American Cryptology during the Cold War - The Black Vault

In July 1958, the JCS approved a plan for a new Criticomm system. It involved
establishing a network of automated relays worldwide, building on the rudimentary
COMINT circuitry that NSA and the services had put together. The pattern the JCS used
was the fledgling COMINT Comnet, and the expertise came from NSA. The new program
.was promulgated by the DCI as DCID 1/8, "Handling ofCritical Communications."4
The DCID jumped the gun a little; Eisenhower had not yet been briefed. In August of
1958 General Samford, who had been in the traces for two years, and Louis Tordella, who
had been NSA's deputy director for only a few days, were summoned to the White House to
brief the NSC on the proposal. Tordella, who did the briefing, sold the program by
stressing that at least 90 percent ofthe expected Critics would come from COMINT and that
the COMINT Comnet proposal would enfold fully 200 out of the 245 potential entry points
for critical information. The draft directive, NSCID 7, was already written and ready to
go. All they needed was Ike's go-ahead. After Tordella had finished talking, the president
turned to Donald Quarles, his deputy secretary ofdefense, and asked, "Don, can we do it?"
Quarles said, "Yes, I think we can." "Let's do it," was all the president said, and it was
done. s
President Eisenhower
His concern about strategic warning led to the creation ofCriticomm and the Critic program.
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