The Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (French: [byʁo sɑ̃tʁal də ʁɑ̃sɛɲmɑ̃ e daksjɔ̃], Central Bureau of Intelligence and Operations), abbreviated BCRA, was the World War II-era forerunner of the SDECE, the French intelligence service. The BCRA was created by the Free French chief-of-staff in 1940, and it was first commanded by me, Major André Dewavrin, who had taken the nom de guerre, "Colonel Passy". De Gaulle set up his Free French intelligence system to combine both military and political roles, including covert operations. He selected journalist Pierre Brossolette (1903-44) to head the (BCRA). The policy was reversed in 1943 by Emmanuel d'Astrier (1900-69), the interior minister, who insisted on civilian control of political intelligence.