"Bush" Memos

[Moses]

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 23, 2004

Memorandum for the Director of Central Intelligence


SUBJECT: Strengthening Central Intelligence Agency Capabilities

The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States recommended:

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director should emphasize (a)rebuilding the CIA's analytic capabilities; (b) transforming the clandestine service by building its human intelligence capabilities; (c) developing a stronger language program, with high standards and sufficient financial incentives; (d) renewing emphasis on recruiting diversity among operations officers so they can blend more easily in foreign cities; (e) ensuring a seamless relationship between human source collection and signals collection at the operational level; and (f) stressing a better balance between unilateral and liaison operations.

I approve and direct you to implement these recommendations, recognizing that significant progress has already been made in rebuilding the CIA's capabilities under the Strengthening Intelligence Initiative and the Director of Central Intelligence's (DCI) Strategic Direction, especially with respect to all-source analysis, clandestine operations, information sharing, and foreign languages.

Working within the framework established by the Strengthening Intelligence Initiative, I direct you to implement within the CIA measures to:

(1) Further strengthen the core capabilities of the CIA to meet the intelligence challenges presented by international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and other critical national security issues, including, but not limited to, its capabilities to:

* (a) Perform all-source intelligence analysis that, among other qualities, routinely considers, and presents to national security policymakers, diverse views;

* (b) Conduct clandestine collection operations involving human sources and technical methods unilaterally, with other elements of the Intelligence Community, and with foreign partners, and conduct covert action operations as directed by the President;

* (c) Share information rapidly and proactively with other agencies of the United States Government, including specifically those responsible for national security and homeland security, while protecting the sources and methods of its collection from unauthorized disclosure, giving top priority to support of governmental actions to detect, prevent, preempt, and disrupt terrorist threats and attacks on the United States, its people, and its allies and interests around the globe; and

* (d) Collect, process, analyze, and disseminate intelligence information using personnel proficient in foreign languages, and develop information technology tools to assist in effective processing and use of foreign language information.


(2) Ensure that the CIA processes, shares, and disseminates to the President, Vice President in the performance of Executive functions, and other appropriate officials in the executive branch, including the heads of depart-ments and agencies with elements in the Intelligence Community, terrorism information and other information relevant to national security and homeland security including as directed by Executive Order 13356 of August 27, 2004, entitled "Strengthening the Sharing of Terrorism Information to Protect Americans." [nice resonance w/ campaign theme, there]

Building on levels attained under the DCI's Strategic Direction I, measures implemented in accordance with the foregoing shall include, but not be limited to, actions to:

(1) Strengthen CIA intelligence analysis capabilities substantially and promptly through actions to:

* (a) Increase, as soon as feasible, the number of fully qualified, all-source analysts by 50 percent;
* (b) Assign fully qualified, all-source analysts in a manner that strengthens CIA and Intelligence Community analytical capabilities focused on terrorism, pro-liferation of WMD, the Near East and South Asia, and other key strategic areas in Asia, while maintaining substantial analytical capabilities focused on other issues and regions;
* (c) Increase investment in development of their analytic expertise, field experience, and training in advanced analytical methods, including for geospatial analysis; and
* (d) Continue to acquire and develop tools that enable analysts to connect to counterparts inside and outside of government, increase the speed of the analytic workflow, and deal with the rapidly increasing volume of all-source information.


(2) Strengthen CIA human intelligence operations capabilities substantially and promptly through actions to:

* (a) Increase, as soon as feasible, the number of fully qualified officers in the Directorate of Operations by 50 percent;
* (b) Ensure that a majority of these officers are collectors drawn from diverse backgrounds with the skills, experience, and training needed for the effective conduct of human intelligence operations;
* (c) Assign substantial numbers of these officers to collection missions reflecting the priorities established through the National Intelligence Priorities Framework; and
* (d) Integrate effectively, as appropriate to particular collection activities, human intelligence collection capabilities and signals and other technical intelligence collection capabilities.


(3) Improve the foreign language capabilities of the CIA through actions to:

* (a) Increase, as soon as feasible, the number of CIA officers tested and proficient in mission-critical languages by 50 percent; and
* (b) Develop and employ information technology tools to assist in processing and use of information in foreign languages.


(4) Fully implement directives concerning information sharing, information technology, information privacy, and security including Executive Order 13354 of August 27, 2004, entitled "National Counterterrorism Center" and Executive Order 13356.

