Director of Central Intelligence

From dKosopedia

In the United States, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (DCIA) serves within the Office of the Director of the National Intelligence (ODNI) as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Before April 21, 2005, the Director headed both the Intelligence Community and the Central Intelligence Agency as the Director of Central Intelligence. In addition he served as an advisor to the President of the United States on intelligence matters and was the statutory intelligence advisor to the National Security Council. The new United States Director of National Intelligence took on the roles as head of the Intelligence Community and senior intelligence advisor to the President and the NSC.

The Director is assisted by the National Intelligence Council, the National Counterintelligence Executive, and his various Assistant and Deputy Directors, and is accountable to the Director of National Intelligence and the President.

The post was established in 1946 by President Truman; it thus predates the establishment of the C.I.A. After the end of World War II, the Office of Strategic Services was dismantled and its functions were split between the Departments of State and War (now Defense). President Truman soon recognized the inefficiency of this arrangement and created the Central Intelligence Group, which could be considered a smaller precursor to the National Security Council. The following year the National Security Act of 1947 created the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Council, while formally defining the duties of the Director of Central Intelligence. The duties of the D.C.I. have been further defined over the years by tradition, congressional acts, and Executive Orders.

A list of Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency(in chronological order):

Note: After April 21, 2005, the Director of the CIA is no longer the Director of the Intelligence Community, and thus is referred to as the Director of the CIA only.