1 October 1998
Source: http://www.nsa.gov:8080/docs/efoia/released/truman.html

## Truman Memorandum

By memorandum of October 24, 1952, President Truman established the National Security Agency (NSA) as the organization within the U.S. Government responsible for communications intelligence (COMINT) activities.

Source: http://www.nsa.gov:8080/docs/efoia/released/truman/truman.tif (TIFF format, 438K)

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                                                           Oct 24 1952

    MEMORANDUM FOR:  The Secretary of State
                     The Secretary of Defense

    SUBJECT:         Communications Intelligence Activities

         The communications intelligence (COMINT) activities of the United States

    are a national responsibility.  They must be so organized and managed as to

    exploit to the maximum the available resources in all participating departments

    and agencies and to satisfy the legitimate intelligence requirements of all

    such departments and agencies.

         I therefore designate the Secretaries of State and Defense as a Special

    Committee of the National Security Council for COMINT, which Committee shall,

    with the assistance of the Director of Central Intelligence, establish policies

    governing COMINT activities, and keep me advised of such policies through the

    Executive Secretary of the National Security Council.

         I further designate the Department of Defense as executive agent of the

    Government, for the production of COMINT information.

         I direct this Special Committee to prepare and issue directives which

    shall include the provisions set forth below and such other provisions as the

    Special Committee may determine to be necessary.

         1.  A directive to the United States Communications Intelligence Board

    (USCIB).  This directive will replace the National Security Council Intelligence

    Directive No. 9, and shall prescribe USCIB's new composition, responsibilities

    and procedures in the COMINT fields.  This directive shall include the

    following provisions:

             a.  USCIB shall be constituted as a body acting for and under

         the Special Committee, and shall operate in accordance with the pro-

         visions of the new directive.  Only those departments or agencies repre-

         sented in USCIB are authorized to engage in COMINT activities.

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             b.  The Board shall be composed of the following members:

                 (1) The Director of Central Intelligence, who shall be the

             Chairman of the Board.

                 (2) A representative of the Secretary of State.

                 (3) A representative of the Secretary of Defense.

                 (4) A representative of the Director of the Federal

             Bureau of Investigation.

                 (5) The Director of the National Security Agency.

                 (6) A representative of the Department of the Army.

                 (7) A representative of the Department of the Navy.

                 (8) A representative of the Department of the Air Force.

                 (9) A representative of the Central Intelligence Agency.

             c.  The Board shall have a staff headed by an executive secretary

         who shall be appointed by the Chairman with the approval of the majority

         of the Board.

             d.  It shall be the duty of the Board to advise and make recom-

         mendations to the Secretary of Defense, in accordance with the following

         procedure, with respect to any matter relating to communications

         intelligence which falls within the jurisdiction of the Director of NSA.

                 (1) The Board shall reach its decision by a majority vote.

             Each member of the Board shall have one vote except the repre-

             sentatives of the Secretary of State and of the Central Intelligence

             Agency who shall each have two votes.  The Director of Central

             Intelligence, as Chairman, will have no vote.  In the event that

             the Board votes and reaches a decision, any dissenting member of

             the Board may appeal from such decision within 7 days to the

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             Special Committee.  In the event that the Board votes but fails

             to reach a decision, any member of the Board may appeal within

             7 days to the Special Committee.  In either event the Special

             Committee shall review the matter, and its determination thereon

             shall be final.  Appeals by the Director of NSA and/or the

             representatives of the Military Departments shall only be filed

             with the approval of the Secretary of Defense.

                 (2) If any matter is voted on by the Board but -

                     (a) no decision is reached and any member files an appeal;

                     (b) a decision is reached in which the representative

                 of the Secretary of Defense does not concur and files and appeal;

             no action shall be taken with respect to the subject matter until

             the appeal is decided, provided that, if the Secretary of Defense

             determines, after consultation with the Secretary of State, that

             the subject matter presents a problem of an emergency nature and

             requires immediate action, his decision shall govern, pending the

             result of the appeal.  In such an emergency situation the appeal

             may be taken directly to the President.

                 (3) Recommendations of the Board adopted in accordance with

             the foregoing procedures shall be binding on the Secretary of

             Defense.  Except on matters which have been voted on by the

             Board, the Director of NSA shall discharge his responsibilities

             in accordance with his own judgment, subject to the direction

             of the Secretary of Defense.

                 (4) The Director of NSA shall make such reports and furnish

             such information from time to time to the Board, either orally

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             or in writing, as the Board may request, and shall bring to the

             attention of the Board either in such reports or otherwise by

             new major policies or programs in advance of their adoption by him.

             e.  It shall also be the duty of the Board as to matters not falling

         within the jurisdiction of NSA;

                 (1) To coordinate the communications intelligence activities

             among all departments and agencies authorized by the President

             to participate therein;

                 (2) To initiate, to formulate policies concerning, and subject

             to the provisions of NSCID No. 5, to supervise all arrangements

             with foreign governments in the filed of communications intelligence; and

                 (3) To consider and make recommendations concerning policies

             relating to communications intelligence of common interest to the

             departments and agencies, including security standards and practices,

             and, for this purpose, to investigate and study the standards and

             practices of such departments and agencies in utilizing and

             protecting COMINT information.

             f.  Any recommendation of the Board with respect to the matters

         described in paragraph e above shall be binding on all departments or

         agencies of the Government if it is adopted by the unanimous vote of

         the members of the Board.  Recommendations approved by a majority, but

         not all, of the members of the Board shall be transmitted by it to the

         Special Committee for such action as the Special Committee may see fit

         to take.

             g.  The Board will meet monthly, or oftener at the call of the

         Chairman or any member, and shall determine its own procedures.

