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NSA REGUIATION 

NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY 

Washington 25, D. c. 

NUMBER 10-4 l .April. 195~ 

EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1 ~PRIL 1956 UNLESS SOONER 

RESCINDED OR SUPERSEDED 

CIASSJJi'ICATION AND HANDLING OF DOCUMENTS CONCERNING 

COMMUNICATIONS INTELLIGEN'CE ACTIVITlES 

SECTION 

PURPOSE AND SCOPE. • • • • : • .. • • • • • • • • • I 

DEFINITION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • II 

POLICY OF USCIB •••• \ ••••••••••••• III 

TYPES OF mFORMATION HANDIED VIA COMINT 

CHANNEIS ONLY ••••••••••••••••• I.V 

TYPES OF INFORMATION WHICH MAY BE BANDIED 

OUTSIDE COMINT CHANNEIB. • • • • • • • • • , • • V 

SUPERVISION. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • VI 

SECTION I - PURPOSE AND SCOPE 

The purpose of this Regulation is to outline the United States 

Comimm:i.cations Intelligence Board (uscm) policy With respect to 

the handling and classification of those documents other than 

Category I or codeword COMINT documents lfhich contain information 

about communications intelligence activities. 

SECTION II - DEFINITION 

For the purpose of this Regulation, information about COMINT 

activities is that inf'orm.ation which revealB', directly or by implication, the existence of any activity directed toward the 

extraction of intelligence from the communications of a foreign 

government but does not reveal actual success, progress, or 

processes in the production of COMINT. 

SECTION III - POLICY OF uscm 

1. General. 

In accordance with uscm Directive No. 16, it is essential 

that all reference to the existence of any COMINT activity, either 

direct or indirect, ba avoided except among those to whom the 

knowledge is necessary £or the proper performance of their duties. 

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2. Handling and Ex:emptions 

a. Except as provided :for in para.graph 2b below, docuLlents containing information about COMINT\will be transmitted via 

COMINT channels. Such documents and their inclosures, where 

applicable, will be stamped on the bottom of each page as follows: 

"HANDIE VIA COMINT CHANNEIS ONLY." 1t the document is permanently 

bound, the legend need only appear on °the cover and the first page. 

b. When it becomes necessary to turnish information 

about COMINT activities of the types listed in Section IV to 

offices outside COMINT channels, such action will be taken only 

a.:fter specific authorization in each case by the USCIB member concerned. In the case of types of material listed in Section V 

such action may be ta.ken in accordance with procedures established 

by the USCIB member concerned. In all such cases every reasonable 

step shoul.d be ta.ken to limit distribution to a mi~imum. 

c. The holder of a document stamped "RANDIE VIA COMINT 

CRANNEIS ONLY," upon determination by proper authority (paragraph 

2b above) that a requirement exists for its removal from COMlNT 

channels, mu.qt obtain approval from the originator prior to such 

action. In all such instances all reasonable steps Will be taken 

to see that the document receives the security protection its content warran"lis. 

d. When documents containing information about COMINT 

are forwarded outside of COMINT channels the teicms "COMINT" and 

"Communications Intelligence" shoul.d be avoided if possible. 

3. Classification. 

a. Classification is determined by content, including 

the extent of revelation of COMINT activities. The extent of 

revelation will be determined in each instance by judgment as to 

(1) the sensitivity of the COMlNT activity revealed or the category 

of COMINT involved, (2) whe·ther the information is specific or 

general, and (3) whether the revelation concerns past activities 

only or woul.d affect current activities • 

b. The classiftcation of each document containing information about COMJNT activities must be considered on the merits of 

each individual case. There a.re, however, certain basic criteria 

which will be of assistance in the determinat.i.on o:r classification. 

(Gee Appendix to NSA lk-:p;ulation 121-7) 

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NSJ\. TIEGULl\.TION no. 10-h l April 1955 

4. Public Utterances. 

Maximum fea.slble administrative action will be taken to 

require that.all public utterances which may contain in£ormation 

about COMINT are submitted, for review and advice, to the cognizant 

USCIB member prior to such utterance. In the event that such information already publicly revealed is included in a docume1t 

submitted by a private source for review, an attempt by persuasion 

shall be made to either eliininate such information or express it in 

such ~eneral terms as to conceal, to the ma.xinn.un decree possible, 

specific associations with COMJNT activities. In the event such 

a document is submitted by an official source, that document will 

be classified in accordance with para.araph 3 above (Classification). 

SECTION IV - TYPES OF JNFORMATIQN HANDLED VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY 

The following are examples of information about COMINT 'Which 

will be handled via COMJNT channels only and which will carry the 

stamp "IWIDLE VIA COMINT CHANUELS ONLY" : 

a. USCIB dire~tives and papers (except as specifically 

exempted by the Executive Secretary, USCIB). 

b. COMJNT liaison with foreign governments. 

(1) Coordi.nation, liaison and exchange visits. 

(2) Formal oereements. 

c. NSA Operations Orders 

(l) General mission assignments. 

(2) General task assignments. 

d. Foreign crypto6ra.phic material (which should be 

placed in COMINT chSllilels as soon as practicable). 

e. Specific intercept requirements and assignments. 

f. COMINT agency reports of accomplishment. 

g. Plans and policies for support by COMINT activities 

of ELINT and ECM operations. 

h. Inter-a6ency exchanse of information about Third 

Party COMil1T a:rrangcmento. 

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NSA REGUIATION NO. 10-4 1 ~prU 1955 

i. That information concerning base rights negotiations 

which involves (1.) specific quid pro quo, (2) collaboration or exchange With Third Parties a.f'fecting the COMINT act1vity, or (3) 

detail.a of the mission or operations of' the COMINT activity. It 

.is noted that certain of this in.formation \d.11 have to be rel.eased 

outside COMINT channels at a point in the negotiations when it 

nni.st be presented to, or is raised by, foreign nationals through 

non-indoctrinated U. s. negotiators. 

j • COMmT codewords used in the codeword sense. 

SECTION V - TYPES OF lNFORMATION WHICH MAY BE BANDIED 

OUTSIDE COMINT CHANNELS 

The :fol1owing are exmtipl.es of information which, with proper 

approval, may be handled outside COMlNT channels, if necessary: 

a. Base rights negotiations except as provided in 

Section IV. 

b. Construction matters. 

c. Regul.ations stating the general mission·a.ttd function 

of COMINT activities that do not reveal specific techniques or procedures that a.re unique to COMINT operations. 

d. Courses of instruction at service.schools. 

e. Budgetary matters. 

f. Correspondence regarding hazardous duty assignments. 

SECTION VI - SUPERVISION 

Supervision for the implementation of' the policy outlined 

herein is the responsibility of the Adjutant.General. 

BY COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL CANINE: 

OFFICIAL: 

r:r;I y CJP 215 cr1PJ' :.; 

JOHN B ACKERMAN 

Major General, US Air Force 

Chief of Staff 

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