ACTION PLAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00261R000100050016-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: October 6, 1975
• Content Type: REPORT

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Approved For RoMase 2001 /03/30: CIA-RDP81-( 61 R0001 00050016-3
6 October 1975
ACTION PLAN
A. ASSESSMENT (THE PROBLEM):
1. CIA is caught in the middle of a classic tug of war between
Executive and Legislative Branches.
a. Legislative is on the offensive.
T,0 -M,, CCmA
b. CIA is on the defensive.
2. Principal news media inclined to support of the Legislative
Branch rather than Executive.
a. The offensive is newsier.
3. Certain figures in Congress see political advantage in maximizing
past abuses and real or imagined deficiencies, despite possible cost to
national foreign intelligence establishment,
a
l
evuation, and analysis and intelligence as covert activities is a feature
of the problem and likely to get more so.
6. Greatest dangers to the Agency during this period are:
a. Compromise of sensitive intelligence, sources and methods.
b. Weakening of effectiveness as regards current and future
intelligence responsibilities because of preoccupation by senior
management with Congress and the press.
a. They are not the majority but they're the most visible.
4. The offensive in Congress (and the press) takes two forms.
a. Past abuses, illegalities, etc. , and the need to protect
against recurrence (so far, the Church Committee stresses this).
b. Attacks on the competence and effectiveness of CIA (the
Pike Committee's concern with alleged failures).
5. The distinction (or confusion) between intelligence as information,,
}
C. Lowered morale-in Agency recruitment prab] ens
?po ential
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 Approved For Releaft 20Lt~:~l~ibO~1b261R000100050016-3
d. Development of overly proscriptive and/or. unsound legisla-
tion under which the Agency will have to operate in the future.
e. Loss of confidence on part of friendly foreign intelligence
services and of Americans - private or official
is essential. whose cooperation
Working "tc/E/r rrn .,
Ass
umptions
~T'~'G~ tatty D C t 9.W.+.r 5~ -"
1? Oversight and accountability functions within the Executive and
Legislative Branches will be strengthene
2? Covert action mi,c,,,,-, _
a
-- will continue. 9 rl " y rtuced from past levels
past levels
3. A central intelligence organization
preserved, in some form can and will be
a. The task is to emerge with a workable institution, without
doing irreparable damage in the process.
Current Situation
25X1A
(To be covered
daily)
Projection
25X1A
(To be covered
periodically)
B. Objectives
Lehman (Being developed)
C
El
.
ements of Strate (To be developed further)
l* Target Determines Aire
a? Who or what is our target?
(1) Ultimately,, it is a majority of the Con
will initiate gress who
.legislation or pass on the Presidentrs proposals.
`I ,0 5.'k C=c.
(2) In an intermediate sense, it is a few public figures
and groups who can/will be listened to by Congress.
b. We need dditiona.l active support
(1) The critical elements represented by the moderate
center and the reasonable .left or liberals within both parties
L