Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence

EXECUTIVE ORDER (EO) 12036. Issued by President Jimmy

Carteron 24 January 1978, Executive Order 12036 attempted to

give greater coherence to American intelligence activities. In addition

to establishing coordinating mechanisms for U.S. counterintelli-

gence, EO 12036 redefined special activities—covert actions—and

expanded the prohibition against assassinationto include all parts of

the U.S. government. Moreover, the order gave the director of cen-

tral intelligence(DCI) full responsibility for the national intelli-

gence effort and made the president, cabinet officers, and other sen-

ior officials accountable for U.S. covert actions. EO 12036 was

superceded by Executive Order 12333in 1981.

EXECUTIVE ORDER (EO) 12331.Issued on 20 October 1981 by

President Ronald Reagan, EO 12331 reestablished the President’s

Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB), which President

Jimmy Carterabolished in 1977. See alsoEXECUTIVE ORDER

12537.

EXECUTIVE ORDER (EO) 12333.Issued by President Ronald Rea-

ganon 4 December 1981, the order identifies the individual agencies

of the U.S. intelligence community (IC), specifies their authorities

and specific responsibilities, and codifies the constraints imposed on

U.S. intelligence activities, including covert actions. EO 12333 is

still in force and, together with the National Security Act of 1947(as

amended), constitutes the legal basis for U.S. intelligence activities.

EXECUTIVE ORDER (EO) 12356. Issued on 2 April 1982, Executive

Order 12356 provides for a uniform system of classifying, declassify-

ing, and safeguarding national security information. According to the

order, information may not be classified unless its disclosure reason-

ably could be expected to cause damage to the national security.

EXECUTIVE ORDER (EO) 12537.Issued by President Ronald Rea-

ganon 28 October 1985, EO 12537 superceded Executive Order

12331 , which had reestablished the President’s Foreign Intelligence

Advisory Board (PFIAB) after President Jimmy Carterdisbanded

it in 1977. EO 12537 streamlined the PFIAB within the Executive

Office of the President of the White House. Under the terms of the

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