Page "Operation Mockingbird" Paragraph 17

Consequently, even in the wake of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles ' 1952 presidential campaign pledge to " roll back the Iron Curtain ", American covert action operations came under scrutiny almost as soon as Dwight Eisenhower was inaugurated in 1953.

He soon set up an evaluation operation called Solarium, which had three committees playing analytical games to see which plans of action should be continued.

In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the 5412 Committee in order to keep more of a check on the CIA's covert activities.

The committee ( also called the Special Group ) included the CIA director, the national security adviser, and the deputy secretaries at State and Defence and had the responsibility to decide whether covert actions were " proper " and in the national interest.

It was also decided to include Richard B. Russell, chairman of the U. S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

However, as Allen W. Dulles was later to admit, because of " plausible deniability " planned covert actions were not referred to the 5412 Committee.