U.S. ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF SCHOOL DEPICTION OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01133A001200060021-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: January 17, 1975
• Content Type: MF

Approved
17 January 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: Lieutenant General Samuel V. Wilson, USA
Deputy to the DCI for the Intelligence
Community Staff
SUBJECT U.S. Army Command and General Staff
School Depiction of the Intelligence
Community
1. As you know, I have been invited to give a
seminar on "The Intelligence Contribution to Politico-
Military Decisionmaking" at the U.S. Army's Command
and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth on
30 January. In connection with this exericse, a
Major Bouton on the faculty sent me a copy of the
syllabus for this section of the course. On glancing
through it, I was somewhat troubled by its treatment
of the U.S. Intelligence Community, which struck my
perhaps too sensitive eye as being off in tone and
inaccurate in certain significant details.
2. A copy of that treatment is attached. On it,
several points:
a. It mentions only the National Security
Act of 1947 and makes no reference to the
CIA AGt of 1949, President Nixon's letter of
November 1971 or President Ford's 1974 reaffirma-
tion of that letter's directives.
b. It paints the DCI as having a primarily
.advisory role to the NSC and suggests that his
.principal responsibilities lie in the area of
correlating, coordinating and disseminating
intelligence produced by other government
departments. The CIA's responsibilities for
producing national intelligence are nowhere
alluded to.
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c. The treatment of the PFIAB is not
quite right.
d.. The text of the diagram (on page 26)
suggests that the DCI is subordinate to the
United States Intelligence Board (even
though its Chairman) and also mutes the
fact that National Estimates are the DCI's
Estimates, not the USIB's.
e. The depiction of the IRAC's responsi-
bilities strikes me as being a hair out of
focus.
f. I was bemused by the Net Assessment
Group (presumably this means Jan Lodal),
which doubtless exists but does not have the
prominence within the Intelligence Community
that the syllabus treatment would suggest.
g. The rather formalized treatment of the
National Security Memorandum mechanism probably
does give what could be argued as being a text
book theory, but the real world is often less
tidy and the NSSM system is not as all encompassing
or universally used as this treatment would
suggest. Specifically, the input of the
Intelligence Community, through the DCI, to the
NSSM system -- when the latter is used -.- is
omitted.
3. I doubt if our friends at Leavenworth mean
any harm; but do consider it unfortunate that they are
giving their students what I consider a perceptibly
distorted picture of the national intelligence structure
and the responsibilities of its several components.
Any written remonstrances would generate unnecessary
heartburn, not to mention a ditto exchange of paper.
Nonetheless, I would like to see these errors of fact
and approach gently corrected. Since you and I will
both be at Leavenworth (separately) within the next
two weeks, it might be advisable for us to undertake
Approvo
 25X
Approved For
a privately concerted program of low-key missionary
work among the convertible heathen.
25X
George X. Carver, Jr.
Deputy for National Intelligence Officers
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(5) The NSC Under Secretaries Committee. An NSC Under Secretaries Committee has been
Wo established under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Secretary of State, assisted by the Under
Secretary for Political Affairs who also acts as his alternate. The Under Secretaries Committee
considers-
(a) Decisions of the full NSC or of the President for implementation.
(b) Operational matters pertaining to interdepartmental activities of the US Government
overseas on which NSC Interdepartmental Group have been unable to reach agreement, or which are
of a broader nature than is suitable to any such group, or which do not require consideration at
Presidential or NSC level and are referred to it by the Secretary of State.
(c) Other operational matters referred to it by the Deputy Secretary of State or the
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.
(6) Defense Program Review Committee (DPRC). To meet the objectives of balanced
decisions and rational priorities, President Nixon directed the formation of the Defense Program
Review Committee. This permanent Committee reviews major defense, fiscal, policy, and program
issues in terms of their strategic, diplomatic, political, and economic implications and advises the
President and the National Security Council on its findings.
(7) Verification Panel (VP). This panel was established in June of 1969 in preparation for the
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. The VP includes SRG members with the addition of the Director,
es Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. The VP is charged with the technical analysis of arms
e control issues, including verification requirements. The VP also considers the issues involved in
he mutual and balanced force reductions (MBFR) in Europe and nuclear test ban policy.
(8) National Security Council Intelligence Committee, chaired by the Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs. This Committee provides direction and guidance on national
at intelligence needs and provides for a continuing evaluation of intelligence products from the
viewpoint of the intelligence user.
(9) Washington Special Action Group (WSAG). The WSAG is a special senior leadership
panel which is the forum for handling crisis situations. This group drafts contingency plans for
possible crises, integrating the political and military requirements.
