LETTER TO THE HONORABLE ROBERT D. MURPHY, CHAIRMAN COMMISSION ON THE ORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE CONDUCT OF FOREIGN POLICY FROM W. E. COLBY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000900060015-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 7, 2007
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: November 7, 1973
• Content Type: LETTER

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- 11 ... - - -----
November 7, 1973
The Honorable Robert D. Murphy, Chairman
Commission on the Organization of the Government
for the Conduct of Foreign.Pol icy
2025 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20506
Dear Ambassador Murphy:
In response to your letter of October 15 1 have de-
veloped the attached statement which provides an overall
response to the matters you suggested for coverage in my
presentation ,to the Commission in November. I developed
this in unclassified form, as I believed it the most useful
vehicle to stimulate future questions and thoughts by the
Corrirnission members in the actual hearing. I am certainly
prepared to go into classified matters during the hearing
itself, or in any follow-up studies of more detail which might
be needed as you proceed toward your final report.
Sincerely,
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STA`lE'`,1ENT BY V EM DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL 'INTELLIGEN'CE
First, let me 'confirm your assumption about what the
national intelligence program is. Our intelligence process
includes the collection and analysis of information in or-
der to produce what we call "finished intelligence." We
use overt, covert, technical, human, passive, and active
collectors.- The information collected is then "processed"--
that -is; it is `recorded, co-!pared with 'other information;
-
and subjected to the appropriate techniques' of scientific
examination such 'as photographic interpretation, electron? c
analysis,' and decrypt? on. This ."processing" of information-
is fol lo,'red by what we :call the "production" of `finished".
intelligence .-- in the form. of- reports,- .studies,` and 'estimates
which ?reflsct the 'highest intellectual evaluation which
we can bring to bear upon all 'the bits and pieces 'of , fact
and impression at :our disposal. The entire "intelligence.,,
process which '1 have 'described relates -to To.r.ei'grr -intelli-
gence and counte.eintalligence, although 'a nu nbe.r of steps
in the. process -obviously have * to take; place In. the: 'United
States. In addition to collection, processing, and produc-
tion,,from time 'to time 'CIA also conducts.. o .er activities
related to int-lligence `affecting the 'national security, as
directed by the 'National Securi =cy Council.
The 'current organization of the Intelligence. 'Cor~stuni.ty
rbe
f 5 Da
`
vec
r
s directive o
is reflected in the President
1971. It called for the follo:Ji.ng.
That :the Director of Central -intelligence ?'(L7CI)
provide '.leadeship to all foreign intelligence
activities 'of the United States. Government..
--- That 'the:rre 'be. establi shed a National Security
Council Intelligence 'Committed '(NSCIC) . The T
purpose of the NSCIC is to give 'direction and,
guidance 'on national substantive intelligence
. 1 embers are: The Assistant to the President for
t':ationu i Security Affairs (Chairman), the Under Secre-
tary of State, the Deputy Secretary; of Defense, the
Chair,,w-n of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the DCT.
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needs and to provide for the 'continuing evalua-
tion of intelligence products from the View-
point of th- intelligence consumer-
That the Intelligence Resources Advisory' Committee
IRAC ba 'io?-nad. x This Committee i s advi sore
to the DCI in his management role.. it. helps him
develop the annual National Foreign Intelligence
Program Budget Recommendations which are sent
by the DCI to the President--P,ecommeridations
which may concern any of the foreign intelligence.
expenditures of the United States' Government_
- That the United States In_telligen:ce Board :(USIB) *x .
be'reconstituted to include a representative.
of the Secretary of the 'Treasury, and that i t
continue to advise and assist the 'DCI in his sub-
stantive. 'leadership role with 'respect to the."In-
telli.gerice 'Cora-nuni ty _
Not .addressed by that directive but continuing to operate
is --the 'so-called Forty Corr ittee: ** This body provides polio
guidance on activities -related to intelligence 'affecting the
national secu--n-ity, as -directed by the Diational Security Council_-
'lde-mbers are: the DC! (Chairman), and one senior repre--
sentative each from the Department of Defense; the Depart-_
'ent of State,' the' 'Offi.ce of Management and Budget, and
.."'?'1,fembers are: . The DCI (Chairman); the DDCI,-_ the Director .
of the Bureau of InteZZige-n_ce and Research, State Department.;
the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA).; the
Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA); repre-
sentatives of ,the Secretary of the Treasury, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, and the Atomic Energy Commission-
an-t- are: The Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs. (Chairman), the Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the
Chair;. an of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the DCI_.
