LETTER TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM E. SIMON FROM GEORGE BUSH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79M00467A003100030015-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 3, 2005
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: June 29, 1976
• Content Type: LETTER

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: ecutive Registry
2 9 JUN 1976
The Honorable William E. Simon
The Secretary of the Treasury
Washington, D. C. 20222
Dear Bill:
I greatly appreciate your initiatives, described in your letter of
.15 June, to provide for my representation and that of my senior economic
officers in selected meetings of the Economic Policy Board.
. As you know, I feel as strongly as you and Leo Cherne do, that
timely guidance and feedback from the policymaking side is indispensable
to effective intelligence support on key policy issues. I am completely
-in accord with the general approach you have outlined, and I have desig-
nated my National Intelligence Officer for Economics,
to develop the necessary arrangements with Bill Morell and members of
Bill Seidman's and Leo Cherne's staffs.
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I look forward to participating in future sessions of the FPB in-
volving matters of intelligence support or review. I would expect that
t-iauri ce Ernst, Director of Economic Research, and/or.1 _j would 25X1
normally attend sessions dealing with specific international economic
issues. Depending on the agenda items, I could envision other members
of the economic intelligence community being called in. -
Sincerely,
George Bush
Director
cc: Mr. William Seidma
Mr. Leo Cherne
Distribution:
1-DCI
1 - D/DCI/IC
1 - Mr. Knoche
1 - DDI
1 - D/DCI/NI
1 - SA/DCI
1 - Ex Reg
1 - D/OER
1 - IC Staff for
PFIAB File
1 - D/Office of
Performance,
Evaluation and
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(23 June 1976 1 - NIO~'-_Reg
2 - NIO/E
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THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY '76 -S
WASHINGTON X i~ StZO~j
"UN 1 5 1976
Dear George:
At a luncheon meeting on June 3 with Leo Cherne and members of
PFIAB I suggested that it might be useful as a means of improving the
interface between the intelligence community and those of us responsi.-
,..ble for international economic policy to have CIA representation at
selected meetings of the Economic Policy Board. Leo and his PFIAB
colleagues supported this idea and added a couple of related sug-
gestions of their own. These thoughts were contained in a letter
which Leo sent to me on June 4, a copy of which I am told was sent
to you. I have sent out a positive response to Leo today (attached).
If you agree with this general approach I would appreciate your
designating a CIA representative who would work with Bill Morell and
with members of Bill Seidman's and Leo Cherne's staffs in developing
the necessary implementing arrangements.
As you know from our discussions during my visit to Langley not
long ago we are very happy with the progress that has been made over
the past two years in intelligence support to Treasury and to certain:
other members of the EPB as well. I am hopeful that further progress
can be made through these new arrangements with the EPB to our mutual.
benefit. Please let me know if you have any additional thoughts.
Sincerely,
The Honorable George Bush
Director, Central
Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C. 20505
Enclosures
WilliamE. Simon
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THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
WASHINGTON
JUN 141976-
Dear Leo:
I thoroughly enjoyed my discussion with the Board the
other day and, as I indicated at lunch, I hope we can meet
together from time to time in the future.
As you know, I have been concerned for some time about
the need for developing a more effective interface between the
intelligence community and those of us responsible for inter-
national economic policy and negotiations. As I reported to
the. Board we in Treasury have undertaken a number of new arrange-
ments which I feel. have substantially strengthened this relation-
ship'and have stimulated' noticeable improvements in intelligence
support. I share'your view, however, that further efforts are
required in this area.
It is for this reason that I suggested to the Board at
lunch the desirability of. having a representative from CIA at-
tend the regular Economic Policy Board meetings on appropriate
occasions in order that intelligence might gain a better appre-
ciation of current policy and negotiating issues and of the in-
telligence support we require as well as our evaluation of this
support. In addition, I think your suggestion that Bill Casey
meet periodically with the EPB principals is a good one and will
be mutually beneficial. If there are other EPB sessions which
you feel would also be of interest he would be welcome to attend
these as well. At these meetings of principals it would be our
intention to invite, as you suggest, the Director of Cental
Intelligence and his senior economic officers so that we might
have a full exchange on all aspects of our relations with the
intelligence community. .
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We have discussed this with Bill Seidman and he thoroughly
agrees with these proposals. I have asked Bill Morell to work
with Bill Seidman's staff, with your principal staff officers
and with George Bush's people to work out the necessary arrange-
ments.
I look forward, Leo, to a close working relationship with
you and the Board in the future in our joint efforts to,strengthen
this vital area of our government's national security activities.
Please convey my appreciation to the Board for a most useful
meeting.
SIncerel
/Al 3 e &
William E. Simon
The Honorable Leo' Cherne
Chairman, President's Foreign
Intelligence Advisory Board
The White House
Washington, D. C. 20500
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 FOR OFFICIAL USE ON? X'
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PRESIDENT'S FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY BOARD
4 June 1976
Dear Mr. Secretary:
We deeply appreciate your hospitality in hosting the members at lunch
yesterday, and your generous expressions of continuing interest in
the activities of the Board.
As Bill Casey mentioned, one area that we believe warrants renewed
attention, and which would very greatly benefit from your personal
involvement, is the means of improving the dialogue between principal
users and the authorities responsible for producing economic intelli-
gence. Especially with regard to economic topics, where the subject
matter is so broad and the availability of data is so enormous, the
refinement of requirements and the evaluation of performance becomes
exceptionally important. We believe that the intelligence community
could far more effectively direct its resources if it had abetter under-
standing, on a comprehensive and sustained basis, of the policymakers'
needs and their assessment of the intelligence product. This entails an
intensification of consumer "guidance and feedback. "
We recognize that this has been of longstanding concern, towards the
improvement of which a number of institutional mechanisms were created
and subsequently abandoned. However, because of your interest, perceptions
and responsibilities we believe that an opportunity now exists to achieve
substantial improvement towards this objective. We recommend, therefore,
that at appropriate intervals, principals of the Economic Policy Board
meet with the Director of Central Intelligence and his senior economic
intelligence officers in sessions which are designed to focus on the objectives
and adequacy of economic intelligence and on the flow of this information
throughout those agencies of government which require it.
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
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We have not yet discussed this proposal with the Director of Central
Intelligence and suggest that you may wish to share this letter with
him.
We also appreciate your acceptance of my suggestion to invite a PFIAB
member to attend selected meetings of the Economic Policy Board. I
would nominate Bill Casey for this purpose and would hope to personally
fill in if he were unavailable.
Leo Cherne
Chairman
Honorable William E. Simon
Secretary of the Treasury
Washington, D. C. 20220
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WASHINGTON
JUN 15 1976
Dear Bill:
I understand from Bill Morell that you have found
my proposals for having CIA representation at selected
EPB meetings workable and that you are prepared to
have Roger Porter discuss with Bill the implementing
arrangements.
In your absence late Friday of last week Bill ob-
tained Roger's approval of the letter to Leo Cherne.
I am also sending a copy of this today to George Bush.
If you have any further ideas please let me know.
Sincerely,
iam E . S anon
The Honorable
L. William Seidman
Assistant to the President
for Economic Affairs
The White House
Washington, D. C. 20500
Enclosures
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 UNCLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL SECRET I
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EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
51 - DDSBT
6 DDI
9 D/DCI/NI
10 GC ..
131 Comet
Remarks:
17 4aiksst/DCI
18 AO/DCI
20 1SA/D.CI
SUSPENSE
Routing Slip
Please develop, response,
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You may wish to sit on this until a response
comes back from the DDI who plans to name
Maurice Ernst, D/OER.
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16 June 1976
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