DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTIVE NO. 1/5

NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE WARNING

(Effective 23 May 1979)

This directive supersedes DCID 1/5 effective 18 May 1976.

Pursuant to Section 102 of the National Security Act of 1947 and Executive Order 12036, there is established a National Intelligence Warning System, individual components and responsibilities of which are established in Paragraph 3. The mission of the System is to advise and assist the Director of Central Intelligence in the discharge of his duties and responsibilities with respect to warning intelligence and to coordinate the warning activities of the Intelligence Community.

1. Definitions

a. Warning as used herein encompasses those measures taken, and the intelligence information produced, by the Intelligence Commnunity to avoid surprise to the President, the NSC, and the Armed Forces of the United States by foreign events of major importance to the security of the United States. It includes strategic, but not tactical warning.

b. Strategic Warning is intelligence information or intelligence regarding the threat of the initiation of hostilities against the US or in which US forces may become involved; it may be received at any time prior to the initiation of hostilities. It does not include tactical warning.

c. Tactical warning is notification that the enemy has initiated hostilities. Such warning may be received at any time from the launching of the attack until it reaches its target.

2. Policy

a. All Community organizations and personnel have substantive responsibility for the detection of developments requiring warning, especially strategic warning, and for prompt alerting, through established channels, of such developments. Nothing in this directive is intended to inhibit the flow of warning in any way. Specifically, the measures contained in this directive do not require coordination or consultation when immediate warning is required.

b. The Department of Defense has unique and specific responsibilities for warninig of attack by hostile forces. To carry out that specialized function, the DoD operates dedicated tactical warning systems within the military command organization and independent from the National Intelligence Warning System. These separate systems are mutually supportive, however.

3. Assignment of Responsibilities

a. The Deputy Director of Central Intelligence is assigned oversight of the National Intelligence Warning System and will exercise his authority with the advice of members of the National Foreign Intelligence Board.

b. There is established the position of National Intelligence Officer for Warning. His mission is to advise and assist the Director and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence on all matters relating to warning, to coordinate national intelligence warning activities, and to serve as a focal point for warning in the Community. For organizational purposes, he will be located in the National Foreign Assessment Center. He will to the maximum extent rely on existing organizations in carrying out his duties. The responsibilities of the National Intelligence Officer for Warning are:

i. To oversee analysis of intelligence from all sources which might provide warning. In particular, he should be alert to alternate interpretations within the community and assess these with a view to the need for issuance of warning. He should encourage consultation and substantive discussion at all levels in the Community.

ii. To recommend to the Director or Deputy Director of Central Intelligerce the issuance of warning to the President and National Security Council, and to ensure the dissemination of such warning within and by the organizations of the Intelligence Community. When time is of the essence, the National Intelligence Officer may issue such warning directly to the President and the National Security Council, with concurrent dissemination to the Director and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence and senior officers of the Intelligence Community.

iii. To advise the Deputy Director for Collection Tasking and Deputy Director for National Foreign Assessment on appropriate Community response to developing warning situations.

iv. To develop plans and procedures for support of the Director of Central Intelligence in crisis situations.

v. To support the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence and the National Foreign Intelligence Board on warning matters.

vi. To chair the Warning Working Group (Paragraph 3c).

vii. To oversee the warning activities of the National Intelligence Officers (Paragraph 3d).

viii. To supervise the Strategic Warning Staff (Paragraph 3e).

ix. To arrange for intelligence research and production with respect to strategic warning.

x. To develop a warning consciousness and discipline throughout the Community.

xi. To seek improvements in methodologies and procedures for warning, including communications and dissemination of information.

xii. To arrange with appropriate organizations of the government for provision to the National Intelligence Officer for Warning and the Strategic Warning Staff of the information they need to carry out their mission.

xiii. To promote improved analyst training in indications and warning techniques and in other analytic techniques that might contribute to improved warning.

xiv. To advise the Deputy for Collection Tasking and the Deputy for Resource Management, as appropriate, on warning activities that relate to their responsibilities.

c. There is established a Warning Working Group, chaired by the National Intelligence Officer for Warning, to assist him in carrying out his responsibilities and in coordinating Community warning activities. Its Members shall be senior officers of the Defense Intelligence Agency; National Security Agency; Central Intelligence Agency; Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State; Office of the Secretary of Defense; and Collection Tasking Staff. The Chairman shall invite representatives of other departments and agencies to attend when matters of concern to them are discussed.

d. The National Intelligence Officers are specifically charged with warning in their respective fields. They will conduct Community-wide reviews at least monthly of situations potentially requiring the issuance of warning, and will keep the Director of Central Intelligence advised of the results, in consultation with the National Intelligence Officer for Warning. They will be continually alert to the need for immediate issuance of warning.

e. The Strategic Warning Staff will be under the supervision of the National Intelligence Officer for Warning. Its principal functions are to assist him in his responsibilities with respect to strategic warning and to conduct research with respect thereto. It may also engage in other warning-related activities within the Intelligence Community with the concurrence of the National Intelligence Officer.

4. Community Responsibilities

a. Each agency of the Community will establish the necessary structure and manning to carry out its warning mission and to support the National Intelligence Warning System.

b. Specific responsibilities of the Community in support of the National Intelligence Warning System are:

i. To provide full-time, highly qualified professional intelligence personnel and other support to the Strategic Warning Staff in consultation with the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence and the National Intelligence Officer for Warning.

ii. To provide to the Strategic Warning Staff on a timely basis all information from every source pertinent to the strategic warning mission. Information of exceptional sensitivity may, with the approval of the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, be provided only to the National Intelligence Officer for Warning.

iii. To provide appropriate representation on the Warning Working Group, and to designate an officer in each agency solely responsible for warning matters and charged with support of the National Intelligence Warning System.

5. Composition and Organization

a. The National Intelligence Officer for Warning shall be appointed by the Director of Central Intelligence in consultation with the Director, DIA.

b. There shall be an Assistant National Intelligence Officer for Warning. Either the National Intelligence Officer or his Assistant shall be drawn from the Department of Defense. The National Intelligence Officer may also be assisted by such staff as the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence deems appropriate.

c. The Director, Strategic Warning Staff, shall be appointed by the Director of Central Intelligence in consultation with the Director, DIA. He shall be directly responsible to the National Intelligence Officer for Warning.

d. The Strategic Warning Staff shall be co-located with the National Military Intelligence Center.

STANSFIELD TURNER
Director of Central Intelligence