IAC-D-50/3, NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OBJECTIVES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00904A000100050004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 12, 2006
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: December 3, 1954
• Content Type: BRIEF

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C E N T R A L I N T E L L I G E N C E A G E N C Y
OFFICE OF NATIONAL ESTIMATES
3 December 1954
DRAFT BRIEFING MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: 1AC?D?50/3, National Intelligence Objectives
REFERENCES r A. IAC..M.alS,, !t August 1953, item 7.
B. IAC-MM171, 5 October 1954, item 4b
C. Memorandum from the Boards 1 Dece ber 1954.
1p IACcD.50/3 was prepared by the Board in consultation with
representatives of the IAC agencies and the IPC pursuant to IAC
direction (IAC-P 115, 4 August 1953). Completion of the task was
delayed by the necessity for a thorough reexamination of the subject,
by the priority accorded to required estimates, and by difficulties in
coordination discussed in Reference C. However, if IAC50/3 is
adopted, the proposed annual review of priority national intelligence
objectives will not be so difficult and time-consuming a task.
FYIOPI/CD
2. The present text is fully agreed at the representatives level,
except for the footnote on page. 7. The issue presented is a matter of
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vital principle. Inasmuch as the text is that of a directive rather than
an estimate,, the issue must be resolved in one way or the other,
34 DCID- /2 ensures priority for any military intelligence collec-
tion requirement, regardless of its actual importance in relation to
the national security considered from an overall, NSC point of view.
NSCID.4 requires that appropriate priority be accorded to the important
non-military intelligence requirements indicated in NSC 162/2 and other
NSC documents. The Service representatives have finally consented to
an expansion of DCID6.4/2 as proposed in IAC.Dm50/3, Appendix 8. The
effect of their footnote on page 7,, however, would be to perpetuate the
automatic priority for all matters of military interest over all other
security interests which is now derived from DC"ID. /2.
4. The Board holds that Category I (highest priority) should
be reserved for the three most critical intelligence problems: the like.
11hood of war, the Soviet capability to deliver a "knockout blow" against
the United States, and the Soviet capability to prevent the delivery of
such a blow against the USSR. To generalize the last two into an all.
inclusive reference to Soviet military capabilities, as is proposed by
the Service representatives, would violate the general principle of
discrimination between degrees of criticality in the determination of
priorities. It would also violate the IACcs explicit instruction to the
Board to formulate priority objectives in such a way as to enable the
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TAC to determine the priority of guided missiles in relation to other
topics (IAC-M-17l, 5 October 1954, item 4b).
5. The State Department representative supported the Board in
this matter, but held that, if the Service representatives' propoa al
was adopted by the IAC, itemilli(b) should also be raised to Category I.
The Service members of the IAC are likely to make this concession to
State in order to enlist its support for their proposed amendment.
The position which Mr. Armstrong would take in such circumstances is
uncertain.
6 The Board recommends that the Director adopt the Board's
position in this matter, and that he ccrry the issue to the NSC3 if
necessary. /The Assistant Directors for Current Intelligence, Research
and Reports, and Scientific Intelligence concur in this recommendation-1
~ 3-
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