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National
Security
Act of
1947
Page 1 of 1
U.S.
DEPARTMENT
of
STATE
National
Security
Act of
1947
The
National
Security
Act of
1947 mandated
a
major reorganization
of the
foreign policy
and
military establishments
of the
U.S. Government.
The act
created many
of the
institutions thatPresidents found useful when formulating and implementing foreign policy, including the
National
Security Council (NSC). The Council itself
included
the President,
Vice
President,SecretaryofState, Secretary
of
Defense,
and
other members (such
as the
Director
of the
Central IntelligenceAgency),
who met at the
White House
to
discuss both long-term problems
and
more immediate
national
security
crises.
AsmallNSCstaffwas
hired
tocoordinate foreign policy
materials
from
other
agencies for the President. Beginning in
1953
the President's Assistant for
National
Security
Affairs
directed this staff. Each President
has
accorded
the NSC
with
different
degrees
of
importance
and has
given
the NSC
staff
varying levels
of
autonomy
and
influence over other
agencies
suchas theDepartmentsofStateandDefense. President DwightD.Eisenhower,forexample, used the NSC meetings to make key foreign policy decisions, while John F. Kennedy andLyndon
B.
Johnson preferred to work more informally through trusted associates. Under PresidentRichard M. Nixon, the NSC
staff,
then headed by Henry A. Kissinger, was transformed from a
coordinating
body intoanorganization that actively engagedinnegotiations with foreign leaders
and
implementingthePresident's decisions.The NSCmeetings themselves, however, wereinfrequent and merely confirmed decisions already agreed upon by Nixon and
Kissinger.
The act
also
established
the
Central
Intelligence
Agency
(CIA),
which
grew
out of
World
War II era
Office
of
Strategic
Services and
small
post-war
intelligence organizations.
The CIA
served
as the primary
civilian
intelligence-gathering organization
in the
government.
Later, the
Defense
Intelligence
Agency
became themain
military
intelligence
body. The
1947
law also caused far-reaching changes in the
military establishment.
The
WarDepartmentand
Navy
Department
merged
into
a
single
Department of
Defense
undertheSecretary
of
Defense,
who
also
directed
he
newly
created Department
of the Air
Force.
However,
each
of the
three
branches
maintained their
own service
secretaries.
In
1949
the act was
amended
to
give
the Secretary of
Defense
more power
over
the
individual
services
and
their
secretaries.
Additional Reading:
•
Michael
H.
Hogan,
A
Cross
of
Iron:
Harry
S
Truman
and the
Origins
of the
National
Security
State,
1945-1954
(Cambridge,
1998).• Melvyn A.
Leffler,
A
Preponderance
of
Power;
National
Security,
The
Truman
Administration,
and the
Cold War
(Stanford,
Connecticut, 1992).•
U.S.
Department of State,
ForeignRelations
of the
United States,
1945-1950,Emergenceof the
LnteJiigence_Estab|ishn]ent
(Washington, 1996)
http://www.state.gOv/r/pa/ho/time/cwr/17603pf.htm12/26/2003
 
PDD-39 U.S. Policy on
Counterterrorism
Page 1 of
11
|Presidential.Decision_DirectiYes^^DDl
THE
WHITE HOUSEWASHINGTON
June
21,1995
MEMORANDUMFOR
THE
VICE PRESIDENTTHE SECRETARY OF STATE
THE
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL
THE
SECRETARYOFHEALTHANDHUMAN SERVICES
THE
SECRETARY
OF
TRANSPORTATION
THE
SECRETARY OF ENERGYADMINISTRATOR, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRSDIRECTOROFCENTRAL INTELLIGENCEDIRECTOR, UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCYCHAIRMAN
OF THE
JOINT CHIEFS
OF
STAFFDIRECTOR, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONDIRECTOR, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCYSUBJECT:U.S. PolicyonCounterterrorism(U)
It
is the policy of the United States to deter, defeat and respond vigorously to all terrorist attacks on ourterritory and against our citizens, or facilities, whether they occur domestically, in international waters
or
airspace or on foreign territory. The United States regards all such terrorism as a potential threat tonational security
as
well
as a
criminal
act and
will apply
all
appropriate means
to
combat
it. In
doing
so,the
U.S.
shall
pursue
vigorously
efforts
to deter and preempt, apprehend and
prosecute,
or
assistother
governments to prosecute, individuals who perpetrate or plan to perpetrate such attacks. (U)We shall work closely with
friendly
governments in carrying out our Counterterrorism policy and willsupport Allied and
friendly
governments in combating terrorist threats against them. (U)Furthermore, the United States shall seek to
identify
groups or states that sponsor or support suchterrorists, isolate them and extract a heavy price for their actions. (U)
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/pdd39.htm
2/6/2004
 
Page 1 of 1
SYSTEM
Zi
THI*K,«
House
UNCLASSIFIED^;
WASH
|
\'«r»fre*
THE
NATIONAL PROGRAM
TOP COKBATTIKGTERRORISM
(jC
The
Vice
President's
Task
Force
on
Co-jribattir.g
Terrorism
has
completed
an in-depth
review
o£
our current
policies,
capabilities,
and
resources for
dealing
with
the
terrorist threat.
I
have
reviewed
the
Task
force
Report and
accompanyingrecommendations
and
concluded
that
our
strategy
is
sound.
I
havedetermined
that
we
must
enhance
our
ability
to
confront
this
throat
and to do
so
without
compromising
our
basic
democratic
and
human
values.
JJ*)
Terrorists
undertake
criminal
acts that
involve
theuseor threat
of
violence
against innocent persons.
These
acts
are
premeditated,
intended
to
achieve
a
political
objective
through
coercion
or
intimidation
of an
audience
beycnd
the
irimediate
victims.
U.S.
citizens
and
installations,
especially
abroad,
are
increasingly
being
targeted
for
terrorist
acts,
our
policy,
programs and'
responses
must
be
effective
in
ameliorating
this
threat
to our
people, property
and
interests.
(jA
Policy
U.S.
policy on
terrorism
is
unequivocal:
firm
opposition
to
terrorism
in all its
forrcs
whether
it is domestic
terror!sn
perpetrated within
U.S.
territory,orinternational terrorismconducted inside or outside
U.S.
territory by
foreign
nationals
or
groups.
The
policy
is
based upon the conviction that toaccede to terrorist
demands
places more
nKtcrican
citizens at
risk.
This
no-concessions policy
is
the best way of
protecting
the greatest
number
of people and
ensuring
theirsafety.At the
same
tirr.e,
every available resource will
be
used
to gain the safe
return
of American
citizens
who are
held
hostage
by
terrorists.
<w
The
U.S.
Government
considers
the
practice
of
terrorism
by any
person or
group
a
potential threat
to our
national
security
and
will
resist
the
use
of
terrorism
by all
leccl
means
available.
The
United
States
is
opposed
to
domestic
andinternational
terrorism and is
prepared
to act in concert
with
other
nations
or
unilaterally
when
necessary
to
prevent
or
respond
to
terrorist
acts.
-W-SEGRH
UNCLASSIFIED
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nsdd/23-2715a.gif
8/27/2003
of 00

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