THIRD REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT BY THE PRESIDENT'S BOARD OF CONSULTANTS ON FOREIG

Created: 2/16/1959

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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Report to the President by the President's Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities, dated

Memorandum to Director of Central Intelligence, Same Subject, from Mr. James S. Lay,ated

subject report as presented to lhe President16,ontained the following recommendation:

"The present mission of the Plans Group of the CIA be reviewed with consideration given to relieving that Group of, and placing elsewhere in the Agency, theor ihe review of. , reporting on and evaluating) the Political, Psychological and Para-Military operations of the Agency, and (Z) for the formulation of the intelligence estimates and recommendations upon which the plans for such operations are based. "

Reference memorandum staled that the President requested my views and comments before taking action on this recommendation. This memorandum is in response to that request.

The text of the report ofo the President explained some of the reasoning of tbe Board resulting in this This report refers lo "eome of the virtually autonomous functions assigned to thisnd states, "From evidence we have seen, It is our feeling that, within this frame of reference, the Plana Group (for the Agency) may be incapable of making objective appraisals of Its own intelligence Information aa well aa of it* own operationa when it ia involved in Cold War

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of antOTOTnay *rby th* Dnpnrr Director tar Plana (Plans Groop) (nan actoally seals U, Final ratspoanUsallty ami authorityfor allf tha CUndastlna Sarvicas,as ia txan with respectha activities of other Deputy Diractorra, mats with tha Director of the Central Intellljence r. Itact thai the DD/P, as well as the other Deputies, naay*,take action aa hahalf an" the Director, but ln case of of themknnly after th* neceaaary policy guidance haa een obtained from2 Commit to*.

5. It i* particularly important to note that before CIA cold) activitle* are initiated all available intelligence, including National Intelligencereparedommunity-wide* taken into account. Further, while we recognise that in covertajor source of information on the accomplishments of tbe project may beine, we are constantly on the alert to analyse all available information to guard against subjectivity or self-serving reports.

To the aboveould add that we fully concur with tbe Board's recommendation to review tbe mission ot thePlan* Group) and thateview i* currently in progress. ew Deputy Director for Plans assumed bis position on January 1, Heomplete review of the mission and organization of the Clandestine Service*. In concert with thi* the Inspector General of the Agencyeviewing the overall organization of the DD/P.

Further, severalhave already been taken in reorganizing berea. The Inspection and Review Staff will be aboLUhed) The Southeast EuropeHHH^HI^HH

knnnnsnannt - be abolished, with ita country desks incorporated into existing- F area divisions. The Near East Asia Division (Near East and Africa) Is being split up toew Africa Division and thu* place greater emphasis on that vital area. ew division Is being created to centralise new projecta

is suggestedullon ihe raview of there-submitted on

ElBcifcutattc fewoOuctionfor preservation pu'&OMS by th*wary 'ceie'so/ncailiton.

Original document.

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