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         2.  A directive to the Secretary of Defense.  This directive shall

    include the following provisions:

             a.  Subject to the specific provisions of this directive, the

         Secretary of Defense may delegate in whole or in part authority over

         the Director of NSA within his department as he sees fit.

             b.  The COMINT mission of the National Security Agency (NSA) shall

         be to provide an effective, unified organization and control of the

         communications intelligence activities of the United States conducted

         against foreign governments, to provide for integrated operational

         policies and procedures pertaining thereto.  As used in this directive,

         the terms "communications intelligence" or "COMINT" shall be construed

         to mean all procedures and methods used in the interception of communi-

         cations other than foreign press and propaganda broadcasts and the

         obtaining of information from such communications by other than the

         intended recipients,* but shall exclude censorship and the production

         and dissemination of finished intelligence.

             c.  NSA shall be administered by a Director, designated by the

         Secretary of Defense after consultation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff,

         who shall serve for a minimum term of 4 years and who shall be eligible

         for reappointment.  The Director shall be a career commissioned officer

         of the armed services on active or reactivate status, and shall enjoy

         at least 3-star rank during the period of his incumbency.

             d.  Under the Secretary of Defense, and in accordance with approved

         policies of USCIB, the Director of NSA shall be responsible for accomplishing

    ___________________________________________________________________________________

    * See Public Law 513 -- 81st Congress 1950.

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         the mission of NSA.  For this purpose all COMINT collection and

         production resources of the United States are placed under his

         operational and technical control.  When action by the Chiefs of

         the operating agencies of the Services and civilian departments or

         agencies is required, the Director shall normally issue instructions

         pertaining to COMINT operations through them.  However, due to the

         unique technical character of COMINT operations, the Director is

         authorized to issue direct to any operating elements under his

         operational control task assignments any pertinent instructions which

         are within the capacity of such elements to accomplish.  He shall

         also have direct access to, and direct communication with, any elements

         of the Service or civilian COMINT agencies or any other matters of

         operational and technical control as may be necessary, and he is

         authorized to obtain such information and intelligence material from

         them as he may require.  All instructions issued by the Director

         under the authority provided in this paragraph shall be mandatory,

         subject only to appeal to the Secretary of Defense by the Chief of

         Service or head of civilian department or agency concerned.

             e.  Specific responsibilities of the Director of NSA include the

         following:

                 (1) Formulating necessary operational plans and policies for

             the conduct of the U.S. COMINT activities.

                 (2) Conducting COMINT activities, including research and

             development, as required to meet the needs of the departments

             and agencies which are authorized to receive the products of COMINT.

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                 (3) Determining, and submitting to appropriate authorities,

             requirements for logistic support for the conduct of COMINT

             activities, together with specific recommendations as to what

             each of the responsible departments and agencies of the

             Government should supply.

                 (4) Within NSA's field of authorized operations prescribing

             requisite security regulations covering operating practices,

             including the transmission, handling and distribution of COMINT

             material within and among the COMINT elements under his operational

             or technical control; and exercising the necessary monitoring and

             supervisory control, including inspections if necessary, to ensure

             compliance with the regulations.

                 (5) Subject to the authorities granted the Director of

             Central Intelligence under NSCID No. 5, conducting all liaison

             on COMINT matters with foreign governmental communications

             intelligence agencies.

             f.  To the extent he deems feasible and in consonance with the aims

         of maximum over-all efficiency, economy, and effectiveness, the

         Director shall centralize or consolidate the performance of COMINT

         functions for which he is responsible.  It is recognized that in

         certain circumstances elements of the Armed Forces and other agencies

         being served will require close COMINT support.  Where necessary for

         this close support, direct operational control of specified COMINT

         facilities and resources will be delegated by the Director, during

         such periods and for such tasks as are determined by him, to military

         commanders or to the Chiefs of other agencies supported.

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             g.  The Director shall exercise such administrative control over

         COMINT activities as he deems necessary to the effective performance

         of his mission.  Otherwise, administrative control of personnel and

         facilities will remain with the departments and agencies providing them.

             h.  The Director shall make provision for participation by repre-

         sentatives of each of the departments and agencies eligible to receive

         COMINT products in those offices of NSA where priorities of intercept

         and processing are finally planned.

             i.  The Director shall have a civilian deputy whose primary responsi-

         bility shall be to ensure the mobilization and effective employment of

         the best available human and scientific resources in the field of cryptographic

         research and development.

             j.  Nothing in this directive shall contravene the responsibilities

         of the individual departments and agencies for the final evaluation of

         COMINT information, its synthesis with information from other sources, and

         the dissemination of finished intelligence to users.

         3.  The special nature of COMINT activities requires that they be treated

    in all respects as being outside the framework of other or general intelligence

    activities.  Orders, directives, policies, or recommendations of any authority

    of the Executive Branch relating to the collection, production, security, handling,

    dissemination, or utilization of intelligence, and/or classified material, shall

    not be applicable to COMINT activities, unless specifically so stated and issued

    by competent departmental or agency authority represented on the Board.  Other

    National Security Council Intelligence Directives to the Director of Central

    Intelligence shall be construed as non-applicable to COMINT activities, unless

    the National Security Council has made its directive specifically applicable

    to COMINT.

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