4. US INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
to
or
des
SC
The National Security Act of 1947 is the basis of the present US intelligence community. Under
this act, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was established under the chairmanship of the NSC
for the purpose of coordinating the intelligence activities of the several Government departments
and agencies in the interest of national security. The Director and Deputy Director of Central
intelligence are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Director
advises the NSC in matters concerning such intelligence activities of the Government departments as
tic to national security and makes recommendations for the coordination of these activities. He
correlates and evaluates intelligence relating to national security, makes recommendations for the
coordination of these activities, and provides for dissemination of such intelligence using existing
neies and facilities as appropriate. He performs such additional services of common concern as
tac NSC determines can be more efficiently accomplished centrally.
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 PRESIDENT'S FOREIGN
INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY BOARD
INTELLIGENCE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Army Intelligence Navy Intelligence
DIA NSA STATE
AEC FBI
Marina Corps Intelligence Air Force Intelligence
Figure 4. The US intelligence community.
periodically presents substantive intelligence estimates to the National Secunty Counc .
e
a
of intelligence sources and methods. Working through the USIB, the Director o ent n e ig
priorities; supervision of the dissemination and security of intelligence matenal; and the protection
ncP
l I t ll'
f C
of national intelligence; establishment of national intelligence requirements, structures, ands
-Intelligence. The USIB advises and assists the President and the NSC with respect tot a pro uctio
(1) United States Intelligence Board (USIB), which is chaired by the Director of the CentralA
IL d ' ~1-
of intelligence as they relate to long-range intelligence programs.
Some of the other organizations presently within the US intelligence community are the-
total foreign intelligence effort. The Board has been active in recent years studying specific aspects:
R,..,...7 !TT t.R1 Mamhers of the FLAB are appointed by the President from among persons outside-
As Chairman of the NSC, the President has available to him the Foreign Intelligence Advisory,
('2 Intelligence Resources Advisory Committee, which is chaired by the Director of Centr
:: Office of Management and Budget, and the Central Intelligence Agency. 1he.c;ommuz
P. _ nnrl consists of senior representatives from the State Department, Department o
advises the chairman on the preparation of a consolidated intelligence program budget.
(3` Net Assessment Group (NAG) whose chairman is the senior member of the NSC scalf
assess the possible foreign implication of any policy under consideration by the White House.
economic intelligence estimates. The NAG may also suggest that the Director of Central Intelligence
assessments of the relative strength of various world powers by combining political, military, an
NAG has the mission to review and evaluate all intelligence products and produce comparati
5. NATIONAL SECURITY MEMORANDUM
(, SSIVf s) (fig 5). An NSSM may be initiated by the President, the APNSA, or the NSC Staf K
The NSC fulfills its basic function through the use of National Security Study Memoranda'
fA
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NSSM is a formal action requirement by the NSC system. NSSM's identify major issues of national
security and task subordinate elements with preparation of studies. Interdepartmental groups take
the studies from subordinate departments and agencies and prepare a basic paper which is
forwarded to the Senior Review Group. After the SRG has reviewed the paper, the APNSA presents
the NSSM to the full NSC. If the President makes a decision on the paper, the decision takes the.
form of a National Security Decision Memorandum (NSDM) which is forwarded to the Under
Secretaries Committee for implementation. Figure 5 shows graphically the decisionmaking trail.
UNDER SECRETARIES COMMITTEE, WHICH
SUPERVISES ACTIONS TAKEN
THE PRESIDENT, OR THE ASSISTANT TO THE
PRESIDENT FOR NATLSECURITYAFFAIRS(APNSA),
OR THE NSC STAFF RAISES AN ISSUE
QUESTION IS PROCESSED THROUGH APNSA
AND NSC STAFF
NATL SECURITY STUDY MEMORANDUM
(NSSM) RESULTS
NSSM PROCESSED THROUGH
THE NSC STAFF
PROCESSED THROUGH DEPARTMENTS AND
AGENCIES INVOLVED AND IS
THE PRESIDENT MAKESA DECISION (NSOM),
WHICH LATER GOES TO
THE NSC MEETING AND IS PRESENTED BY APNSA
SENIOR REVIEW GROUP FOR FURTHER WORK,
THEN TO
TAKEN UP BY AN APPROPRIATE
INTERDEPARTMENTAL GROUP OR NSC
COMMITTEE, WHICH PRODUCES A
A. TMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD)
Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are integral actors in the national security
making process. As can be seen (fig 3), DOD has representation in both the intelligence
and the NSC system. During the "study system" phase of the national security
tiOn process (fig 6-foldout at back of book), the agencies within DOD have input to