Les
documents déclassifiés de la NSA
tandis que la retranscription a été effectuée
par Cryptome. Il
s'agit du texte fondateur de la NSA et de ses attributions. On
parle du "Memorandum de Truman du 24 octobre 1952".
NSA
Established as COMINT Head
Truman
Memorandum
A
20707 5/4/54/OSO COPY
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 provisions of the
new directive. Only those departments or agencies repre sented in USCIB
are authorized to engage in COMINT activities.
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 recommendations
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 representatives 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 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 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.
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 communications
other than foreign press and propaganda broadcasts and the obtaining
of information from such communications by other than the intended recipients,[See
Public Law 513 -- 81st Congress 1950] 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
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.
(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.
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 representatives
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
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.