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16 December 1954 

6Ei6RM' 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE MEMBERS OF USCIBEC: 

Subject: USCIB Master Requirements List. 

Reference: USCIB 9.3/17 of 13 December 1954. 

1. Attention is invited to paragraph 3 of the reference. 

A special meeting of USCIBEC to discuss this problem will be held at 

1330, Friday, 7 January 1955, in Room 2E687, the Pentagon. 

2. It is considered that discussion of the problem would be 

simplified and a solution more readily achieved if the members would 

be willing and prepared to attack this question along the lines 

indicated below. 

3. For our purposes the question is one simply of how to use 

most efficiently and effectively a "common-user" collection facility 

with a broad, but still not unlimited, potential for obtaining highgrade (relatively speaking) intelligence. 

4. The problem should be attacked in two stages, firstly, the 

establislunent of a mechanism for the fulfillment of national intelligence requirements and, secondly, the establishment of a mechanism 

for the fulfillment of departmental intelligence requirements. As we 

go about solving the problem in these two stages we should consider 

whether the mechanisms for which we are searching do not already 

exist and need only be directed along the right path. 

5. With regard to national intelligence objectives, it seems 

clear that these should be established without regard to the existence 

of sources. Clearly the IAC is the body to do this and, it is understood, has done so. Next, a statement of the, requirements for 

intelligence necessary to meet these objectives must be prepared. 

This also should be done without regard to the existence of sources. 

Again, this would appear to be the function of the IAC. 

6. Now comes the first big hurdle in achieving a mechanism for 

the fulfillment of national intelligence requirements. Having at 

hand a statement of objectives and the requirements for their fulfillment. all in order of relative importance, it becomes necessary to 

assign the tasks of collection. At this point the extent of sources 

available must be considered and assignments made in accordance with 

the capabilities of those sources bearing in mind the reliability and 

accuracy factor for each source and the necessity £or corroborative 

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intelligence without creating undesirable duplication. The individuals who perform this task must in aggregate have not only a thorough 

knowledge of the peculiarities of any particular collection source, 

but also a thorough knowledge of the degree to which that collection 

source :may be expected to fulfill a given requirement. This knowledge 

must then be pooled and assignment of collection tasks made in the 

light thereof. Such a mechanism does not appear to exist. It could 

be brought into existence within either the USCIB structure (by additional representation on the USCIB Intelligence Committee) or by 

creation of such a panel within the IAC structure and, for COM.INT 

purposes (which is our concern here), including NSA representation on 

such a panel. 

7. If we assume that we can solve successfully the problem of 

establishing a mechanism !or the assignment of broad national collection tasks to the National Security Agency, the rest of the problem 

begins to fall apart automatically along the lines indicated below. 

8. Having achieved an assignment of national collection tasks in 

the CCNINT field, departmental CO~UNT requirements require consideration before a satisfactory implementing plan for employing the 

11 common·-user 11 source can be achieved. At this point, then, each 

member department and agency of USCIB should examine the national 

collection tasks which have been assigned to the National Security 

Agency and determine what if any of his departmental or agency requirements would not be likely to be included therein. A list in the fonn 

of additional COMINT collection tasks (if any) should then be prepared 

by each member department and agency of USCIB and a mechanism round 

for adjusting these requirements with the national tasks already 

established. USCIB would appear to be the mechanism for this purpose 

using its Intelligence Committee and Executive Committee for the 

necessary staff work. 

9. Having now established in order of relative priority a list 

including both the national and the departmental tasks to be performed 

by the CCMINT source, it becomes necessary to formulate an implementing 

plan and a means of assessing the effectiveness of such a plan. 

A mechanism for this must now be found. Since it is this aspect of the 

problem that has thus far not been solved to the satisfaction of our 

collector, the National Security Agency, it would appear that the NSA 

is the mechanism which should prepare the Implementing Collection Plan 

and submit it to USCIB for review and approval. With the National 

Security Agencry now in possession of an approved collection plan we 

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need only find a way to see how well the plan works. A yearly report 

by the collector (the NSA) setting forth a quantitative and qualitative 

analysis of his efforts in response to specific questions posed by 

USCIB at the time of approval of the collection plan would appear to 

serve this purpose. Review of this report by USCIB and the IAC would 

provide a basis for determining the extent to which the allocation of 

tasks and the collection plan for the succeeding year need be altered. 

The cycle would then be established. 

10. The above leaves several problems still unsolved, namely: 

a. Ques. How are "crash" national requirements met? 

Ans. By decision of the IAC as to the degree of importance and urgency of the 11 crash11 requirement and immediate, temporary 

alteration of the national collection assignment. 

b. Ques. How are "crash" departmental requirements met? 

Ans. By direct, unilateral imposition on NSA of the 

collection task in writing with copies to the other members of USCIB. 

If the NSA cannot meet the requirement without serious detriment to 

national tasks or other departmental tasks the Director, NSA immediately so informs the USCIB member concerned who then refers it to 

USCIB for immediate resolution. The committee structure of USCIB can 

be made immediately responsive to such a circumstance. 

c. ~· How are adjustments of emphasis within an established departmental task achieved? 

Ans. By direct, unilateral, authoritative approach to 

the NSA at levels satisfactory to the Director thereof. 

11. From the above it will be seen (if any substantial agreement 

to this is achieved) that most of the machinery we need is in existence 

and need. only be bent to our will. If the Executive Committee can 

approve this philosophy of attack on subject problem it is suggested 

that USC:IB be so advised and asked to let us proceed along the lines 

indicatEid above. 

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