U.S. ESPIONAGE AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES ABROAD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05T00644R000100110009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 13, 2009
• Sequence Number: 9
• Content Type: REGULATION

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL INTELLIGENCE
DIRECTIVE NO. 51
U.S. ESPIONAGE AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
ACTIVITIES ABROAD
(Effective 17 February 1972)
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 102(d) of the National Security Act
of 1947, as amended, the National Security Council hereby authorizes and
directs that:
1. For the purpose of this directive:
a. Espionage is defined as that intelligence activity directed toward the
acquisition of information through clandestine means.
b. Counterintelligence is defined as that intelligence activity, with its re-
sultant product, devoted to destroying the effectiveness of inimical foreign
intelligence activities and undertaken to protect the security of the nation and
its personnel, information and installations against espionage, sabotage and
subversion. Counterintelligence includes the process of procuring, developing,
recording and disseminating information concerning hostile clandestine activity
and of penetrating, manipulating or repressing individuals, groups or organiza-
tions conducting such activity.
2. To ensure centralized direction through prior, comprehensive and con-
tinuing coordination of all clandestine activities authorized herein, the Director
of Central Intelligence shall, after appropriate consultation:
a. Establish the procedures necessary to achieve. such direction and co-
ordination, including the assessment of risk incident upon such operations as
compared to the value of the activity, and to ensure that sensitive operations
are reviewed pursuant to applicable directives.
b. Coordinate all clandestine activities authorized herein and conducted
outside the United States and its possessions, including liaison that concerns
clandestine activities or that involves foreign clandestine services, except
when the provisions of paragraph 8 apply; also coordinate clandestine activities
with overt collection abroad.
c. Invite departments and agencies not permanent members of the United
States Intelligence Board that have clandestine counterintelligence re-
sponsibilities abroad to participate in deliberations of the Board when clan-
destine counterintelligence matters affecting such responsibilities are under
consideration.
d. Make mutually agreeable arrangements with other departments and
agencies for such cover support as may be needed by the Central Intelligence
`This Directive supersedes NSCID No. 5 dated 18 January 1961.
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Agency and coordinate the arrangements for cover support required by any
other department or agency to carry out the clandestine activities authorized
in paragraph 4 below, except when such cover is to be provided unilaterally
and without utilizing the facilities of, or becoming identified with other de-
partments or agencies of the government or nongovernmental organizations.
e. Resolve disputes arising in the coordination of U.S. espionage and clan-
destine counterintelligence activities abroad.
3. The Central Intelligence Agency has primary responsibility for U.S. clan-
destine activities abroad. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 8, it is responsible
for the following services of common concern:
a. The conduct of espionage outside the United States and its possessions
in order to meet the intelligence needs of all departments and agencies con-
cerned, in connection with the national security.
b. The conduct of clandestine counterintelligence outside the United States
and its possessions.
c. The conduct of liaison with foreign clandestine services or, concerning
the above clandestine activities, with foreign intelligence or security services.
d. The maintenance for the benefit of the intelligence community of central
indexes and records of foreign counterintelligence information. All departments
and agencies shall contribute to this index, on a continuing basis, such material
collected by them as is appropriate for a central file; this material shall be
collated and analyzed for appropriate dissemination.
e. Upon request and to the extent practicable, assisting other departments
and agencies in connection with their cover and support needs.
4. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 above, other departments and
agencies with commands or installations located outside the U.S. and its pos-
sessions may:
a. conduct supplementary espionage in order to satisfy departmental in-
telligence needs;
b. conduct clandestine counterintelligence activities necessary for the se-
curity of their personnel, commands, activities and installations;
c. conduct liaison with foreign clandestine services or, concerning the above
clandestine activities, with foreign intelligence or security services.
5. The departments and agencies concerned shall assist the Central Intelli-
gence Agency in its conduct of espionage by providing guidance in the form
of continuous, timely and specific collection requirements and, as required,
assessments of the value of the information collected. Such departments and
agencies shall provide similar support to each other as required. Conversely, the
Central Intelligence Agency shall assist other departments and agencies by
providing, as practicable, assessments of the value to national intelligence of the
information derived from the activities of other agencies as authorized herein.
6. In a foreign area, except where paragraph 8 applies, the Director of Central
Intelligence shall, after consultation with the Secretary of State, ensure that
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the senior U.S. representative, or his designated representative, is appropriately
advised on a timely basis of U.S. espionage and clandestine counterintelligence
activities conducted in or affecting the area.
7. In a foreign area where major U.S. military commands are stationed, the
designated representative of the Director of Central Intelligence shall keep the
senior U.S. military commanders, or their designated representatives, appropri-
ately informed of the espionage and clandestine counterintelligence activities
and operations conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency in or from such
areas, including liaison between the Central Intelligence Agency and foreign
military establishments.
8. In active theaters of war where U.S. forces are engaged, or when the
President so directs:
a. Except as provided in subparagraph b below, the entire Central Intelli-
gence Agency organization conducting espionage and clandestine counter-
intelligence operations in or from a theater shall, as a component force, be
under the direct command of the U.S. Theater Commander, in accordance
with agreements separately reached between the Director of Central Intelli-
gence and the Secretary of Defense, and shall provide espionage. and counter-
intelligence support to military operations.
b. Espionage and counterintelligence operations that because of some
exceptional political, diplomatic or other implications, are conducted inde-
pendently by the Central Intelligence Agency, shall be coordinated by the
Director of Central Intelligence with the Secretary of Defense and with the
Secretary of State.
c. The Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence shall
establish general procedures for the coordination of liaison on clandestine
activities between U.S. military commanders and foreign services that engage
in such activities.
9. In addition to the above, the Director of Central Intelligence shall:
a. Develop appropriate policy recommendations for National Security Coun-
cil consideration with respect to the overall U.S. counterintelligence effort
conducted outside the U.S. and its possessions.
b. To the extent necessary to ensure conformity with policies approved by
the National Security Council, provide for the coordination of all types of
U.S. counterintelligence activities conducted abroad and for the coordination
of such activities with those conducted by the departments and agencies
responsible for domestic counterintelligence.
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