ABSTRACT
Of the seventeen organizations that officially constitute the United States Intelligence Community, four are national collection and/or analysis organizations: the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The CIA's founding legislation established the position of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), responsible for managing the activities of the entire Intelligence Community as well as running the CIA. World War II resulted in the creation of the Office of Strategic Services, America's first central intelligence organization. Its functions included espionage, covert action counterintelligence, and intelligence analysis. The National Security Act of 1947, as part of a general consideration of national security needs, established the CIA as an independent agency within the Executive Office of the President. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 eliminated the DCI position and established the position of Director of National Intelligence to oversee and guide the activities of the Intelligence Community.