_2_
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In his letter to r:e of 15 ?c tcber, Chairman Murphy out ~
lined a number of specific subjects which he wished me to ad-
dress in my statement and in follosl-up studies of the Co:?= . s-
sion. 1 have generally keyed the following remarks to the
numbered sections of that letter. -1
(1) Authority
The, (National Security Act of 194-71 certain/additional
legislation, and the National Security Council Directives
provided for in law are the authorities under which 'thd
national -intelligence -program operates.-: The legislation .
is -currently being re=evaluated by the Congress, and i t
may be 'that some 'modifications Will be 'made.. To the 'e:ktert
that any changed further limit the national: intelligence
activities in which 'the "DCI is interested to the field of
foreign intelligence, and to the 'extent the:t they require
the. .reporting of foreign intelligence 'activities on a
regular basis to certain members of the Congress I. would
welcome therri.. The public should be as free as possible
from concern about thd operations of our national foreign
intelligence'program.
fi
The 'Nall canal. Security Council Directives' which I men
A -
tioned are 'currexitiy. under evaluation to de-Eermine 'C?ihe:t dr
an unclassified version can be 'written. This would help to
eliminate. any possible rni sunders tanding about 'the existence 'of
a "secret charter" for CIA or the Intelligence 'Community. At
the: 'same 'time,: some 'classified directives will be 'necessary
to specifically 'implement the unclassified guidance of the.'
open directives.'
. I do not vie-yr :subordination to the NSC as -different
from subordination to the 'President. The NSC historically
.has played different roles in foreign policy and national
.security affairs under different Presiderits.= But no Presi-
dent in recent times has been willing to function wi thciut
access to good intelligence -- whether by direct contact
with 'appropriate "agencies or through 'the I'TSC syster:t.
The responsibilities of some of the -agencies of the
Intelligence Community to produce both "departmental"
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no z: zn cone _ In fact."
they are mutuallyuopor t i ng _ The military services, for
instance, have 'i:nts' ligence arms which provide the tactical
-intelligence necessary to support the operational for
They also contribute informatjo~_ se i
' and analysis to those in
the Cor r,:unity who work on "na-ti onal " level problems- A
study is now un_de n.ray to de fermi ne ho,.-7 these programs can
bat ter support each other for both substantive benefit
and possible resource savings.
The-DCI's responsibility to "protect intelligence.'
sources and methods' from unauthorized di sclosure.1T is
basically a responsibility without authority. I do not
vie'vr it as giving any authority beyond the "right to call.
th.e attention of the appropriate prosed'uti.ng authority
to any cases -of. unauthori Zed. disclosure. In this regard
I confess great concern at the absence of any effective
s tatute+s. -to prevent -or punish.'the unauthorized disclosure "
of sensitive -intelligence 'matters. It was only, by civil
action based upon his pre-employment secrecy agreement
that an ex-employee' was prevented from revealing a number
Of=- -delicate. matters in' a book which 'he had written. (LT.:S.
X75.' Marchet i., 466 F. 2d 1309, 1316) . This decision , s
being tested again.
Aside- 'from- this particular weakness -of the statutes, I
see no need foV particular noel authority to carry out an
effective 'intelligence program. The "services' -of common con-
tern" mandate 'in, the 'current la=,7 is adequate; though of course
there are 'always' minor negotiations between agencies about the
kind and quality.-of service to be performed.. .
You have asked whether section 102'(d) (5) of the Na-
tional Security Act, which 'provides that the CIA shall per-
form such 'othe.r functions and duties related to intelligence-
affecting the 'national security as -the 'NSC may from time 'to
time -direct,' is -too broad and open-ended. This -is currently
being considered in CongressI w.^uld offer that this pro-
vision. has been used only when specifically directed by the
NSC under Presidential authority, that every President
since 1947 has used it, and that the shape of the world
today seems to require its use much less' -often than in the
more 'critical of the 'cold G; ar years. I do not believe thry t
this weapon should be lightly discarded. from our national
arsenal.
