National Security Council Intelligence Directives, 1950–1955


252. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 13

Source: National Archives, RG 59, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, NSCIDs. Top Secret. NSCID No. 13 received NSC approval by memorandum action on January 19. (Ibid., Records of Action by the National Security Council)


253. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 14

Source: National Archives, RG 59, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, NSCIDs. Top Secret. NSCID No. 14 received NSC approval by memorandum action on March 3. (Ibid., Records of Action by the National Security Council)


254. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 15

Source: Truman Library, President’s Secretary Files, Subject File. Confidential. NSCID No. 15 was approved by the NSC at its 94th meeting on June 13 (NSC Action No. 495). (National Archives, RG 59, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council) A correction to NSCID No. 15 was issued on June 22. The text was unchanged, the only change being a minor adjustment to format.


255. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 5 Revised

Source: National Archives, RG 273, NSCIDs. Top Secret. This revision of NSCID No. 5, December 12, 1947 (see Foreign Relations, 1945–1950, Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment, Document 423) added paragraphs 7–10. These paragraphs were proposed by the Department of Defense and circulated to the NSC under cover of July 30 and August 8 memoranda from NSC Executive Secretary Lay. (Truman Library, President’s Secretary’s Files, Subject File) The revised NSCID No. 5 was approved by the NSC by memorandum action on August 28 (NSC Action No. 534). It was circulated to Council members by Lay by a memorandum of the same date. (Ibid.)


256. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 1 Revised

Source: National Archives, RG 273, NSCIDs. Secret; Security Information. This revised version of NSCID No. 1 was approved by the National Security Council by memorandum action on March 28 (NSC Action No. 623). (National Archives, RG 59, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council). NSCID No. 1 as originally adopted by the NSC on December 12, 1947, is printed in CIA Cold War Records, The CIA Under Harry Truman , pp. 169–171. For the revision of July 7, 1949, see Foreign Relations, 1945–1950, Emergency of the Intelligence Establishment, Document 385 and Document 431, footnote 2. For the revision of January 19, 1950, see ibid., Document 432.


257. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 9 Revised

Source: Truman Library, President’s Secretary’s Files, Subject File. Top Secret. The March 10, 1950, version of NSCID No. 9, is Foreign Relations, 1945–1950, Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment, Document 435. For the original July 1, 1948, version, see ibid, Source note. This version was originally issued on October 24, 1952. (Truman Library, President’s Secretary’s Files, Subject File) After its issuance, on October 31 the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover wrote to Executive Secretary of the National Security Council Lay with three “observations.” First, Hoover wrote, the Attorney General should be a member of the Special Committee whenever matters of interest to the FBI were before the Committee. Second, the right of the USCIB “to investigate and study the standards and practices of its member agencies” was too broad. Third, the authority of the NSA Director to “have direct access” and “technical control” of “any elements” of the member agencies also was too broad (Ibid.) In his December 17 reply, Lay informed Hoover the decision of the Special Committee to amend NSCID No. 9. There were three changes. First the sentence in parentheses at the end of preambular paragraph “b” was added. Second, in paragraph 1 d. (1) the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were added to those who were given two votes. Finally, paragraph 4 was added. (Ibid.) Montague has an interesting account of the interagency sensitivities involved in this episode in General Walter Bedell Smith As Director of Central Intelligence, October 1950-February 1953, p. 253.


258. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 16

Source: National Archives, RG 273, NSCIDs. Confidential. NSCID No. 16 received NSC approval by memorandum action on March 7 (NSC Action No. 732). (National Archives, RG 59, S/S-NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)


259. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 17

Source: National Archives, RG 59, S/P–NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1, NSC Intelligence Directives. Secret. NSCID No. 17 was approved by the NSC by memorandum action on May 16. All members of the Intelligence Advisory Committee concurred in NSCID No. 17, except the FBI which had “no comment” on the directive. (Ibid.)