with the appearance of the Armed Forces Security Agency. The name was changed to the National Security Agency in 1952. NSA assumed responsibility for ELINT as well as COMINT in 1958. NSA today has the basic responsibility for the collection and processing of SIGINT, a term used to refer to either ELINT or COMINT.
Prior to the existence of the Office of Scientific Intelligence the analysis of intelligence relating to scientific and technological capabilities was the responsibility within CIA of the Office of Research and Estimates. In the late 40s the Naval Security Group and the Army Security Agency concentrated on processing for their non-military consumers
CIA personnel
who had become familiar with COMINT during World War II knew the value of other kinds of COMINT and pressed for the processing and release to cleared CIA personnel of economic and scientific material. Thus, in January 1949 when the Office of Scientific Intelligence was formed some of its personnel were already cleared for access to COMINT. So important did Dr. Willard Machle, Assistant Director for Scientific Intelligence, consider COMINT, that prospective OSI employees had to qualify for COMINT clearances as a condition of staff employment. This was remarkable in 1949 when the total number
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