Foreign Policy AbbreviAtions

ABA American Bar AssociationABC anybody but communistsABM antiballistic missileACLU American Civil Liberties UnionAG Attorney GeneralAID Agency for International Development

(State Department)AIPAC American Israeli Public Affairs CommitteeAPEC Asian Pacific Economic CooperationAQAP Al Qaeda in the Arab PeninsulaAQIM Al Qaeda in the Islamic MaghrebARVN Army of the Republic of VietnamASW antisubmarine warfareATC air traffic controlAUMF Authorization for Use of Military Force (a law enacted in 2001)AWACS airborne warning and control system (an intelligence aircraft)

BMD ballistic missile defenseBP British Petroleum

CA covert actionCAS Covert Action StaffCBO Congressional Budget OfficeCBW chemical-biological warfareC/CATF chief, Central American Task Force (CIA)CAFTA Central American Free Trade AgreementCFR Council on Foreign RelationsCHAOS cryptonym for CIA illegal domestic spying

operation, revealed in 1974CI counterintelligenceCIA Central Intelligence Agency (known by insiders as

“the Agency”)CIG Central Intelligence GroupCINC commander in chief (regional military commander,

DOD)CIS Commonwealth of Independent StatesC/JCS chair, Joint Chiefs of Staff (DOD)C3I command-control-communications-and-

intelligenceCOIN counterinsurgencyCOINTELPRO Counterintelligence Program (FBI)COS chief of station, the top CIA officer in the fieldCRS Congressional Research ServiceCSTO Collective Security Treaty OrganizationCTC Counterterrorism Center (CIA)

DA Directorate of Administration (CIA), now Directorate of Support (DS)

DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DOD)

DAS Deputy Assistant Secretary

DBA dominant battlefield awarenessD/CIA Director of the Central Intelligence AgencyDCI Director of Central IntelligenceDDA Deputy Director for Administration (CIA)DD/CIA Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence AgencyDD/CIA/CM Deputy Director of Central Intelligence/

Community ManagementDDI Deputy Director for Intelligence (CIA)DDO Deputy Director for Operations (CIA)DDS Deputy Director for Support (CIA)—formerly DDADDS&T Deputy Director for Science and Technology (CIA)DEA Drug Enforcement AdministrationDefCon Defense ConditionDHS Department of Homeland SecurityDIA Defense Intelligence AgencyDIA/HUMINT Defense HUMINT ServiceDI Directorate of Intelligence (CIA)DHS Department of Homeland SecurityDMZ demilitarized zone (Korean Peninsula)DNI Director of National IntelligenceDNI/OSC DNI Open Source CenterDO Directorate of Operations (CIA)DOD Department of DefenseDOE Department of EnergyDOJ Department of JusticeD/OMB Director, Office of Management and BudgetDOS Department of StateDS Directorate of Support (CIA)DS&T Directorate of Science and Technology (CIA)DUC Deep Underground Center

EC European CommunityEEC European Economic CommunityEMP Electromagnetic PulseEOP Executive Office of the PresidentEPA Environmental Protection AgencyERP European Recovery Program (Marshall Plan)

FAO Food and Agriculture OrganizationFAS Federal of American ScientistsFBI Federal Bureau of InvestigationFBIS Foreign Broadcast Information Service (CIA),

now DNI/OSCFATA Federally Administered Tribal Areas (in northwest

Pakistan)FISA Foreign Intelligence Surveillance ActFTA Free Trade AgreementFY Fiscal year

GAO General Accounting (now Government Accountability) Office, in Congress)

GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and TradeGDP Gross Domestic Product

GEOINT geospatial intelligence (new name for IMINT)GNI Gross National IncomeGOP Grand Old Party (Republicans; also Government

of Pakistan)GRU Soviet Military Intelligence

HIV/AIDS human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (a disease of the

immune system)HPSCI House Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceHUMINT human intelligence (espionage)HVI high-value individuals (in drone targeting)

IAEA International Atomic Energy AgencyIBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and

DevelopmentIC Intelligence CommunityICBM intercontinental ballistic missileICRC International Committee of the Red CrossICS Intelligence Community StaffIDA International Development AssistanceIEA International Energy AgencyIFOR Implementation Force (NATO in the Balkans)IG Inspector GeneralIGO intergovernmental organizationIIM Interagency Intelligence MemorandumILO International Labor OrganizationIM Intelligence MemorandumIMF International Monetary FundIMINT imagery intelligence (photography)INF Intermediate-range Nuclear ForceINGO international nongovernmental organizationINR Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Department

of State)INTS intelligence collection methods (as in the example

of SIGINT)IOB Intelligence Oversight BoardIPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeIRTPA Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention

