NSCID 5 DEFINITION OF COUNTERINTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02110228
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2022
• Case Number: F-2020-01198
• Publication Date: October 11, 1957

Approved for Release: 2022/08/15 CO2110228
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?Y"'" 19
5-1
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Deputy Director for Coordination
SUBJECT NSCID 5 Definition of Counterintelligence
1. Reference is made to the NSCID 5 Working Group meeting of
9 October 1957. As you know, Colonel Dalton, Army representative,
requested two changes in paragraph lb (definition of counterintelligence).
One of these was a request for the elimination of the word counter-
espionage from the opening sentence.
2. It is the view of the CI Staff that the retention of this word is
necessary. Counterintelligence is a defense against certain kinds of
aggressive and hostile clandestine activity. Of the three elements of
counterintelligence, countersabotage and countersubversion are defen-
sive techniques, whereas counterespionage is an aggressive technique
frequently encountered abroad. The CI element must defend against
counterespionage because this activity is directed against it as militantly
as is espionage.
3. It has become apparent that the intelligence components of the
military services tend to oversimplify by considering Fl active and CI
passive. This concept fits their counterintelligence activity much more
accurately than ours. It is felt that it would be a disservice to CIA to
omit from this definition, which governs all following portions of the
draft, the countering of aggressive CE. The fact that counterespionage
is an element of counterintelligence is not germane here. The pertinent
fact is that the four forms of aggressive clandestine activity against
which the U.S. services must defend themselves are espionage, counter-
espionage, sabotage, and subversion.
eitLi titALAA4241 bz,AL cit)c.t.tArk'
James Angleton
Chief, Counterintelligence Staff
Approved for Release: 2022/08/15 CO2110228
'UNCLASSIFIED
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si SECRET
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SUBJECT: (Optional)
FROM:
CAI .
CA.
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DATE AA (3 ) 1951
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
INITIALS
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
L
DDC
If this memorandum meets with
your approval, it is considered
that it would be appropriate for
the DD/P representative concerned
to state the position described
herein to the members of the IAC
Working Group at the meeting of
14 October 1957.
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USE ONLY
UNCLASSIFIED
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Approved for Release: 2022/08/15 CO2110228