noi.org

SAC, Albany     August 25, 1967

PERSONAL ATTENTION TO ALL OFFICES
Director, FBI 
                                1 - Mr. C. D. Brennan
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE PROGRAM     1 - Mr. Bland
BLACK NATIONALIST - HATE GROUPS 1 - Mr. Trainor
INTERNAL SECURITY               1 - Mr. B. A. Wells
                                1 - Mr. C. W. Thompson
                                1 - Mr. Ryan

Offices receiving copies of this letter are instructed
to immediately establish a control file captioned as above, and
to assign responsibility for following and coordinating this new
counterintelligence program to an experienced and imaginative
Special Agent well versed in investigations relating to black
nationalist, hate-type organizations.  The field office control
file used under this program may be maintained in a pending
inactive status until such time as a specific operation or
technique is placed under consideration for implementation.

 The purpose of this new counterintelligence endeavor
is to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise
neutralize the activites of black nationalist, hate-type
organizations and groupings, their leadership, spokesmen,
membership, and supporters, and to counter their propensity for
violence and civil disorder.  The activities of all such groups
of intelligence interest to this Bureau must be followed on a
continuous basis so we will be in a position to promptly take
advantage of all opportunities for counterintelligence and to
inspire action in instances where circumstances warrant.  The
pernicious background of such groups, their duplicity, and devious
maneuvers must be exposed to public scrutiny where such publicity
will have a neutralizing effect.  Efforts of various groups

2 - Atlanta      2 - Philadelphia
2 - Baltimore    2 - Phoenix
2 - Boston       2 - Pittsburgh
2 - Buffalo      2 - Richmond
2 - Charlotte    2 - St. Louis
2 - Chicago      2 - San Francisco
2 - Cincinnati   2 - Washington Field Office
2 - Cleveland
2 - Detroit
2 - Jackson
2 - Los Angeles
2 - Memphis
2 - Newark
2 - New Orleans
2 - New York

- END PAGE 1 of 3 -

Letter to SAC, Albany
RE:  COUNTERINTELLIGENCE PROGRAM
     BLACK NATIONALIST - HATE GROUPS

to consolidate their forces or to recruit new or youthful
adherents must be frustrated.  No opportunity should be missed
to exploit through counterintelligence techniques the
organizational and personal conflicts of the leaderships of the
groups and where possible an effort should be made to capitalize
upon existing conflicts between competing black nationalist
organizations.  When an opportunity is apparent to disrupt or
neutralize black nationalist, hate-type organizations through the
cooperation of established local news media contacts or through
such contact with sources available to the Seat of Government,
in every instance careful attention must be given to the proposal
to insure the targeted group is disrupted and not merely publicized.
Consideration should be given to techniques to preclude violence-
prone or rabble-rouser leaders of hate groups from spreading their
philosophy publicly or through various mass communication media.

 Many individuals currently active in black nationalist
organizations have backgrounds of immorality, subversive activity,
and criminal records.  Through your investigation of key agitators,
you should endeavor to establish their unsavory backgrounds.
Be alert to determine evidence of misappropriation of funds or
other types of personal misconduct on the part of militant
nationalist leaders so any practical or warranted counter-
intelligenc may be instituted.

 Intensified attention under this program should be
afforded to the activities of such groups as the Student
Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference, Revolutionary Action Movement, the
Deacons for Defense and Justice, Congress of Racial Equality,
and the Nation of Islam.  Particular emphasis should be given to
extremists who direct the activities and policies of
revolutionary or militant groups such as Stokely Carmichael,
H. "Rap" Brown, Elijah Muhammad, and Maxwell Stanford.

 At this time the Bureau is setting up no requirement
for status letters to be periodically submitted under this
program.  It will be incumbant upon you to insure the program
is being afforded necessary and continuing attention and that
no opportunities will be overlooked for counterlligence
action.

 This program should not be confused with the program
entitled "Communist Party, USA, Counterintelligence Program,
Internal Security - C," (Bufile 100-3-104), which is directed

- END PAGE 2 of 3 -

Letter to SAC, Albany
RE:  COUNTERINTELLIGENCE PROGRAM
     BLACK NATIONALIST - HATE GROUPS

against the Communist Party and related organizations, or the
program entitled "Counterintelligence Program, Internal Security,
Disruption of Hate Groups," (Bufile 157-9), which is directed
against Klan and hate-type groups primarily consisting of white
memberships.

 All Special Agent personnel responsible for the
investigation of black nationalist, hate-type organizations and
their memberships should be altered to our counterintelligence
interest and each investigative Agent has a responsibility to
call to the attention of the counterlligence coordianator
suggestions and possibilities for implementing the program.
You are also cautioned that the nature of this new endeavor
is such that under no circumstances should the existence of
the program be made known outside the Bureau and appropriate
within-office security should be afforded to sensitive operations
and techniques considered under the program.

 No counterintelligence action under this program may
be initiated by the field without prior Bureau
authorization.

 You are urged to take an enthusiastic and imaginative
approach to this new counterintelligence endeavor and the Bureau
will be pleased to entertain any suggestions or techniques you
may recommend.