255. Memorandum From the Director of the Net Assessment Group, National Security Council (Marshall) to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)1
SUBJECT
- NSCID #6 and Establishment of Central Security Service
Key issues have been
- —JCS desire that new SIGINT command or service report through them.
- —Arrangements for the control of SIGINT activities and platforms as between the new service and local military commanders.
Surprisingly there has been little overt reaction to any change in the review and control of programming and resource planning. This is expected to be central in the new ASD(I) office. OMB has been waiting for Al Hall’s charter to be agreed upon within DOD to see how adequately this aspect of reorganization will be handled. They expect, and Al expects, that what can be done will be done.
The situation is still evolving. Roger Jones believes that
- —The JCS will give up on the reporting issue, there is no support elsewhere for this position.
- —The operational control problem will be solved as the specifics of the arrangements are spelled out and compromised upon.
Moot wants to put off any final considerations by Laird of the issues until after the holidays. He believes that by that time an essentially fully agreed position can be presented to Laird. Jones believes this will be the outcome.
I think we should wait until after the holidays and review the situation again at that time.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 333, Intelligence Reorganization, Vol. I. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information.↩