United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), principal foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency of the U.S. government. Formally created under the provisions of the National Security Act of 1947, approved July 26, 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) grew out of the World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Previous U.S. intelligence and counterintelligence efforts had been conducted by the military and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and suffered from duplication, competition, and lack of coordination, problems that continued, to some degree, into the 21st century. The 1947 Act charged the CIA with coordinating the nation's intelligence activities and correlating, evaluating, and disseminating intelligence which affected national security. In addition, the Agency was to perform other duties and functions related to intelligence as the NSC might direct. The Act defined the Director of Central Intelligence's (DCI) authority as head of the Intelligence Community, head of the CIA, and principal intelligence adviser to the President, and made him responsible for protecting intelligence sources and methods. The act also prohibited the CIA from engaging in law enforcement activity and restricted its internal security functions. The CIA carried out its responsibilities subject to various directives and controls by the President and the NSC. In 1949, the Central Intelligence Agency Act was passed and supplemented the 1947 Act. The addendum permitted the Agency to use confidential fiscal and administrative procedures and exempted CIA from many of the usual limitations on the expenditure of Federal funds. It provided that CIA funds could be included in the budgets of other departments and then transferred to the Agency without regard to the restrictions placed on the initial appropriation. This Act was the statutory authority which allows for the secrecy of the Agency's budget. In 1953, Congress amended the National Security Act to provide for the appointment of the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (DDCI) by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. This amendment also provided that commissioned officers of the armed forces, whether active or retired, could not occupy both DCI and DDCI positions at the same time. The DDCI assisted the Director by performing such functions as the DCI assigned or delegated. The DDCI acted for and exercised the powers of the Director during his absence or disability, or in the event of a vacancy in the position of the Director. By Executive Order 12333 of December 4, 1981, the CIA gained independent agency status.