CREATION OF A DCI COUNTERNARCOTICS COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90M00551R002001320002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 12, 2014
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 20, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

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1P90M00551R002001320002-1
TRANSMITTAL
SLIP
T DATE
20
Dec 88
TO:
ICS Registry
ROOM NO.
BUILDING
REMARKS:
..
FROM:
ROOM NO.
BUILDING
EXTENSION
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MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
ICS 3837-88
20 December 1988
Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Lieutenant General Edward J. Heinz, USAF
Director, Intelligence Community Staff
Creation of a DCI Counternarcotics Committee
?I 0E0 1988
REFERENCE: HPSCI Chairman Stokes' 13 December Letter to You on
Narcotics
1. After reviewing the referenced correspondence, and in light of the
pending appointment of a federal drug czar, I think the time has come for us
to act in response to Chairman Stokes' call for "centralized coordination of
counternarcotics efforts within the National Foreign Intelligence Program."
This is an issue that has troubled me for some time, and I am now convinced
that we can make a significant contribution to this increasingly vital and
diverse problem, and gain strong Congressional support in the process if we
act promptly and comprehensively. Such opportunities arise rarely.
2. Specifically, I propose that we establish a DCI Committee on
Counternarcotics that would be responsible for coordination and oversight of
all aspects of the Intelligence Community's counternarcotics activities, and
be the Community's interface with the drug czar and other non-Community
agencies engaged in the counternarcotics activities, i.e. DEA, Customs, and
Coast Guard. This Committee's responsibilities would include requirements and
priorities, collection, processing, exploitation, and production of
counternarcotics intelligence. (Oversight of related covert action would be
handled through established procedures, with the CIA representative on the
Committee obli ed to keep the Committee Chairman informed broadly as
necessary.)
3. I further propose that I chair the Committee due to the
cross-discipline and multiagency nature of counternarcotics intelligence, and
the growing DoD involvement in the problem. This new DCI Committee will need
to steer future investments and other programmatic adjustments, both of which
are among my primary functions. Further, the ICS is a logical focal point for
Committee support. Examples of our past relevant work include my chairmanship
of the Caribbean Basin Steering Group, and counternarcotics-specific efforts
such as the DCI's One-Percent Fund, two Intelligence Community producer-
collector-consumer seminars, and our review of the National Narcotics Border
Interdiction System.
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SUBJECT: Creation of a DCI Counternarcotics Committee
4. I intend to propose for your approval, by early January, a detailed
Implementation plan for the new Committe uding a draft DCI directive
spelling out its mission and functions.
5. Counternarcotics intelligence is a substantively difficult,
politically charged, growth industry. But, if the Community is not careful
and thoughtful, the resources and time committed can be easily wasted, and
potentially be counterproductive. We need a strong, DCI sanctioned,
Community-wide mechanism to ensure that this does not happen, while
orchestrating the best support possible. Clearly, CIA must play a major role
In our counternarcotics efforts, but I am skeptical that putting CIA in the
lead for Community matters is a good idea. While I have not discussed this
Issue with other senior officers in the Community, I suspect they would see a
Counternarcotics q?mmttte with the ICS in the lead as a normal part of our
responsibilities.
6. If you would like to discuss this further, or issue instructions,
please let me know.
Lieutenant General,
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Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/02/12 : CIA-RDP90M00551R002001320002-1
SUBJECT: Creation of a DCI Counternarcotics Committee
Distribution: (ICS 3837-88)
1 - DCI
11 - ER
- 0/ICS
- DD/ICS
3.1 - DDR&E/ICS
eel - SA/D/ICS
71 - D/REO
41 - REO Subject
ql - ICS Registry
ICS/REO:JRF:jrf 20 Dec 1988)
3
SECRET
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/02/12: CIA-RDP90M00551R002001320002-1