Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence

(Martin Jones) #1
In his five-month term as DCI in 1973, Schlesinger sought to cut
personnel and reduce costs. To coordinate the activities of the de-
partmental intelligence services and to maximize his role as DCI,
Schlesinger almost immediately put a number of non-CIApersonnel
on the Intelligence Community Staff (ICS). Believing that the day
of the spy was over, Schlesinger also focused his efforts on increas-
ing technical collection and reducing the personnel levels in the Di-
rectorate of Plans (DP). He ordered William Colby, the newly ap-
pointed deputy director for plans (DDP), to purge the ranks of covert
operatives and paramilitary specialists. Consequently, Schlesinger
fired or forced to resign or retire nearly 7 percent of the CIA’s total
staff, predominantly from the clandestine side of the house—whose
name he also changed from Directorate of Plans to Directorate of
Operations(DO). He also sold off the CIA’s proprietary compa-
nies, Air Americaand Southern Air Transport(SAT).
Soon after Schlesinger’s appointment, the Watergate scandalex-
posed the CIAto charges of involvement in that affair. Determined not
to be blindsided, Schlesinger on 9 May 1973 ordered all CIAemploy-
ees to report any activities they were aware of that might in any way ap-
pear inconsistent with the CIA’s charter. Later in May, the office of the
inspector general gave Schlesinger a 693-page list of “potential flap ac-
tivities,” which detailed CIAinvolvement in numerous misdeeds. This
document came to be known as the “Family Jewels” and was turned
over to the Congress by Schlesinger’s successor as DCI, William Colby.

SECRET SERVICE.Established on 5 July 1865, the United States Se-
cret Service carries out two vital missions: protection of very impor-
tant persons and criminal investigations. According to its mission
statement, the secret service protects the president and vice president,
their families, heads of state, and other designated individuals; in-
vestigates threats against those it protects; provides protection ser-
vice to the White House, vice president’s residence, foreign missions,
and other buildings within Washington, D.C.; and plans and imple-
ments security designs for special events. The secret service also in-
vestigates violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of currencies
and securities, financial fraud, identity theft, computer fraud, and
computer-based attacks on the United States.
The USA PATRIOT Act, passed in 2002, increased the role of the
secret service in investigating computer fraud and related activities.

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