Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950–1955, The Intelligence Community, 1950–1955

245. Minutes of a Meeting of the Intelligence Advisory Committee¹

IAC–M–222

Washington, December 13, 1955, 10:45 a.m.

Director of Central Intelligence
Allen W. Dulles
Presiding²

Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Lieutenant General Charles P. Cabell
Presiding²

MEMBERS PRESENT

• Mr. W. Park Armstrong, Special Assistant for Intelligence, Department of State
• Major General Ridgely Gaither, Assistant Chief of Staff, G–2, Department of the Army
• Rear Admiral Carl F. Espe, Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of the Navy
• Major General John A. Samford, Director of Intelligence, Headquarters, United States Air Force
• Rear Admiral Edwin T. Layton, Deputy Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff
• Mr. Harry S. Traynor, Atomic Energy Commission representative to the IAC
• Mr. Alan H. Belmont, Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation

1. Report of the IAC Ad Hoc Guided Missile Intelligence Survey Committee (IAC–D–81/13, 25 November 1955)³

a. Colonel White, Chairman, Ad Hoc Guided Missile Intelligence Survey Committee led off the discussion by summarizing briefly the conclusions reached by the Committee.

b. Admiral Layton, supported by Admiral Espe and General Gaither, took the position that under existing NSC directives, guided missiles intelligence, being intelligence on weapons, fell clearly within the responsibility of the Department of Defense. In short, that guided missiles intelligence is departmental intelligence. He further expressed the view that the creation of an IAC subcommittee on guided missiles was not the answer to what is basically a collection problem.

c. General Samford stated that, based on the experience of the Air Force as the primary collector of guided missiles intelligence, he believed that there was merit in the idea of a coordinated community approach. This approach had demonstrated its value in the field of atomic energy intelligence.

d. Mr. Dulles expressed the view that guided missiles intelligence was national intelligence of the highest priority, probably of even greater ultimate importance to our national security than atomic energy intelligence. A concerted attack on the problem by the community, under the guidance of an IAC guided missiles committee, is therefore essential if he and the community are to discharge their responsibilities under existing NSC directives.

e. It was agreed that Mr. Dulles would draw up his views for presentation to the National Security Council under the procedure provided in NSCID No. 1, paragraph 3 a.⁴

1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Executive Registry, Job 85–500362R, Box 2, Folder 6. Secret. The meeting was held in the IAC Conference Room, Administration Building, Central Intelligence Agency.
2. Part of meeting. Lieutenant General Ralph Canine, Director, National Security Agency, attended part of the meeting. [Footnote in the original.]
2. Part of meeting. Lieutenant General Ralph Canine, Director, National Security Agency, attended part of the meeting. [Footnote in the original.]
3. Not found.
4. Document 255.