Act (2004)ISI Pakistan’s intelligence serviceIT information technologyI & W indicators and warning (intelligence term)

JCS Joint Chiefs of Staff

KGB Soviet Secret Police and Foreign Intelligence: Committee for State Security

LAS League of Arab StatesLC Library of CongressLIC low-intensity conflictLX Liberty Crossing (DNI Headquarters, in Virginia)

MAP Military Assistance ProgramMASINT measurement-and-signatures intelligence

MBFR mutual and balanced force reductionsMCC Millennium Challenge CorporationMFN Most Favored NationMI military intelligenceMIA missing in actionMIRV multiple independently targetable reentry vehicleMI6 Secret Intelligence Service (SIS—United Kingdom)MIT Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMNC multinational corporationMRBM medium-range ballistic missilesMX Missile Experimental (a component of US nuclear

deterrence)

NAFTA North American Free Trade AgreementNASA National Space and Aeronautics AdministrationNATO North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationNCA National Command AuthorityNCS National Clandestine ServiceNCTC National Counterterrorism CenterNEACAP National Emergency Airborne Command PostNEC National Economic CouncilNIC National Intelligence CouncilNICs Newly Industrialized CountriesNIE National Intelligence EstimateNGA National Geospatial-Intelligence AgencyNIMA National Imagery and Mapping AgencyNIO National Intelligence OfficerNOC nonofficial coverNORAD North American Radar DefenseNPIC National Photographic Interpretation Center

(an NGA component)NRBC nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical

(weaponry)NRO National Reconnaissance OfficeNSA National Security AgencyNSC National Security CouncilNSCD National Security Council DirectiveNTBT Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

OAS Organization of American StatesOC official coverODNI Office of the Director of National IntelligenceOECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and

DevelopmentOLC Office of Legal Counsel (Department of Justice)OMB Office of Management and BudgetONE Office of National EstimatesOPC Office of Policy Coordination (CIA)OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting CountriesOPIC Overseas Private Investment CorporationOSINT open-source intelligenceOSS Office of Strategic Services (CIA precursor)

PAC Political Action Committee (or Public Affairs Committee)

PAL permissive action link (for nuclear weapons)

PBS Public Broadcasting SystemPDB President’s Daily BriefPDD Presidential Decision Directive (sometimes just PD

for Presidential Directive)PFIAB President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board

(as of 2008, PIAB or the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board)

PHOINT Photographic Intelligence (a form of GEOINT or IMINT)

PL Public LawPLO Palestine Liberation OrganizationPM paramilitaryPOW prisoner of warPPD Presidential Policy DirectivePRC People’s Republic of ChinaPRT Provincial Reconstruction Team

RAF Royal Air ForceR&D research and developmentRPG rocket-propelled grenade

SA Special Activities (CIA)SAA Saudi Arabian AirlinesSAD Special Activities Division (CIA)SAIS School of Advanced International Studies

(Johns Hopkins)SALT Strategic Arms Limitations TalksSAM surface-to-air missileSA-2 Soviet surface-to-air missileSEATO Southeast Asia Treaty OrganizationSecDef Secretary of DefenseSFOR Stabilization Force (NATO in the Balkans)SHAMROCK cryptonym for a NSA domestic spying operation

involving the reading of international cable communications during the Cold War

SIGINT signals intelligenceSDI Strategic Defense InitiativeSDO support to diplomatic operationsSLBM submarine-launched ballistic missileSMO support to military operationsSOF Special Operations Forces (US military)SOG Special Operations Group (CIA)SOP standard operating procedureSSCI Senate Select Committee on IntelligenceSTART Strategic Arms Reduction TalksSTR Special Trade Representative (US)

TECHINT technical intelligenceTIARA tactical intelligence and related activitiesTVA Tennessee Valley Authority

UAE United Arab EmiratesUAV unmanned aerial vehicle (drone)UK United KingdomUN United NationsUSIA United States Information Agency (Department of

State)USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (the Soviet

Union)USTR United States Trade RepresentativeU-2 surveillance aircraft (CIA)

VC VietcongVCI Vietcong infrastructure

WHO World Health OrganizationWMD weapon of mass destructionWPR War Powers ResolutionWTO World Trade Organization