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

Created: 2/16/1959

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National Security Council

REFERENCE

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

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

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subject report as presented to the President16, contained 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 the review of (i. e. , reporting on and evaluating) the Political. Psychological and Para-Military operations of the Agency,or the formulation of the intelligence estimates and recommendations upon which the plans for such operations are based. "

Reference memorandum stated that tbe President requested myand comments before taking action on this recommendation. ThU memorandum is in response to that request.

The text of the report of to the President explained some of the reasoning of the Board resulting in this This report refers to "some 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 Plans Group (for the Agency) may be incapable of making objective appraisals of Its own intelligence information as well as of ita own operations when it is involved in Cold War

4. n- Botida.Jlt>ii iof ttlomoar^nttiwbrt Dir.ctor Car lans (Plansthan acraally tsLiU. Final raspcmelWlity essf aelawriiy tor all utMUu of taa Clandestine Services, jnat aa la trae vita, respect ha tha acllvillas of oLWtr Depnty Wn.Uri, casts with tha Director of Use Central lateLUfeace Iftacr. itact thai tW DD/P, as well aa tha othareputies, oufiiii actios* amaa Director, bat la case of ope rational/'. of thessftar, only after tbe necessary policy guidance baaeen obtained frosaZ Committee.

5. It is particularly important ta note thai before CIA cold) activities ere Initiated all available intelligence, including National Intelligence Estimates, preparedommunity-wide basis, ia taken into account. Further, while we recognise that in covertajor source of Information on tbe accomplishments of tbe project may bewe are constantly on the alert to analyme all available information to guard against subjectivity or aelf-scrving reports.

6. To the aboveould add that we fully concur

Board's recommendation to review the mission of thePlans/

and thateview is currently in progress. ew Deputy Director for Plans assumed bis position on January He Isomplete review of the mission and organisation of the Clandestine Services. In concert with this the Inspector General of the Agency is reviewing the overall organization of the DD/P.

8. It ia suggestede submitted on

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Efecireitetic reproduction msoS lot presffvation purposes by ins Elssntiower Litwryreplacementetetiorsiifsi manuscript item.

7. Further, several steps have already been taken in reorganizing therea. The Inspection and Reviewbe Southeast Europe Division^be abolished, with its country oTsTaincorporated into cs ting ions. Tbe Near East Asia Division (Near East and Africa) is being split up toew Africa Division and thus place greater empbaais on that vital area. ew division Is being created to centralise new projects using aircraft or technic si methods for intelligence callection.

Original document.

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