Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence

(SEIB), the president’s daily brief (PDB), and national intelligence

estimates (NIEs).

The CIA’s counterintelligence activities are meant to protect the na-

tion’s secrets, undermine the effectiveness of hostile intelligence ser-

vices, and guard the nation against foreign espionage and sabotage.

The conduct of counterintelligence is shared with the Federal Bureau

of Investigation (FBI)—a law enforcement agency—but the CIAhas

domestic counterintelligence responsibilities only in regards to its em-

ployees. The FBI performs the bulk of counterintelligence work

within the United States. The military commands have counterintelli-

gence responsibilities on military bases and installations abroad.

Other U.S. intelligence agencies conduct counterintelligence for

themselves, but also have to harmonize this activity closely with their

sister agencies. Counterintelligence requires a good deal of coordina-

tion and cooperation among the agencies charged with counterintelli-

gence duties, but such cooperation between the FBI and the CIAhas

been spotty at best, as illustrated by the postmortem investigations of

the Aldrich Amesand the Robert Hannsenespionage cases.

Covert actions, or special activities, technically are not intelligence

but employ intelligence resources in support of American foreign pol-

icy objectives in a way that hides or disguises government sponsor-

ship. Most proposals for covert action originate outside the CIA, ei-

ther within the policy frameworks of the Department of Stateand the

Defense Department or with the National Security Council(NSC).

Presidential orders require the CIAto manage and implement covert

actions, unless the president deems another agency more suitable. The

designated agencies, usually with the CIAin the lead, employ a vari-

ety of secret techniques to conduct covert actions, such as propa-

ganda, political and economic actions, and paramilitaryactivities.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ACT OF 1949. The Central

Intelligence Agency (CIA) Act of 1949 provides special administrative

authorities and responsibilities for the Central Intelligence Agency

(CIA) and the director of central intelligence (DCI). Specifically, the

act, as amended, permits the CIAto use confidential fiscal and admin-

istrative procedures, such as spending money by voucher; exempts it

from many of the usual limitations on the use of federal funds; and frees

the CIAfrom having to disclose its “organization, functions, officials,

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ACT OF 1949•23

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