NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTIVE NO. 5 U.S. ESPIONAGE AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES ABROAD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-01129R000100050016-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 6, 2004
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: February 17, 1972
• Content Type: REGULATION

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NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL INTELI.IOEENCE
DIRECTIVE NO. 51
U. S. ESPIONAGE AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
ACTIVITIES ABROAD
(Effective 17 February 1972)
Pursuant to the pro-visions of Section 102(d) of the National Security Act
of 1947, as amended, the National Security Council hereby authorizes and
directs that:
1. For the purpase of this directive:
a. Espionage is defined as that intelligence activity directed toward the
acquisition of information through clandestine means.
b.. Cousnterintellignce is defined as that intelligence activity, with its re-
sult nt product, devoted to destroying the effectiveness of inimical foreign
intelligence activities and undertaken to protect the security of,the nation and
its personnel, information and installations against espionage, sabotage and
subversion. Counterintelligence includes the process of procuring, developing,
recording and disseminating infornmation concerning hostile clandestine activity
and of penetrating, manipulating or repressing individuals, groups or organiza-
Cons conducting such -activity.
2. To ensure centralized direction through prior, comprehensive and con-
tinuing coordination of all clandestine activities authorized herein, the Director
of Central 'Intelligence shall, after appropriate consultation:
a. Establish the procedures necessary to achieve such direction and co-
ord~ination, including the assessment of risk incident upon such operations as
compared to the value of ithe activity, and to ensure that sensitive operations
are reviewed pursuant to applicable directives.
b. Coordinate all clandestine activities authorized herein and conducted
outside the United States and its possessions, including liaison that concernrs
clandestine activities or that involves foreign clandestine services, except
when the provisions of paragraph 8 apply; also coordinate clandestine activities
with overt collection abroad,
c. Invite departments and agencies not permanent members of the United
States Intelligence Board that have clandestine counterintelligence re-
sponsibilities abroad to participate in deliberations of the Board when clan-
destine counterintelligence maters affecting such responsibilities arc under
consideration.
d. Make mutually agreeable urangcrnents with other departm.enits and
agencies for such cover support as may be needed by the Central intelligence
This Directive sui?e~ ides SC1D No. S ?:n d 13 J~.:?i?ary 190"1.
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Agency and coordinate the arxan;ements far cover support required. by airy,.
other depar[~.nent or agency to carry out i:he clandestine ~~ctiviti.es autliorizecl
in paragraph 4 belo~v,'except ti~?hen such cover is to be pro~~icled unilatcraIIy
and ~vithaut utilizing the facilities of, or becoming identified: Fvitl~ other de~
partments or agencies of the go4-ornment or nongovernrliental organizations.
e. Resolve disputes arising in the coordination of U.S. cspianane and: clan-
-,destine counterintelligence activities abroad.
3. The Central Intelligence Agency has primary responsibility for U.S. clan-
destine activities abroad. Subject to the pra~isioris of paragraph S, it is re'spansible
for the following services of common concern:
a. The conduct of espionage outside tI-e United States and its possessions
in ardor to meet the intelligence needs o:f all departments and agencies caia-
eerned, in connection with the national security.
b. ~e conduct of clandestine counterintelligence autsicle the United States
and its possessions.
c. The conduct of liaison. with foreign. clandestine services or, concerning
the above clandestine actiti-ities, ~s-ith foreign intelligence ar security services.
d. The rria%ntenance for the benefit of the intelligence carrnnunity of c:cntral
indexes and records of foreign counterintelligence information. AIl departments
and agencies shall contribute to this index, on a continuing basis, such ~natcrial
collected by them as is appropriate for a central file; this material shall be
collated and analyzed fo.r appropriate dissemination.
e. Upon request and to the e:~tent practicable,- assisting other dcpart~neuts
and agencies in eannection with. their cover and support needs.
4. Subject to the provisions of'' paragraph 2 above, other departments and
agencies with commands or %nstallations located outside the U.S. a \d its pos-
sessi.ons niay:
ca. canduet supplementary espionage iin order to satisfy departmental in-
telli:gence needs;
b. conduct clandestine .counterintelligence activities necessazy for the se-
curity of. their personnel, con"cmands, activities- and installations;' " ---:
c. conduct liaison with foreign clandestine services or, concerning the above
clandestine activities, with foreign intellii;enee'or security services..- ~ - _.__
5. T'lie departments and agencies concerned shall assist the Central Intelli-
gence Agency in its conduct of espionage by providing ~iiclance in the .form
of continuous, timely and specific collection requirements and, as required,
assessments of the value of the informati~.on collected. Such clepartinents and
agencies shall provide siunilax support to each other as reciuiz?ecl_.Conrersc:ly, the
Central Intelligence Agency. shall assist other departments and agencies by
providing, as practicable, assessments of the v~~.lue to national intelligence of the
iczfannation derived from the acti~2ties of other agencies as authorized hez?ein.
(i. In a foreign area, except where paragraph S applies, th.e Director of Central
intelligence shall, after consultation ~ti~ith the Secretary of State, ensure that
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the senior L':S. representati~?e, or his designated representati~:?e, is api~roi}rrsct.el~~
ad.-ised on a timely basis of U.S, espionag,e and clandestine c:ountcrintc~ilgcr~ce:
acti~~ities conducted in or affectins; the area..
7. In a foreign area tirhere mayor U.S. military camrnands are statiorYnd, the
ciesi~natecl representati~-e of the IClirector of CeTttral Intelligence shall I;cc:p the
senior L .S. mTlTtar}? contrnanders, or their designated representafi~?es, appropti-
atel}? uiform~d of the espionage and clandestine counterintelligence acti~'ites
and operations conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency in or from such.
areas, including. liaison behveen the Central Intelligence Agency and foreign
militan? establishments.
#. In acti~?e theaters of