RECORD OF DISCUSSION AND AGREEMENT OF 21ST MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 14, 1967

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70S00385R000100260003-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2001
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: September 18, 1967
• Content Type: MIN

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THE,UNDE.R SECRETARY OF ST7~
SENIOR INTERDEPARTMENTAL GROUP
September 13, 1967
Record. of Discussion and Agreement of
91st Me ting of September 14, 1967
State Dept. declassification & release instructions on file
Under Secretary of State, Chairman
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Gen. Brown, for the Chairman, JCS
The Director of Central Intelligence
Director, United States Information Agency
Administrator, Agency for International Development
Under Secretary of the Treasury
Counselor of the Department of State
Staff Director
Mr. Battle - NEA
Ambassador Holmes
Gen. McDonald
Gen. Orwat, JCS
Mr. Hoopes, ISA
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A. Draft Directives for Future Studies
1. Agreed to initiate study by State-Defense study group on
Latin America on basis of draft directive circulated prior to
meeting. Also agreed Ambassador Martin excellent choice for
study director and that Ambassador Martin should draw up detailed
terms of reference. Chairman suggested that study be finished
as soon as possible, recognizing possibility of delay due to
fact that Ambassador Martin could not be away from his post for
long periods at a time.
2. Agreed to the draft directive circulated prior to the
meeting for a world-wide base study. Various members of SIG
stressed the importance of such a study and the desirability
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of treating all options.. It was also suggested study should
take into con 3ideration,relative priorities, substitutability,
changes in technology and should include other related base
'installations, such as-installations of intelligence..communit
Several, ??membe,:s .connnented on necessity of weighting requirements
for bases and assessing costs both in real economic.;terms and
in terms of political costs, distortions in diplomacy and.
additional aid. These-comments should be taken into account
in preparing the terms of reference. JCS representative indi
cated that Director would be high ranking officer with broad
experience, not necessarily now on duty.
B. Future Mee tins
Chairman hoped that.IRG/ARA would have finished its considera-
tion of arms supply policy for Latin IAnmerica so that this problem
might be considered at next SIG meeting--possibly. September 28..
C. Holmes' Study
Chairman thanked Ambassador Holmes and his group :for work
.,they have done in preparing this useful input into general .USG
consideration Df policies and actions inMiddie East over coming
years. He asked that this discussion concentrate. on Soviet
threat aspect and Ambassador Holmes' projected consultation in
NAC. Chairman mentioned that instructions to Ambassador Holmes
for his NAC consultation were circulated to SIG members for
informata.cn and that State would clear these i..n normal course.
IRi /EUR will undertake to coordinate the ''sanitized" version
of Holmes.' Report which would be authorized for circulation
to other.. NATO. partners.
Ambassador Holmes presented his'report and rather than
repeating contEnts of report,. concentrated on answering comments.
and criticisms he had received. He emphasized that the report
had. started out in March to estimate the. situation in the area,:
and particularly Soviet activity butthat the emphasis of the
report had changed after the outbreak of hostilities.in'June
He wanted to stress that the report had not intended to concluder
.that the sole or main aim.of Soviet policy was to out-flank'NATO.
Rather, it was the int;reer,tjoii of the drafters to indicate that
Soviet activity in the Middle East was an expression of. historic
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Soviet policy--an attempt to break out to warm water ports.
He recalled that this had been Soviet aim at Potsdam and in
later confrontations. He said that there had been Soviet
gains since 1955 when the first Czech arms deal was announced,
mentioning latest evidence in shipment of 400 tanks and 120
aircraft to Algeria. The report, he said, makes no claim to
correlate the decline in Western influence with the increase in
Soviet activity. They see no Soviet blueprint for what has
happened in the. area, but rather the Soviet Union has set out
to move in where it could, and it has had some successes. He
said that while the study may have over-emphasized Soviet
ability to achieve dominance, they had pointed out certain
blocks to Soviet activity in the form of radical nationalism
with all aspects of the problem and suggested that more work
could usefully be done on trends in the area.
and moderate leadership. He felt that they could not deal
He ended his presentation by saying he felt it was impor-
tant for US to take whatever actions necessary to blunt Soviet
penetration and that it is prudent to regard the threat as of
.maximum potential in deciding what actions might be taken.
He hoped that out of consideration of this report and further.
activity would come agreement on a set of objectives--a strategy
(quite separate from any initiatives) that would be a guide
and doctrine, particularly for our overseas posts.
Various members of the SIG made the following suggestions
and coimnents, as of use to Ambassador Holmes in his consulta-
tions in NATO and as guidelines for future'study within the
Government:
1. Without appearing to over-emphasize likelihood
US might in calm way suggest that NATO military authori-
ties take a look at'the implication for NATO of possi-
bility Soviets might at some future date put forces in
study area. Thought was expressed that Soviets might
have come close to this in Syria in June.
2. In attempting to convince Europeans of importance
Soviet activity, analysis should be more along lines
Ambassador Holmes' oral presentation to SIG, in sense
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that it recognizes this is not just Soviet-Western
clash. in area, but that indigenous political. forces
play major role. In fact, these forces call in Soviets
and encourage East-West competition as way of establish
ing their ow?n.independence. Our emphasis should be more
on supp-orting the moderate, independent forces, rather
than just obtaining, influence.
3. We should examine the role of propaganda in .
recent Middle East Crisis and consider further what we
and NATO countries can do in future to improve and coordi-
nate our propaganda. (USIA has recently prepared a report
on. this 'which 'l'ight be usefu1 to Ambassador Holmes and
Ambassador Cleveland.)
4. Although Holmes' Report indicates it. unlikely
Soviets Will want bases in area, fact is Soviets have
had operational access to facilities in area and
intelli.gence.conTunity might wish, to evaluate this access
as a factual input into NATO study. Also use of Soviet
instructors.
5. We also might prepare as much information as
possible on the Soviet role in triggering recent events
for discussion with our NATO allies.
In addition, SIG members agreed study should continue
suggested. The Chairman directed the IRG/NEA incoordina-
tion with IRG/AF, to prepare an analysis on'.the trends?in
the area which would give abetter view of what obstacles
there might be to Soviet action in terms of indigenous
activity by radical nationalists or moderates. (This
report should be completed by November 1 and aSIG meeting
scheduled to discuss it.) Ile also directed the IRG/NEA
and IRG/AF to canvass immediate actions which we might.
be able to initiate in the study area even with present limited
resources. (This should be completed by November 1.)
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Three other actions were requested:
1. A policy should be developed by IRG/NEA in
cooperation with IRG/AF wwhich provides guidance for
our future arms transfers to the area and puts in some
framework the recent requests for arms shipments and
our proposed responses. (This should be completed by
October 15.)
in the SIG on these subjects and that sometime in the near
future it might be useful to schedule an NSC meeting or
meetings for the purpose of airing these issues.
I will send separate individual action memos based
It was agreed that there should be further discussions
the UAR and Algeria. (This should be done by October 1.)
resources needed by such major countries in the area as
should be compared with the on-going costs in external
gence community--including the amount of resources the
Soviet Union might be likely to devote to the area. This
bilities (political, military and economic) by the intelli-
3. We ought to have a better study of Soviet capa
be minimized. (This should be completed by November 15.)
interests by the IRG/NEA in cooperation with the IRG/AF
and whether or not the threat to these interests can
2. We should have a better assessment of our oil.
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