Executive Order 12333
(also known as
Presidential Directive 12333 or EO 12333) [See also
NSCID]
In this document, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, December 4, 1981,
reissued the definition of the U.S. Intelligence Community as:
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
- National Security Agency (NSA)
- Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
- "The offices in the Department of Defense for the collection of
specialized foreign intelligence through reconaissance programs"
- Bureau of Intelligence and Research (BI& R)
- Army Intelligence
- Navy Intelligence
- Air Force Intelligence
- Marine Corps Intelligence
- Federal Bureau of Investigation-CounterIntelligence (FBI)
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of Energy
- Staff elements of the Director of Central Intelligence
- Drug Enforcement Administration
As Colonel Oliver North, USMC, found out the hard way,
Congress had interpreted U.S. law to include as members of the U.S. Intelligence
Community, uniformed members of the
Armed Forces engaged in Intelligence Activities while on duty as part of the
White House staff.
This incredibly specific interpretation was used as an excuse for Congress
to hold an unprecedented attack on the U.S. President and his subordinates
and a public hearing in which Colonel North was accused of criminal activity
and eventually charged. Later Colonel North was absolved of any felonious
charges. The same is not true of John Poindexter
(retired Adml, U.S. Navy) who was convicted solely on the charge of lieing to Congress.
EO 12333 also was
reported to broaden the internal surviellance capabilities of certain
agencies when pursuing known foreign nationals inside the U.S.
The Agency described in quotes after Defense Intelligence Agency is presumed
to be the NRO.
A related chain of discussions found on MILNET centers on the
Intelligence Authorization Act of 1981.
The EO also spells out the specific tasking of the agencies in some details in a purportedly classified section.
milnet@milnet.com
