233. Memorandum From Thomas Latimer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)1

SUBJECT

  • Memo on President’s 4 June 1971 Meeting with PFIAB

Jerry Burke has sent you PFIAB’s memo on the above meeting (Tab A)2 and I have prepared a note from you to Alex Butterfield forwarding that memo for the President’s files.3 A copy will also go in our files here.

Recommendation: That you sign the attached note to Butterfield.

FYI, at the PFIAB meeting, Admiral Anderson gave a summary of the Board’s report on reorganizing the intelligence community.4 He said that the Board could not substantiate OMB’s findings that its proposals would effect significant money savings. He asserted that the Board’s proposals, on the other hand, could increase the efficiency of the U.S. intelligence effort.

The President observed that the Board does not take as harsh a view of the U.S. intelligence product as OMB did in its report.5 Admiral Anderson responded that although the Board is aware of mistakes made in the intelligence community, the Board nonetheless sees substantial progress.

Admiral Anderson went on to state that the Board does not concur in the two reorganization options proposed by OMB which would require seeking legislation from Congress. The President agreed that such a source of action would be inadvisable.

The Board proposed that in lieu of OMB’s proposals, the U.S. Intelligence Board (USIB) be reconstituted along the following lines:

  • USIB would be made up of the principal intelligence users instead of the producers as is now the case.
  • USIB would serve under the DCI as a policy-forming entity and coordinator of the entire U.S. intelligence community.
  • —The Board also believes that the Director of the National Security Agency should be a Presidential appointee in the rank of 4-star military officer or a civilian of equivalent rank.

Admiral Anderson also pointed to the serious gap in the collection of foreign intelligence in the United States.

  • —The President agreed and stated that he was well aware of the gap in the domestic collection of foreign intelligence which he attributed to a lack of working cooperation between the “good men” heading up the CIA and the FBI.
  • —The President observed that it was within his province to solve that problem and that he will take appropriate action in the near future.

Admiral Anderson also raised the problem of shortcomings in the field of collecting foreign economic intelligence and the President asked the Board to arrange to have a two-hour “Peterson briefing” after which he would like to have their specific recommendations for improving the U.S. economic intelligence effort.

Admiral Anderson mentioned his recent trip to West Germany and his discussions with General Goodpaster. As a result of those conversations, he has urged the Director of NSA to visit General Goodpaster to see what can be done to increase the productivity of U.S. SIGINT collection efforts against Soviet forces.

Finally, Dr. Land urged the President to personally intervene in the question of choosing a near real-time readout satellite reconnaissance system. Dr. Land, backed by Dr. Baker, advocates an electronic imaging system which can be read out through a relay satellite while the sensor is still over the target. The President promised to take a hard look at the matter.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Agency Files, Box 276, President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, 1971, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Byeman; Contains Codeword. Sent for action.
  2. The 8-page memorandum is not printed. (Ibid.)
  3. Not printed.
  4. Document 232.
  5. Attachment to Document 229.