted to the Designated Represnetatives
of State and Defense, and of the President, for
coordination of covert operations. (Under Secretary
of State, chairman, Deputy Secretary of Defense,
Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs. )
March 1959 "Special Group" adopted as name of the NSC 5412/2
Designated Representatives.
1961 General Maxwell D. Taylor appointed Military Repre-
sentative to President Kennedy; assumed chairman-
ship of the Special Group.
April 1961 McGeorge Bundy, President Kennedy's Assistant for
National Security Affairs, assumed chairmanship
of the Special Group.
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November 1962 Bundy resumed 'chairmanship of Special Group.
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June 1964 Special Group name changed to "303 Committee."
February 1970 303 Committee name changed to "40 Committee" and
NSDM 40 replaced NSC 5412/2.
See TAB A for Details
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EVOLUTION OF THE 40 COMMITTEE
CIA was created by the National Security Act of 1947--the same act
which created the National Security Council.
Three months later on 17 December 1947, NSC directive 4A told the
Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to initiate and conduct covert
psychological operations. The Director was to inform other affected
Government officials of these operations.
Six months later, on 18 June 1948, NSC 10/2 ordered the DCI to ensure,
through "designated representatives" of the Secretaries of State and
Defense that the CIA's covert operations were consistent with U.S.
foreign and military policies and with overt activities. These repre-
sentatives became known as the NSC 10/2 Representatives or Designated
Representatives or Senior Consultants. They met weekly with the
Assistant Director of CIA to review proposals for covert operations.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) also designated a representative to attend
these meetings. CIA operations took place under the over-all policy
direction of the NSC.
Developments in Korea in 1950 expanded the operational activity of the
CIA and prompted General Walter Bedell Smith, then Director of
Central Intelligence, to seek additional guidance from the NSC which took
the form of "Scope and Pace" or'Magnitude" papers.
On 23 October 1951 NSC 10/5 approved expansion of the Agency's covert
operations and designated the Psychological Strategy Board (PSB) to
oversee them. PSB members were the Under Secretary of State, the
Deputy Secretary of Defense and the DCI (with a JCS representative as
principal military advisor).
In February 1952, the PSB created a special panel--the 10/5 Panel--to
oversee CIA's covert operations. It was composed of the designated
representatives of the Secretaries of State and Defense, a representative
of the JCS, a representative of the CIA and two representatives of the PSB,
one of whom was chairman. The 10/5 Panel was to review CIA's covert
programs and if unable to reach agreement, refer the dispute to the PSB;
if they agreed, each representative had to obtain the concurrence of his
principal. In addition, the Under Secretary of State and the Deputy
Secretary of Defense had to certify approval of the proposal from the stand-
point of national policy.
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On 28 November 1952, the 10/5 Panel became the "Review Staff" with
emphasis upon telling CIA what to do but less on how to do it.
General Eisenhower became President on 20 January 1953 and a Committee
on International Information Activities which he established recommended
creation of an Operations Coordinating Board within the NSC to replace
the PSB. This was done by Executive Order on 2 September 1953. The
OCB, chaired by the Under Secretary of State, and including a repre-
sentative of the President, was to take policy from the NSC and advise
the agencies concerned as to their detailed responsibilities for implementing
that policy. The OCB created Board Assistants who carried out much of
the work of the OCB for their principals. Most of the NSC 10/2 and 10/5
assignments were given to the OCB.
NSC 5412 of 15 March 1954 provided that the DCI would continue to be
responsible for ensuring, through the designated representatives of the
Secretaries of State and Defense, that covert operations were consistent
with U.S. foreign and military policies and overt activities, and consulting
with the OCB and others, as appropriate.
A year later, on 12 March 1955, NSC 5412/1 designated the Planning
Coordination Group (PCG) headed by Nelson Rockefeller, as part of the
OCB and the mechanism to be consulted by the DCI as the source of
advice on covert operations.
In December 1955 President Eisenhove r approved Mr. Rockefeller's
recommendations to abolish PCG and adopted his more positive recommen-
dations in issuing NSC 5412/2 on 28 December 1955 which made the
designated representatives of the Secretaries of State and Defense, and
of the President, the normal channel for policy approval of CIA's covert
operations. They became known as the NSC 5412/2 Designated Represen-
tatives.
Alan W. Dulles, then DCI, usually arranged for meetings of the Special
Group 5412--often before or after the OCB Wednesday luncheons, usually
in the office of the Secretary of State's designated representative. The
name Special Group was formally adopted 4 March 1959. Meetings were
held on a more regular basis at the request of Gordon Gray, the
President's designated representative, in the office of State's represen-
tative. Meetings continued at State when the new designated representatives
took their seats as a result of the inauguration of President Kennedy.
The OCB was abolished by President Kennedy as "an instrument that
does not match the style of operation and coordination of the current
administration," in the words of President Kennedy's Special Assistant
for National Security Affairs, Mr. McGeorge Bundy. The Bay of Pigs
resulted in Mr. Bundy's exercising more attention and control over the
n
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Special Group--its meeting site was shifted to the White House and he,
as host, assumed the chairmanship and established new operating
procedures requiring more advance notice of proposals, written presen-
tations, and more formal consideration at meetings.
In July 1961 General Maxwell Taylor was named Military Representative
of the President and became the President's designated representative
on the Special Group. He named himself chairman and appointed a
Special Group assistant. When he left the post, the chairmanship reverted
to the President's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs.
In January 1962 a Special Group, Counterinsurgency (CI) was created
which also became interested in CIA covert operations from time-to-time,
but was additional to the Special Group 5412. It was also chaired by
General Taylor.
In June 1964 the name of the Special Group 5412, which was about to enter
the public domain via a soon-to-be published book, was changed to the
303 Committee (being created by NSAM 303).
On 17 February 1970 the name was changed to the 40 Committee as NSDM
40 replaced 5412/2 under which the committee had been operating for 14
years.
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