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COORDINATION AND POLICY APPROVAL OF COVERT OPERATIONS EOlfSMlAIbllWIYn
A. Historical Evolution
1. The first formal authority for what la now called "covert action'* In the post-Worldra waa the National Security Council {NSC) directive. which was approved on Without elaborating coordination procedures, it directed the Director of Central InteUigence to undertake covert action and to ensure that the recalling operations were con-latent. policy. The DCI waa to ensure through liaison wilh State and Defense that operations were consistent. policy.
2. as refined and superseded by the issuance on 1ft8ew NSC directive. This defined more clearly the aims and methods of covert action and spelled out with more precision the procedures for ensuring that covert operations conducted under it were consistent. foreign and military policies. "Designated representatives" of the Secretaries of State and Defense comprised the "Seniorhich included civilian repre-w itnUlivei of State and Defenseilitary representative of the JSC. These Senior Consultants met with the Assistant Director for Policy Coordination, the CIA office responsible at that time for planning and conducting covert operations, and reviewed proposed new covert projects to be conducted by CIA.
J. 2 was further refined and superseded by the issuance on1 of NSC directive This new directive authorised an expansion of world-wide covert operations and changed policy coordination procedures. The Psychological Strategy Board, which had been establishedas charged with determining the "desirability and feasibility" of proposed covert programs and major covert projects. ew andanel" was established,the members of the2 Panel but adding staffof the Psychological Strategy Board (PSD). It functioned much as2 Panel had. but ihe resulting procedures proved cumbersome and potentially insecure. Accordingly, when the PSB was replaced by the Operations Coordination Board (OCB)of covert operations revertedmaller group identical with the2 Panel, without OCB staff participation.
4. There subsequently was some retrogression toward the5 Panel principle. Onhe Issuance ofhich supersededequired that the DCI consult with the OCB and with
jUMVEB (OR SOCASI
. Government departments and agencies a- appropriate to ensure that covert operations were consistent. policies. 1 which superseded2 onirected the DCI to consult with the Planning and Coordination Group (PCC) of the OCB and made the PCG the "normal channel" (or tlie policy approval of covert operations. (Inhe DCI briefed the PCG of the OCB onCIA covert action operations which he had previously approved under)
coordination proccdurea reverted once more to aa more streamlined coordinatlve group with th* Issuance5 ofuperseding 2 hasin force up to the present. It removed the policy coordinationfunctions from the OCD and transferred them toof the President and the Secretaries of State andmeet wiafa Ihe DCI as the "normal channel" for policy approval of The coordinatlve body came to be known as theRepresentatives" or the "Specialt comprisedrepresentatives of the rank of Assistant Secretary or above.
It was charged with reviewing In advance all major covertnitiated by CIA or otherwiee directed.
oordinatlve procedures were slightly7 with the issuance of an annex to the directive. Theapproval solely by the Secretary of State of particularly
t.vr projects that did not have military implications. This special authorisation has not been utilised to date. It also required, however, that CIA keep the Departments of State and Defease advised on progress in implementing all approved covert action programs.
the inauguration of the Kennedy Administration Inthe Special Group (which changed its name to4 in accordance with) meetings werethe White House under the chairmanship of the President'sfor National Security Affairs. (This was first McCeorgeGeneral Maxwell Taylor, then back to Bundy, and finally tothe present chairman). Prior tohe Statemember had been the "informal" chairman.
B. Policy Doctrine
1. From the brief description of the evolution of coordination and approval procedures affecting covert operations, it is apparent that prioi
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son
tohe governing NSC5for consultation with representatives of Slate and Detente but these individual* had no approval functions; nor did theyepre-eentatWe of the President. Many of CIA's continuing covert action projects and programs were therefore begun when responsibility for policyrested with tbe DCI in sccordance with existing NSC directives. These projects and programs were in general discussion with State and Defense representatives, but th* representatives were not called uponwere they authorizedo take affirmative action. (Normal Bureau of the Budget review procedures, of course,easure of outside Executive control.) During title period certain decisions involving vital interests of the U. S. were, of course, referred to the President at the initiative of the DCI.
Even underarticularly in the early, criteria governing submission of projects to the Special Group were never clearly defined, being left lo the discretion of the DCI. During these early years,onsiderable body of policy doctrine was established, which has been followed ever since.
At the beginningegular weekly meetings of the Special Group were instituted, with on* result that criteria for submission of projects to the Group were in practice considerably broadened.
Not until CIA'* own internal instruction,n Special Group submissions, however, did the criteria for submissions become more formal and precise. 3 CIA directive noted that the decision to submit an operational program or activity to the Special Group would be made by the DCI, and that political sensitivity would usually be the chief criterion for Submission. The instruction also noted that where unusually large sums of money are Involved, the DCI may decide torogram or activity on the grounds of funds alone. The instruction detailed the following types of programs or activities which,eneral rule, require Special Group action:
Political and propaganda action programs involving direct or indirect action to influence or support political parties, groups or specific political leaders, including operations which use labor, youth, students, and influentlsl military organizations as political pressure groups.
