PROCEDURES FOR STRATEGIC WARNING NOTICES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82B00421R000100030023-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 23, 2005
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: January 23, 1976
• Content Type: MF

~a
..
 D
USIB-D-71, 11 / 1 9
23 January 1976
M1 MORANDUM FOR THE UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARD
SUBJECT Procedures for Strategic Warning
Notices
REFERENCES , a. USII3 -D-71.11/18, 16 January 1976
b. USIB-M-714, 23 January 1976, Item 2
The attached Procedures for Strategic Warning Notices,
which were approved by the United States Intelligence Board on
23 January 1976, are circulated herewith for information and
implementation.
Executive Secretary
KT
P
 D
PROCEDURES FOR STRATEGIC WARNING NOTICES
1. The Strategic Warning Notice (SWN) is a special
report prepared by the Special Assistant for Strategic
Warning (SA) and issued by the DCI when, in his judgment
there appears to be evidence that the Soviet Union, the
Warsaw Pact, the People's Republic of China or North Korea
is considering military action by its armed forces beyond
its borders or is employing its military capahi l .i ties beyond
its borders in ways that might threaten confrontation ivi th
the US.
2. The DCI will notify the President and the National
Security Council of the warning not ice and take such other
action as he deems necessary. The DCI will also transmit
the Strategic Warning Notices to the USII3 Principals for
further dissemination within their departments and agenc ics.
(When appropriate , the DCI wi 11 also propose release of the
substance of the warning notices to allied governments. )
When time is of the essence, the SA may issue such notices
directly to the President and NSC with concurrent dissemina-
tion to the DCI and USIl3 Principals.
3. An SWN will normally be initiated by the SA or , in
his absence , the Director of the Strategic Warning Staf If
(SWS). It may also be proposed to the SA by a USIB Principal,
 Atl:achrnent
USIB - D-71. 11/19
a National Intelligence F.icer, or by any other senior
officer of the intelligence or foreign affairs communites,
A proposal for an SWN will be addressed to the SA but the
decision to issue an SWN will, when time permits, rest with
the DCI.
4. Responsibility for preparing an SWN will rest with
the SA, and he may call on any element of the Intelligence
Community for support. Whenever possible the SWS will.
coordinate a draft of the SWN with the USIB participants
and the appropriate National Intelligence Officer (NIO).
Any dissenting views will be described in the SWN. The SiN
is authorized to limit or forgo coordination when time is of
the essence. All SWNs will note the extent of coordination
within the Community.
5. At the earliest possible time, the SWS should
notify appropriate USIB participants of the decision to
draft a Strategic Warning Notice.* When time permits, the
SWS should also indicate the source of information that led
to the decision, the extent of coordination being sought,
the amount of assistance desired, and the likely time of
issuance. When feasible, appropriate US embassies and field
commands should also be notified that an SWN is being prepared
When feasible, NOIWON or other conferencing procedures
may be used to so notify.
2
25X1
Nil -
 Attachment
y
USIB-D-71, 1l/1
and their views should be solicited. An SWN will in most
circumstances be a paper which provides the basic rationale
for the issuance of a warning. Occasionally, however, an
SWN may consist simply of a covering memorandum attached to
an existing intelligence document, suggesting in essence
that the policy maker should focus on the situat ion reported
in the basic document.
(.. An SWN will also clearly indicate what special
actions are being taken to ensure effective coverage of the
situation, e.g. , the initiation of special collection efforts.
7. A supplementary SWN should be prepared whenever, in
the view of the SA, the situation has greatly intensified or
changed in some especially significant way. An appropriate
advisory should be issued by the DCI whenever, in his judg-
ment, events indicate that the crisis at hand has abated or
terminated. Collection efforts arising from the issuance
of the SWN should also be modified or canceled as appropriate.
SECRET,
3