Section 102 (e) of the 1947 Act, which gives the CIA thm "
right- to sea the foreign intelligence of all of the depart Tents
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and agencies, is a key factor i n molding a group of
xn~el li_
C once agencies in a a co ". an ty. j'Ti'ihout `hat right, the
could be no single source of intelligence advice which ac-
counted for
counted for the variety of available facts, and the policy-
would be buried in a confusion of unco_related reports
arid analyses about major problems and events.
(2)
Require ntS
The principal 'customer of our national intelligence p_o-
gram is, of course,' -the President. But his key advisors
and officers r_eed also to be infor ad (i.e.", the less? stael t
to the President for National Security Affairs, the Secre-
taries. 'of State, Defense, ? T r'easury, and so on) Their . re-
cuireme 4s are a com ilati on both. of their ex.-pressed needs
and of. t.r7 e Intelligence Comumuii ty Y s j udg ien i. about Lr'1a e`'.
they rm-g-h-E need
There are .a variety of' techniques for refining such re--
q'Tuirer.tents.-. The 'USIB and the DCI have 'established and. con-
ti nually revieL,i a formal. -list of relatively constant , ajor
requirerents.. Crisis- "requirements are 'generally conveyed
'
the
toproper action amt of the Coy- un? ty as a result of
participation in the. Washington Special Ac'CiOn Group (WSAG)
which meets regularly and keeps' me informed of activities
Lrhich 'mom g'rzc ber~ it front intelligence support.
In non-crisis situations,- re q ui remencs for infor'ation
core to the Intelligence :Com-tu-ni-t.,y in a wide..'variety of effec-
tive 'but not n'ecess'arily orderly ways. On a daily basis r
policy-oriented analysts are in contact,.. with.'intelligence
analysts and make their needs knot7n in that C6ntex-ts Through
the :requirements staffs -of each 'intelligence 'agency, collec-
tion components Can bz :tasked. Formal. request s' for speci f; c
facts or analysed also come by letter or telephone .'fro USIB
.principals, Cabinet members,' and the NSC/National Security Ad-
visor level. . Policyma?cer feedback to. the 'Intelligence Com.-
.muni ty on intelligence 'problems belo:?r the 'first level of
pr? ority, ? -or in hox -crisis situations; generally does not
give a clear enough signal about ho ?r much *called tion, and
analytical effort the? Intelligence Community should expend
on a specific subject. The Co v-auni iyy tasks -i is elf Life n t~L? S
is the case.
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(3) '(12) Performance and Resources', Budg .
The DCI has no authority to determine the budget a _,I r -
po:ier needs of the various- agencies in the Intelligence Cos:
munity. Each component goes through an independent" .Z7rog?"Y
and budget devel oprt:an t process (in the Case of State and DOD
intelligence prog_ a-is there are departir'en t- ide guidances an:;.
constraints : hick apply a:oart fro ! intelligence consi der ati0-1s)-
Each 'component has an independent revi e:T by the 0MB. ` Each
compone?? t redeives 'fro the Congress an appropriation .,;hi ch
is under its 'full control.- The program proposed by each cox-
pones t to the 'Congress is re.vie:Ted, 'however, by the In.tei? i_
gence -Community (IC) Staff of theme 'DCI.- From IC Staff Sugges-
tions,- .IRAC delib`ration_s, and USIB .rec~uirenients, the DC1
f on, t, lates his National Foreign. Intelligence Progra Budget
Redo-m endations for the President.
The 'major resource problem facing " theCommunity is
inflat ion; first in Manpower- costs,, but in all other aspects
of our profession as well.- The 'problem can be `stated in this
way=
a_ assuring level: manpower, level program
size, and continued inflation, the' resources for
intelligence 'would have to 'i'ncrease' 'bv neariy 25
prceri~ -may 1978 - This -alternative would be unac--_
cep table: to the Congress---
b.. assuming le" el dollars,' ..a level. progra- ,r
and inflation .off set -by ma: pocizr reductions; a
'40 :pzrczrit 'cizt 'ir_' 'xcario:rer would be required by
19 78 The Community could not take such 'a cut
and continue 'to mee its- obligations.-
c_ assi ilng level dollars, level manpo:?re ,' -
and continued inflation, there would have to be 'a
drastic and 'tin' c p t able 'CL7 t in our investnantt in
techriical systems for the filture :and in Procurement.
The - solution to the 'dil en a posed above lies L. ti`3
hands of the President and the 'Congress ; We can help by
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