Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence

(Martin Jones) #1
PRESIDENT’S DAILY BRIEFING.This is the intelligence briefing
the president and his advisors receive along with the president’s
daily brief (PDB). The president determines who will receive the
briefings, along with the PDB. At a minimum, the vice president, the
secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and the national security
advisorreceive such briefings.

PRESIDENT’S DAILY BRIEF (PDB) STAFF.Established in 1964,
the PDB Staff within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) pre-
pared and delivered the president’s daily brief (PDB) and provided
briefings to a presidentially determined list of senior government of-
ficials on the contents of the PDB. See alsoPRESIDENT’S ANA-
LYTIC SUPPORTSTAFF; PRESIDENTIALSUPPORTSTAFF.

PRESIDENT’S FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY BOARD


(PFIAB). Established in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhoweras
the President’s Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities
to head off closer congressional scrutiny of intelligence.It acquired its
current title under President John F. Kennedyand has served each
president since then, with the exception of President Jimmy Carter,
who abolished it in 1977. President Ronald Reaganreinstated the
PFIAB by issuing Executive Order 12331on 20 October 1981.
The PFIAB was and is a nonpartisan entity of 14 renown individu-
als providing the president expert advice on the conduct of U.S. intel-
ligence activities. Since its inception, it has also occasionally served
as an executive oversight body concerning the quality and adequacy
of intelligence collection, of analysis and estimates, of counterintelli-
gence, and of other intelligence activities. The PFIAB has frequently
sought to streamline the organization of U.S. intelligence and ensure
the development and deployment of major intelligence programs.
In the late 1950s, the PFIAB focused more on scientific and tech-
nological challenges and was probably instrumental in the develop-
ment of the U-2aircraft. More recently, it has tackled major intelli-
gence management issues and has had an important role in approving
national intelligence estimates (NIEs) bound for senior leadership.
The PFIAB absorbed the Intelligence Oversight Board(IOB) in the
late 1990s and thereby acquired the authority also to advise the pres-
ident on the legality of foreign intelligence activities. See alsoEX-
ECUTIVE ORDER 12537.

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