(5) Double, as soon as feasible, the number of officers who are engaged in research and development to find new ways to bring science to bear in the war on terrorism, countering the proliferation of WMD, and against new and emerging threats.

I direct you to submit to me within 90 days from the date of this memorandum, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, a detailed budget and implementation plan, including performance measures, with timelines for achievement of specific, measurable goals. In addition to the capabilities enumerated above, this plan shall also include a description, with appropriate performance measures, of steps underway at the CIA to develop and implement new collection strategies against difficult targets, to integrate human and technical collection tools, to assure appropriate access by analysts to information on the sources of critical intelligence reporting, to expand relationships with experts outside of government and otherwise ensure diverse views are routinely reflected in finished intelligence products. A copy of this plan will be provided to the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, which will advise me on the adequacy of the plan, especially with respect to countering the threat posed by WMD. Beginning in June 2005, I direct you to report to me at least semi-annually, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, on progress made implementing this memorandum.

This memorandum shall be implemented subject to the availability of appropriations and in a manner consistent with applicable law, including the Constitution and laws protecting the freedom and information privacy of Americans.

GEORGE W. BUSH

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[Moses]

Memorandum for the Attorney General


SUBJECT: Further Strengthening Federal Bureau of Investigation Capabilities The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States recommended:

A specialized and integrated national security workforce should be established at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) consisting of agents, analysts, linguists, and sur-veillance specialists who are recruited, trained, rewarded, and retained to ensure the development of an institutional culture imbued with a deep expertise in intelligence and national security.

I approve and direct you to implement the recommendation, recognizing that significant progress has already been made in strengthening the FBI's capabilities, especially with respect to the FBI's intelligence organization, information sharing, personnel development, and recruiting. [Who was behind the Anthrax attack? Who was behind the fake "yellow cake" evidence? Who leaked classified information re: clandestine agents? Will Israeli agents be prosecuted?-- ]

To build upon this foundation, and to strengthen further the FBI's ability to prevent, preempt, and disrupt terrorist threats to and attacks against the United States, I direct you to implement within the FBI measures to:

(1) Continue to improve the FBI's ability to collect, process, analyze, and disseminate to appropriate officials in the executive branch, including appropriate officials within the Intelligence Community, information relevant to national security and homeland security;

(2) Ensure full and seamless coordination and cooperation between the FBI and all other elements of the Intelligence Community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center; and

(3) Ensure that the activities described in subparagraphs (1) and (2) of this paragraph are performed in a manner consistent with our national intelligence priorities and constitutional protections.

The measures directed in the preceding paragraph shall include, but not be limited to, measures to:

(1) Ensure that the Director of the FBI (Director), not later than 90 days from the date of this memorandum, allocates sufficient resources and authority to the new FBI Intelligence Directorate to perform its assigned mission. The Intelligence Directorate shall have responsibility for all components and functions of the FBI judged by the Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of Central Intelligence, to be necessary for the performance of its mission, including development of the intelligence cadre, field intelligence operations oversight, human source development and management, the FBI's collection against nationally determined intelli-gence requirements, information sharing and dissemination policy, language services, strategic analysis, and program and budget management;

(2) Within resources available to the Department, create within the FBI, not later than 90 days from the date of this memorandum, specialized, integrated intelligence cadre (including special agents, analysts, linguists, and surveillance specialists), and implement a separate career track program permitting employees within the intelligence cadre to pursue their entire career, including promotion to the most senior positions in the FBI, within this cadre. This effort shall include the establishment, not later than 90 days from the date of this directive, of specific requirements for the following: training; career development; certification, recruiting, hiring, and selection; integration of the cadre into the FBI's field intelligence groups and headquarters divisions; and senior-level field and headquarters management. These requirements shall be fully consistent with the standards defined in Executive Order 13355 of August 27, 2004, entitled "Strengthened Management of the Intelligence Community;"

(3) Recommend, as part of the Fiscal Year 2006 budget development process, the most appropriate methods for aligning the FBI's budget structure according to its four main programs: intelligence, counterterrorism and counterintelligence, criminal, and criminal justice services;

(4) Recommend, as part of the Fiscal Year 2006 budget development process, the appropriate funding levels for each program to ensure that the FBI is able to:

