PENETRATION OF COMMUNIST PARTIES: PRELIMINARY BRIEF

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-00915R000100010004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 6, 1997
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 14, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

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I ITELLIGLWTCE BRIEF)
NOO 22)
STAR DEPART
OFFICE OF THE ASSISM".1 SECRETARY CF TZAR
STRATEGIC SERVICE'S UNIT
Washington. D.C.
Copy L p
Sbkomorandum #6
14 October 1946
P21=RATION OF COMMIST PARTIES: PRELIMIN&RT BRIEF
.I. The collection of secret information on the internal organiza-
tion, and covert or semi-covert activities of the major Communist Parties
throughout the world has been established as, a priority I objective of
this agency? This brief outlines the main considerations of operational
approach and specific targets involved in obtaining such information,
and provides certain briefing mtorialso
, For practical purposes the essential ole nts of information
roq Trod on individual Corununist Parties nay be separated into tea
categories:
a. Information concerning a specific . Comnunist Party (CP) ? as.
an overt national political roue or rty concurrently engaged in.
cove or subversive activitieso
b. Information concerning a specific CP an one section of a
covert international organization directed by the Ceen ru orem ea of
t e omnun-s o the ova unions
3o The intelligence approach to the Communist Party as a. national
political oup involves the -aocunulation of an" extensive amok ode=
tailed oz Ei ion on the orb-aniiation, political auid propaganda aotivi-.
ties, outside relationships o front and affiliated oruaa izations. etc.,
of individual Conuauuiet Parties. This information is. in large pz rt
mailable from public sources of infor ation. and satisfactory general
estimates of the activity, plains, and potential power of the Party can
often be hale without recourso to additional sources* However, to obtain
information on internal Party controls and purges, sources of funds,
covert infiltration of other groups and or,geniiatione, pares-military activi-
ties or plans, etc., secret sources are essential,
4{, keerationfl aUroacht Ruch of this information is readily pro- '
curable from luformants not mbeers of the CPo and the groat preponderance
of reports on the OP received in the past has consisted of,reports from
the large number of anti-Comnunist groups and individuals currently active
in almost every country, renginc from members of 'Socialist and right-winu
parties, goverru nt officials, and businoss and clerical fiti~ures to aarnti-
Soviet emigre* and professional informants. These sources provide general
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data an the str two said oremaishtiort of the Paarty. the names of load-
?ing OM-Mists (va&wiot*13y their spooiPio position in the ,orarohy)
and of C- An specific cruete the political activities of the
Paxky sta4 Its rolaUom*1dp with other parties and non-political Groups
and or Ms ixatikena# the part r tins as it .aeries in hP publications and
lessor s, bout sta}s*tions t}Irouch a#i1chVW ltrtr works, oto.
+Qadaslo *1l1 VM0 9464P seurws are a a position to supply Mails
an 4= 6 of these, to at an v4w opts relations aid th'n mbers of the
Soviet, fie os: IattsUlgeM. services, but the extent and preci-
siau of~ ~~tba ape sharply liaitsd emlese they themselves
bear vowvd to ptastrat? the OP at over level or mother*
1 ZMatriLtion of bocci cells and sections of a dg otfers
tw prosur" r pr.Giss details an t OP as a national
politis*1?s ki rsf*s org n iaattoa. to p r a vide the adequate data for
sWIP" s! . its pimp-and potential. Paasetrattan at a low level can be
Carried VA In ? cyst satin basis with reasouaAbIs ease, but. the Iimita-
tions of the intsll$genas thus procured must be constantly kept in mind?
This intelliConoo will be of action value to Ue.:8. agencies only for a
limited period in specific areas (Germanyt?Austria, Italy, China, !ores.e
and dapan). Purely local. law-level CP coveraGs in other areas. such as
Frances Italy, the Near East, and southeast Asir has a email ixltelligence
in (3ernsny and Austria (Russian and American sonar), France, Cseoho-
Low-level penetration operations are now important and feasible
Slovakia, Rwn,ary, Italy, and Switzerlssid.
S. Tnforaetion tai+gets: The General airs of low-level penetrations
in any a ? ra on of a precise picture of CP or .isation
and activities by obtaining such Information on. the following topics as
is not available from ? lie sources of information or from the usual
State a sources in the a rear
oration .
to structure
Nuns, funotiona and background or seotional, r egional
and national party funotionarie'se
location of sectional, regional.w d national Party
off ices.
Precise data on. density of cells in industrial .td
rural areas.
