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

254. National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 15¹

Washington, June 13, 1951.

COORDINATION AND PRODUCTION OF FOREIGN ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 102 (d) of the National Security Act of 1947,² as amended, the National Security Council hereby authorizes and directs the Central Intelligence Agency to perform the following functions with respect to foreign economic intelligence relating to the national security:

1. Maintain a continuing review of the requirements of the United States Government for foreign economic intelligence relating to the national security, and of the facilities and arrangements available to meet those requirements, making from time to time such recommendations to the National Security Council concerning improvements as may require National Security Council action.

2. Insure through regular procedures that the full economic knowledge and technical talent available in the Government is brought to bear on important issues involving national security, including issues on which assistance is requested by the National Security Council or members thereof.

3. Evaluate, through regular procedures, the pertinence, extent, and quality of the foreign economic data available bearing on national security issues, and develop ways in which quality could be improved and gaps could be filled.

4. Conduct, as a service of common concern, such foreign economic research and produce such foreign economic intelligence as may be required (a) to supplement that produced by other agencies either in the appropriate discharge of their regular departmental missions or in fulfillment of assigned intelligence responsibilities; (b) to fulfill requests of the Intelligence Advisory Committee.

1. 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.
2. 61 Stat. 495–510.