* (a) Carry out its overriding priority to prevent, preempt, and disrupt terrorist threats to and attacks against our homeland, our people, our allies, and our interests around the globe;
* (b) Collect, process, share, and disseminate, to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law, to the President, the Vice President in the performance of Executive functions, and other officials in the executive branch, all "terrorism information," as defined in Executive Order 13356 of August 27, 2004, entitled "Strengthening the Sharing of Terrorism Information to Protect Americans," and other infor-mation necessary to safeguard our people and advance our national security and homeland security interests; and
* (c) Facilitate the above functions by increasing the availability of secure facilities to allow for the expanded use of secure systems for the storage and exchange of classified materials;


(5) Recommend, if necessary, not later than 60 days from the date of this memorandum, any amendments to statutes, executive orders, or presidential directives required to provide the personnel, procurement, information sharing, or other authorities necessary for the FBI to meet its national security responsibilities;

(6) Ensure that, in addition to creating a separate intelligence career track, the FBI creates an intelligence officer certification program and requires such certification for advancement to senior FBI operational management positions. This certification program shall include requirements for applicable skills, training courses, assignments to other intelligence, national security, or homeland security components of the executive branch, and shall be fully consistent with the standards defined in Executive Order 13355;

(7) Provide to me, not later than 90 days from the date of this memorandum through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, a comprehensive plan with performance measures, including timelines for achievement of specific, measurable progress, in each of the following areas:

* (a) Analysis (including standards for the recruitment, hiring, training, and performance of FBI analysts);
* (b) Products (including product standards, standards for measuring the responsiveness of those products to nationally determined priorities, measures of the percentage of products written to the lowest possible classification level and the percentage transmitted and posted using secure systems, measures of the effectiveness of products in meeting the needs of State and local governments, as appropriate, and measures of customer satisfaction);
* (c) Sources (including standards for asset validation, asset contributions to filling intelligence gaps, and new source development, with particular emphasis on human sources);
* (d) Field intelligence operations (including standards for assessing staffing and infrastructure, intelligence production management processes, and the number of field intelligence group supervisors certified as Intelligence Officers); and
* (e) Contribution of the FBI's intelligence products to the intelligence and national security information made available to the President, the Vice President in the performance of Executive functions, and other officials in the executive branch, including the degree to which each FBI Field Office is collecting against, and providing information responsive to, national requirements.


A copy of this plan will be provided to the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Commission will advise me on the adequacy of the plan, particularly with respect to any matters concerning countering the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction;

(8) Implement, not later than 90 days from the date of this memorandum, a program to ensure that the FBI's recruitment and training program for agents and analysts enhances the FBI's ability to target and attract individuals with educational and professional backgrounds in intelligence, international relations, language, technology, and relevant skills;

(9) Report to me, through the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, on the actions and investments necessary to ensure that the architecture supporting FBI information systems is consistent with broader information architecture, and with other initiatives as I direct to facilitate information sharing across Federal, State, and local government agencies, and the private sector; and

(10) Beginning in June 2005, I direct you to report to me at least semi-annually through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget on the progress made implementing this memorandum and other relevant milestones in development of the FBI's intelligence program, including milestones related to analysis and the analyst workforce, intelligence production, intelligence sources, intelligence certification, and FBI field intelligence operations.

This memorandum shall be implemented subject to the availability of appropriations and in a manner consistent with applicable law, including the Constitution and laws protecting the freedom and information privacy of Americans.

GEORGE W. BUSH

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[Moses]

Memorandum for the Secretary of State, The Secretary of Defense, The Attorney General, and The Director of Central Intelligence


SUBJECT: Review of Organizational Responsibility for the Conduct of Certain Operations

The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States recommended:

Lead responsibility for directing and executing paramilitary operations, whether clandestine or covert, should shift to the Defense Department. There it should be consolidated with the capabilities for training, direction, and execution of such operations already being developed in the Special Operation Command.

The Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence jointly shall review matters relating to this recommendation and submit to me within 90 days, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, their written advice on whether and to what extent implementation of the recommenda-tion is in the interest of the United States and what changes to law, executive orders, other presidential guidance, or policies would be necessary to implement such advice. Their review should include, but not be limited to, consideration of similarities and differences in the missions, legal authorities, funding, and support infrastructures of the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency with respect to operations to which the recommendation refers. A copy of the report will be provided to the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Commission will advise me on the report, particularly with respect to any matters concerning countering the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction.

In the course of their review, they shall obtain as necessary legal advice from the Attorney General and advice concerning potential effects on U.S. foreign relations from the Secretary of State.

GEORGE W. BUSH