Economic action programs designed to Influence governments to support U. S. national policy objectives, or to prevent Bloc countries from obtaining som* strategic politico-economic advantage io countries or area* of importance. global strategy.
Paramilitary action programs.
clandestine and covert action annexes. Country
Internal Defense Plans.
The instruction also dealt with cases requiring resubmission to the Special Group: where there is needew policy determination or to reaffirm the previous policy decisions; when developments or changes are such as to make theatter for re-examination by the Group; and if specifically required by the Special Group in its approval of the program or activity.
5. These criteria have remained unchanged in subsequent CIA internal directives.
C. Comparative Numerical Approvals of CIA Proposals
reflection of the action of approval authority onearly in its life are difficult to offeromparativeof the steady refinement of "programs" into individualthe beat recapitulation available shows: .
approved by DCI oninternal authority:
Administration
approved by DCI in coordination withBoard or Psychological Strategy Board:
Administration
approved or reconfirmed by OperationsBoard, the Special Groupommittee:
Eisenhower
Johnson142
the sophistication of the policy approval processdid the participation of the external approving authority. Sinceof the Special Grouphe policyquestioned CIA presentations, amended them and, onthem outright. The record shows that the Group/Committee,instances, has over-ridden objections from the DCI and instructed
. SESSillE
the Agency to carry out certain activities. T
aClion iB needed-decked
0ta proposed action.
3.
D. Special Briefing* 1. Bureau of the Budget
a. Because of the judgments necessary to budget for covert action operations. Bureau of the Budget [BOB) officials mayattend meetings of the Special Groupommittee) and participate in review discussions. For example,pecial meeting of the Special Group onequested by BOB, BOB participants were Messrs. Gordon, Staats, Hansen, and Amory. The minutes of this meeHng reflect that the BOB officials participated fully in discussions concerning covert action programs and activities in each area of the world. They heard the Agency's presentations
and the consensus expressed by thr Special Croup concerning the continuation of auch programs. The meeting alao afforded th* BOB official* with the views of the Stat* Department {as expressed by Mr. Johnson) concerning the desirability of maintaining the present programs in Latin America, and the views of theof Defense (through Mr. Gilpatric) that the division of responsibilities for paramilitary operations between CIA and the Department of Defensei quite adequate.
type of ad hoc BOB briefings is reflected inofommittee meeting of to the steps necessary to modernise Radio FreeRadio Liberty, Mr. Helms informed the Committee thatdiscuss the proposition with the BOB. Mr. Rostowhe planned to convey the feeling of the Committee to thethe BOB at an early opportunity, favoring modernisation.
BOB,as known of every covertof CIA and, in the case of the largo Internationalexamined them closely as line items. Invariably, BOBif the activity has policy approval, and has probedsense of the Committee in respect to any qualifications,or changes in emphasis.
2. Other
a. Special briefings have alao been given to White House officials, the Specialommittee, and certain other government officials. (The DCl's briefing of the Planniog and Coordination Group of the OCB in5 has already been mentioned: this covered those covert action programs which h* had prcviovialy
Jr^onTrie personal request of President
is Drteiing wai
Kennedy. Inhe Special Croupritten presentation summarising aU projects as of that date which involved arapport to political parties and political leaders P-
aad including full UuorraanonpiuLsuures. ine'nunutea ahow that the Special Groupnote of the presentation and raised no objections. Inthe Special Groupeneral briefing pagerrod pAiamlUt.irv aud economic operations.
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inuao&flriyw. Chief, Covert Action Staff made an oraltoommittee concerning CIA's covert relations with foundations. This presentation was requested by Mr.A outlined the different types of foundations dealt with.
E. Stnte Department Coordination
I. Newly-appointed principal State Department officers andambassadors are briefed in depth by CIA Headquarters officials on broad objectives and CIA'a activities within the country. Shortly after an Ambassador arrives at his post, the CIA Chief of Station givesetailed and specific briefing on tbe Agency's covert action activities in the country. Covert action matters growing out of CIA's responsibilities
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under NSC directives provide for foil participation end review by Slate Department and Ambassadors in the formulation of specific programs, with th* decision on them being made at appropriate poller levels. In the field, this means full details on the substance sad objectives of the activity, and, depending upon circumstances, clsndeatine means and methods to the extent that they are related directly to the substance of the activity. The purpose is to allow the Ambassador to judge the desirability of the program and inherent political risks. Instructions to Agency field stations with respect to CIA's field coordination withare frequently re-stated, the latest In
CIA representatives participate In the mission Country Team meetings and are often requested to draft proposals for forwarding to Washington for policy review and approval, especially in the fields of Internal security and covert action.
ommittee programs or activities are coordinated with the Ambassador, as well as the Assistant Secretary of State of the area concerned. This coordination process has to be accomplished before the proposal is submitted toommittee. umber of approved programs or activities originate with the Ambassadors or the Department of State. ommittee proposals and other covert action matters are discussed between CIA Area Division Chiefs and their State Department counterpart Assistant Secretaries at regulsr. usually weekly, informal me stings.
Original document.
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