NATIONAL  SECURITY  COUNCIL  INTELLIGENCE 
DIRECTIVE  NO.  2l 
COORDINATION  OF  COLLECTION  ACTIVITIES 
(Revised  13  January  1CG1) 
To  promote  sound  and  efficient  utilization  of  the  several  departmental  \ 
and  agency  collecting  end  rcpertmg  facilities.  In  the  interests  of  national  \ 
security',  and  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  Section  102  of  the  National 
Security  Act  of  1847,  as  amended,  the  Nation  a!  Security  Council  hereby 
authorizes  and  directs  that  the  following  over-all  policies  and  objectives 
shall  apply  to  the  Interdepartmental  coordination  of  foreign  intelligence 
collection  activities  not  covered  by  other  National  Security  Council 
Directives. 
1.  The  Director  of  Central  Intelligence,  In  consultation  with  the  U.3. 
Intelligence  Board  or  Individual  members-  cf  the  Intelligence  community, 
shall  ensure  that  planning  for  the  utilization  of  the  ccileeiir.g  and  re- 
porting capabilities  for  Intelligence  purrees  cf  each  of  the  several  de- 
partments raul  agencies  avoids  undesirable  duplication  and  uncoordi- 
nated overlap  and  provides  adequate  coverage  for  national  security 
purposes. 
2:  The  Department  of  State  shall  have  primary  responsibility  for,  and 
shall  perform  as  a  service  of  common  concern,  the  collection  abroad  3  of 
political,  sociological,  economic,  scientific  r»n»j  technical  information. 
S.  The  Department  cf  Defense  shall  have  primary  responsibility  for, 
and  shall  perform  as  a  service  of  common  concern,  the  collection  of 
military  intelligence  information.  Owing  to  the  importance  of  scien- 
tific and  technical  intelligence  to  the  Department  of  Defense  and  the 
military  services, " this  collection  responsibility  shall  ineiudc  scientific 
and  technical,  as  well  as  economic,  information  directly  pertinent  to 
Department  of  Defense  missions. 
4.  The  Central  Intelligence. Agency  may  collect  aoroad  Intelligence 
Information  in  support  of  assigned  1  unctions  or  as  a  by-product  of  the 
assigned  functions:  Provided,  That  this  collection  Involves  no  undesir- 
able duplication  of  any  of  the  specific  assignments  in  paragraphs  2  or  3 
above,  and  Provided,  That  any  such  overt  collection  is  coordinated  with 
the  Department  of  State  or  v/ilh  the  Senior  U.S.  Representative. 
6.  The  senior  U.fJ.  representative  in  each  nation  or  foreign  Jurisdiction 
Where  the  United  Stales  maintains  o.'ilcial  representation  shall  coordinate 
hi  his  area  the  collection  activities  not  covered  by  other  National  Security 
Council  Directive;,  l-'ull  uliiiaidUm  .shall  be  mc.de  of  the  assigned  duties, 
Individual  hiitiailvi:,  or  favorable  contacts  of  departmental  and  i«aencv 
representatives. 
•Tins  DliivHve  «-.!!;vr.\f<ir«;  X^CJV  .W\  :'..  d  .Ccd  1C,  r,v[)t:-u\\n-v  lOf.3,  whteh  -3rcv«- 
Oiisly  ha«I  .'.tit;:i;,<kil  a-.'-rii)  N'*,.  :•..  »i«.l..a  :'.l   Ar.ill   10uM.  .  '         ' 
•l.o.,  out:,Uo  tSit?  l/uiial  :;mu:t  unci  II:;  j:u:.if:.v>iu:i^
6.  Intelligence  Information  collected  abroad  in  accordance  with  the 
terms  of  this  Directive  by  any  nr;c:icy  in  the  field  shall,  wherever  possible, 
be  transmitted  immediately  to  the  ildd  representatives  of  the  agency 
carrying  out  the  foreign  collection  activity  mentioned  in  paragraphs  2,  3, 
or  4  above,  who  chill  then  be  responsible  for  Its  onward  transmission: 
Provided,  That  the  criminal  collector  shall  not  be  enjoined  from  trans- 
mitting the  Information  to  his  own  headquarters. 
7.  The  Central  Intelligence  Agency,  as  a  service  of  common  concern, 
chall  be  responsible  for  the  reicciivj;  exploitation  with  hi  the  Unitsa  Gtates 
of  nori-aovcrnmcntal  organisations  and  Individuals  as  sources  of  j"ore!*;!i 
intelligence  information,  Jn  accordance  with  policies,  procedures  and 
practices  established  as  provided  in  paragraph  Sa  of  7\&CJD  Uo.  1,  by  the 
Director  of  Central  intchijence  with  the  concurrence  of  ihz  U.C.  Intelli- 
gence Board. 
0.  The  Central  TnteHif;enee  Agency  shall  conduct,  as  a  service  of  com- 
mon concern,  mcnifor.m^of  foreign  radio  and  television  propaganda  and 
press  broadcasts  required  for  the  collection  of  intelligence  information  to 
meet  the  needs  of  all  departments  and  accr.c-cs  in  connccflcn  with  the 
national  security  ana  shall  disseminate  such  Intelligence  Information  to 
the  several  departments  and  agencies  which  have  an  authorised  Interest 
therein. 
•0.  The  Central  Intelligence  Agency  shah  conduct  the  exploitation  of 
foreign  larj^uaraj  pus'leaticns  xcr  intelligence  purposes,  as  appropriate,- 
as  a  service  of  common  concern.    The  Director  of  Central  Intelligence 
chall  coordinate  this  activity  w*th  similar  activities  maintained  by  the 
departments  and  agencies  to  satisfy  their  own  requirements. 
