Office of the Historian

117. Director of Central Intelligence Directive No. 4/2 (Revised)1

Washington, June 12, 1952.

PRIORITY LIST OF CRITICAL NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OBJECTIVES

In accordance with DCI 4/1,2 paragraph 3, the following list in order of priority of critical national intelligence objectives, with respect to the USSR and its Satellites (including Communist China) is established; so the highest priority shall be given to the collection of information and to the production of intelligence concerning Soviet and Satellite capabilities and intentions for:

1.
taking direct military action against the Continental United States;
2.
taking direct military action, employing USSR and Satellite Armed Forces, against vital U.S. possessions, areas peripheral to the Soviet Orbit, and Western Europe;
3.
interfering with U.S. strategic air attack;
4.
interfering with U.S. movement of men and material by water transport;
5.
production and stockpiling, including location of installations and facilities, of atomic and related weapons, other critical weapons and equipment, and critical transportation equipment;
6.
creating situations anywhere in the world dangerous to U.S. national security, short of commitment of Soviet and Satellite Armed Forces, including foreign directed sabotage and espionage objectives;
7.
interfering with U.S. political, psychological, and economic courses of action for the achievement of critical U.S. aims and objectives.

Walter B. Smith
3
Director of Central Intelligence
  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Directorate of Operations, Job 78–04513R, Box 1. Secret; Security Information.↩
  2. Not printed. (Ibid., History Staff Job 84–T00389R, HS/HC–600, Box 4)↩
  3. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