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ParV control
Directives from high-level offices to lour eahvlonsq
Disciplinary controls (purges, and the reasons there-
for; clandestine surveillance of party -vewbers) o-
Adninistrative controls.
Origin, administration and amount of available funds.
Party budget.
4. _embership
Strength of active members in industrial end rural
areas.
Strength of non-active rteribers.
Sympathisers smongt
Labor circles
Intellectuals and educators
?tilitary and government porsonnel
Defections and fluctuation of membership; reasons.
Morale and degree of fanatisism of memberahip0
b. Political Activities
1. Policy and Strata ?r
Open and secret decisions of~Politburo, Central Com-
mittee and Party Conference;
Implementation by lower tsarty echelon5a
Sucoes or failure of po:.ioies, v.nd ensuring rerrisic
Pre-revolutionary activitisea
Names and activities of chief organisers of strikes
and other demonstrations.
Agents provocateurs, eto.
Available arms and arrwnition.
iiilitar - training centers.
0. Aelationships
1. Party-Goverrmmont
Activities of Couniet government memberso
Front men in govornrmenta
Presto roe and influence on non-Communist key t ersonn ,.`
in governr36nt circles.
nNe
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2. Party-Labor
Infiltration and domination of Labor Unions and
other Labor organizations?
Attitude toward, and method of oofibattinga Labor
opposition,
3o Party &rn~
Infiltration of armed forces.
Communist cells and aymja thising merii ejrs.
40 Partya?Iinority Groups
Infiltration, or control of dissatisfied racial or
colonial minority groups.
arty-Churoh
Methods of neutralization of Church. influence
Use of liberal Church elements.
?artytorn and
RIS representatives in most countries,
8m Operational Appr?oache The high-level penetration of the Com-
munist Pa y presets verI difficult operational problgna. The current
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cal statement On possible operational approaches, eithor on the basis
of direct subversion of Central Corritteo nembera or the infiltration
of agents into District and Federal Committee levels, can be rade at
present in the light of the current lack of basic facts on CP personnel.
organization, and functions at this level for most countries. The
initiation of such o e rations can hardly be anticipated for the near
future, but a systematic collection of the data' outl fined under the pre-
ceding paragraph represents an indispensable first stop in producing
the items of operational intelligence required to plan such opoationa0
9* Information Targets of such high-level penetration operations
are i
ao Identity,, biography? personal characteristics', and non-
public activities of members of the Central Committee.
b0 Functioning of the Appa rat.
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1, Identity of ruanberaQ
2, Contacts of ra3nbers of App.rat (end of Centre'". Com-
mittee) with
( )
Comintern foreign reprosentati*.,?-e in area,
(2)
RIS (cup. MGB) reprosontative, in a rear,
(3)
Soviet diplomatic or otho- goverztmsntaa
off io ial s in area,
(4)
CP intellir;encs agents at lower 2evo1a
through normal Party ch .nnc is )
(not
Ca Courier rolationahipe bot:vee+n the 'ocal App rat and than
Central Comnitteo and Party sections in Moscow, either dir ctiy or through
local Comintern or RIS roproraentatives,
1. Identity and routes of couriers,,.
2, Funds transmitted and purposes,
3. Directives trcr.. nittede
4o Identity and mission of special reprosa:at: tives dis-
patched from Moacowr,
do Regional rnaetinf;s of natiorsaal Cr 1ea :ors : af;onda and
decision,
e:, Structure and activity of TIosco r "Conaizitern" headquarters x
1. Personnel
20 Orginizatiom
3a Nature aad artent of name files
4? Training institutions
51, Precise position in Party bureaucracy
fra -Developments in Comintern strategic polioya
1o Texts of directives issuad
P jor policy discussiozia and decisions
3. Coordination of national CP propt.ganda with Agitprop
Section of the Russian Ccrimunizt Part.-j.
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go Comintern infiltration and exploitation of all Liternation_%l
organizations, including Russian Orthodox Church,
1Cd Briefing noto: In order to facilitate the prol_rrirLa y collecW
tion of apDra io-na for ration on the CP at the strategic lsvel,, a
aeries of briefing momorande will be issued on the fol?o:sinF, mr-j-peota of
the Comintern:
ac History of Comintern Activities
b,; Preliminary Report on the Current Structy mid 0p I.-atolls
o,; The OP Apparat and Ille gal C? Act v t ios
The Function of the CP in RIS A.ctivitiea
T. _V1. TUD41- -
Colonel,, Infantry
Director
Attachment I: "Notes on Low-level Penetration of the Cr>rsr urr.iast
?arty "
:ttachmant 11 -. History of the CMU
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