10.  Departments  and  agencies  carrying:  cut  the  collection  activities 
mentioned  above  shall  reco.anr.:c,  in  establishing  eel  lection  programs,  the 
nocCts  of  the-  oti.cr  departments  and  agencies.
(Page  Four) 
NATIONAL  SECURITY  COUNCIL  INTELLIGENCE 
DIRECTIVE  NO. 21 
COORDINATION  OF  COLLECTION  ACTIVITIES 
(Revised  18  January  1961) 
To  promote  sound  and  efficient  utilization  of  the  several  departmental 
and  agency  collecting  and  reporting  facilities,  in  the  interests  of  national 
security,  and  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of  Section  102  of  the  National 
Security  Act  of  1947,  as  amended,  the  National  Security  Council  hereby 
authorizes  and  directs  that  the  following  over-all  policies  and  objectives 
shall  apply  to  the  interdepartmental  coordination  of  foreign  intelligence 
collection  activities  not  covered  by  other  National  Security  Council 
Directives. 
1.  The  Director  of  Central  Intelligence,  in  consultation  with  the  U.S. 
Intelligence  Board  or  individual  members  of  the  intelligence  community, 
shall  ensure  that  planning  for  the  utilization  of  the  collecting  and  re- 
porting capabilities  for  intelligence  purposes  of  each  of  the  several  de- 
partments and  agencies  avoids  undesirable  duplication  and  uncoordi- 
nated overlap  and  provides  adequate  coverage  for  national  security 
purposes. 
2.  The  Department  of  State  shall  have  primary  responsibility  for,  and 
shall  perform  as  a  service  of  common  concern,  the  collection  abroad2  of 
political,  sociological,  economic,  scientific  and  technical  information. 
3.  The  Department  of  Defense  shall  have  primary  responsibility  for, 
and  shall  perform  as  a  service  of  common  concern,  the  collection  of 
military  intelligence  information.  Owing  to  the  importance  of  scien- 
tific and  technical  intelligence  to  the  Department  of  Defense  and  the 
military  services,  this  collection  responsibility  shall  include  scientific 
and  technical,  as  well  as  economic,  information  directly  pertinent  to 
Department  of  Defense  missions. 
4.  The  Centra.1  Intelligence  Agency  may  collect  abroad  intelligence 
information  in  support  of  assigned  functions  or  as  a  by-product  of  the 
assigned  functions:  Provided,    That  this  collection  involves  no  undesir- 
able duplication  of  any  of  the  specific  assignments  in  paragraphs  2  or  3 
above,  and  Provided   that  any  such  over  collection  is  coordinated  with 
the  Department  of  State  of  with  the  Senior  U.S.  Representative. 
5.  The  senior  U.S.  representative  in  each  nation  or  foreign  jurisdiction 
where  the  United  States  maintains  official  representation  shall  coordinate 
in  his  area  the  collection  activities  not  covered  by  other  National  Security 
Council  Directives.   Full  utilization  shall  be  made  of  the  assigned  duties, 
individual  initiative,  or  favorable  contacts  of  departmental  and  agency 
representatives . 
1  This  Directive  supersedes  NSCID  No.  2,  dated  15  September  1958,  which  previ- 
ously had  a  superseded  NSCID  No. 2, dated  21  April  1958. 
2  i.e., outside  the  United  States  and  its  possessions.
(Page  Five) 
6.  Intelligence  information  collected  abroad  in  accordance  with  the 
terms  of  this  Directive  by  any  agency  in  the  Field  shall,  wherever  possible, 
be  be  transmitted  immediately  to  the  field  representatives  of  the  agency 
carrying  out  the  foreign  collection  activity  mentioned  in  paragraphs  2,3, 
or  4  above,  who  shall  then  be  responsible  for  its  onward  transmission: 
Provided,    That  the  original  collector  shall  not  be  enjoined  from  trans- 
mitting the  information  to  this  own  headquarters. 
7.  The  Central  Intelligence  Agency,  as  a  service  of  common  concern, 
shall  be  responsible  for  the  selective  exploitation  within  the  United  States 
of  non-governmental  organizations  and  individuals  as  sources  of  foreign 
intelligence  information,  in  accordance  with  policies,  procedures  and 
practices  established  as  provided  in  paragraph  3a  of  NSCID  No.l,  by  the 
Director  of  Central  Intelligence  with  the  concurrence  of  the  U.S.  Intelli- 
gence Board. 
8.  The  Central  Intelligence  Agency  shall  conduct,  as  a  service  of  com- 
mon concern,  monitoring  of  foreign  radio  and  television  propaganda  and 
press  broadcasts  required  for  the  collection  of  intelligence  information  to 
meet  the  needs  of  all  departments  and  agencies  in  connection  with  the 
national  security  and  shall  disseminate  such  intelligence  information  to 
the  several  departments  and  agencies  which  have  an  authorized  interest 
therein. 
9.  The  Central  Intelligence  Agency  shall  conduct  the  exploitation  of 
foreign  language  publications  for  intelligence  purposes,  as  appropriate, 
as  a  service  of  common  concern.   The  Director  of  Central  Intelligence 
shall  coordinate  this  activity  with  similar  activities  maintained  by  the 
departments  nd  agencies  to  satisfy  their  own  requirements. 
10.  Departments  and  agencies  carrying  out  the  collection  activities 
mentioned  above  shall  recognize,  in  establishing  collection  programs,  he 
needs  of  the  other  departments  and  agencies.