(UNTITLED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05597A000200020013-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 5, 1998
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: January 28, 1965
• Content Type: NIS

~,. proved For Welease 2004/0 -RDP78 &597A000200020013-9
25X1A9a 25 January 1965
The National Intelligence Survey is a systematic and continuous Inter-
agency program which one of the first National Security Council directives
established in 1948 to provide the Government with, coordinated intelligence
on the basic and relatively unchanging characteristics of foreign countries
world-wide. NFCID #3 laid on the Program as a consequence of 11,1vorld 'War 11
experience with critical gaps, often dit+agres r eQat, and dupiicativee effort in
materials produced by various government con ponents on an un-coordinated
basis. U :IB recently re?examieted and re-affirmed the N'IS mission, with
confirmation by special survey of the Unified and specified Commands.
The published NIS on each foreign country or area is a digest which is
comprehensive in scope and generally of the depth of detaii appropriate for
s i,h-level policy and planain . purposes (although, for exars? ple, circumstances
at the ti.'r e of h 1953 L.ebaaon landings rz.adc. NI a principal source for
initial operational r+pcluiree~:eats for the fact Fleet and other forces in the
Mediterranean). The topics covered are Military Geography, #ranaportation
es. NI.. on 1111-'aarine Climate and Oceanography cover the world
one of the smaller or less complex countries. f or larger countries the
,4iecoma ualcations, Sociological, Political, Economic. ccientific, and
can areas. Classification is Confidential or above.
The onj-voiurn4 General Su
y (fore~..,erly Chapter I - Brief) is the
ta;ary NIt unit published on an areas. )ver half of TI.' coverage is now
ll i the form of General surveys. This c.=al; he. We at.ire NV) coverage for
electively supplemented by other NIS units when appropriate
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to provide the mare extensive coverage required by such topics as Coasts i<
Landing Beaches, Ports & Naval Facilities, and Health & ! an1tation. ith
initial world coverage essentially completed, N1 emphasis is now on issuance
of updated revisions as rapidly as perinitted by capabilities. Emphasis on the
General Surveys permits accelerated N".a coverage and updating, and present
scheduling will put General Survey updating for principal countries on a 2 to 4
year cycle.
The S in produced on a programmed basis rather than being crisis or
problern oriented. Through forehanded collection and production its mission
is to be available in published forFn. -- in Washington, outside 'Washington, anti
among the Coa nands and foreign posts
when need arises. A recent example
was the publication of the MS General Survey on Panama last fail just before
the new crisis developed at that time; there was considerable published MIS on
Africa before the present high priority for Africa became general. The mission
of the S, rather than being to provide highly current intelligence which is the
field of others, is to provide on-hand basic information which is widely and
econo=uically used to assist in the production of more transitory, or estimative,
or spe ciai-purpose intelligence.
Production of NI utilizes the specialized knew-bow and production
capabilities of Government components which inciude not only those in the
Intelligence Corn
ices but such others as Agricuitaare.
Commerce, H EA, Interior, and Labor. Some 40 individual components are
involved in Production of MS topics allocated according to their specialized
fields. CAA directly and through contracts is now responsible for some 60%
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of the production units annually. VIA for some 40"v. State provides iaforma<
tionaai support and substantive commentary on draft NIS. The published :CMS
is the top of a pyramid of detailed inforrriation which remains is thtr hands of
producing componeate and is available for their specialized needs.
Under Lt`s, the programming and acconiplishmment of MIS coverage is
coordinated by the interagency NIS Committee, a USIB coa?rnmitteee whose
members represent both the re uiremeo.ts and production capabilities of the
agencies. The DCI and CIA are responsible for administration of the Program
and publication of the MS. The working-level focal point In the Program Is
CIA's Office of Basic Intelligence, where a staff of some 60 experienced
professionals performs the coordinative and final review and processing of
the materials from the wide range of contributing agencies.
00 NIS units have been published to date, an increasing
Inteenancee revisions. Some 3, 004), 000 copies of the**
have been published. Other U. S. Govern ent agencies as well
as those of Ltd use the SACS. In addition to the dissemination of NIS units.
stocks are maintained and are heavily drawn on when crises err erge. In
o those stocks and cox
hold by a number of users,
master copies of all printed MIS content and supporting maps and other
graphic materials are heed in protected storage for emergency reprinting
at a remote plant which is under contingency contract.
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