i 
ANNEX 
CRITERIA  FOR  DETERMINING 
PRIORITY  NATIONAL  INTELLIGENCE  OBJECTIVES 
1.  Priority  National  Intelligence  Objectives  should  be  directly  related 
to  the  intelligence  required  in  the  formulation  and  execution  o£  na- 
tional security  policy.  They  should  flow  directly  from  the  intelligence 
mission  as  set  forth  by  the  NSC  and  are  therefore  merely  more  detailed 
specifications  of  the  intelligence  required  to  fulfill  that  mission.  *  They 
should  provide  the  basis  for  determining  appropriate  research  and  col- 
lection requirements. 
2.  Most  of  the  intelligence  required  in  the  formulation  and  execution 
of  national  security  policy  will  be  the  product  of  normal  intelligence 
collection  and  research.  Priority  National  Intelligence  Objectives  should 
be  limited  to  those  critical  factors  which  require  special  attention  and 
effort. 
3.  In  order  to  afford  a  stable  basis  for  intelligence  planning,  a  state- 
ment of  Priority  National  Intelligence  Objectives  should  be  desired 
to  remain  valid  over  an  extended  period.  It  should  therefore  exclude 
topics  of  urgent,  but  transitory,  interest,  which  will  require  and  receive 
ad  hoc  treatment  in  any  case. 
4.  Broad  generalities  are  cf  little  practical  use  as  priority  guidance 
to  collection  and  research.  Priority  National  Intelligence  Objectives 
should  therefore  be  specific  enough  to  provide  guidance  for  planning 
the  allocation  of  collection  and  research  resources,  but  not  so  specific  as 
to  constitute  in  themselves  research  and  collection  requirements. 
5.  In  determining  Priority  National  Intelligence  Objectives,  due  con- 
sideration should  be  given  to  beneficial  as  well  as  harmful  potentialities. 
6.  All  items  in  a  statement  of  Priority  National  Intelligence  Objectives 
should  be  worthy  of  special  attention  and  error'j,  but  obviously  some 
will  be  of  greater  urgency  or  importance  than  others.  The  present 
statement  is  divided  into  four  broad  categories  of  priority  distinguished, 
in  the  text,  in  terms  of  both  their  criticality  and  the  appropriate  level 
of  intelligence  effort  above  that  which  is  normal  for  general  coverage. 
The  f ollowing  criteria  will  serve  as  guidance  for  determining  the  relative 
importance  of  Priority  National  Intelligence  Objectives: 
L  First  Category:  those  which  will  permit  the  US  (a)  to  anticipate 
and  counter  those  policies- or  actions  of  foreign  states  which,  would 
occasion  gravest  consequences  to  the  US;  or  (b)  to  stimulate 
policies  or  actions  of  foreign  states  (or  actions  within  them) 
which  could  occasion  greatest  benefit  to  the  US.
II.  Second  Category:  those  which  will  permit  the  US  (a)  to  anticipate 
and  counter  those  policies  or  actions  of  foreign  states  which 
would  have  very  grave  consequences  for  the  US;  or  (b)  to  stimu- 
late policies  or  actions  of  foreign  states  (or  actions  within  them) 
which  could  occasion  very  great  benefit  to  the  US. 
HI.  Third  Category:  those  which  will  permit  the  US  (a)  to  anticipate 
and  counter  those  policies  or  actions  of  foreign  states  which  would 
have  serious  consequences  for  the  US;  or  (b)  to  stimulate  policies 
or  actions  of  foreign  states  (or  actions  within  them)  which  could 
occasion  great  benefit  to  the  US. 
IV.  Fourth  Category:  those  which  will  permit  the  US  (a)  to  anticipate 
and  counter  those  policies  or  actions  of  foreign  states  which  would 
have  harmful  consequences  for  the  US;  or  (b)  to  stimulate  policies 
or  actions  of  foreign  states  (or  actions  within  them)  which  could 
occasion  substantial  benefits  to  the  US. 
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