THE DIRECTION, COORDINATION AND SUPERVISION OF INTERDEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES OVERSEAS.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00159R000200060068-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2006
• Sequence Number: 68
• Publication Date: March 2, 1966
• Content Type: MEMO

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WA S H I N G T O N
March 2, 1966
CONFIDENTIAL
NATIONAL SECURITY ACTION MEMORANDUM NO. 34:1
TO . The Secretary of State
The Secretary of Defense
The Administrator of the. Agency for International Development,
The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director of the United States Information Agency
SUBJECT: The Direction, Coordination and Supervision of Interdepart-
mental Activities Overseas.
To assist me in carrying out my responsibilities for the conduct
of foreign affairs, I have assigned to the Secretary of State authority
and responsibility to the full extent permitted by law for the overall
direction, coordination and supervision of interdepartmental activities
of the United States Government overseas. Such activities do not include
those of United States military forces operating in the field where such
forces are under the command of a United States area military commander and
such other military activities as I elect as Commander in Chief to conduct
through military channels. The Secretary of State will discharge this
authority and responsibility primarily through the Under Secretary of State
and the regional Assistant Secretaries of State, who will be assisted by
interdepartmental groups of which they will be executive chairmen, i.e.,'
with full powers of decision on all matters within their purview, unless a
member who does not concur requests the referral of a matter to the decision
of the next higher authority.
Activities which are internal to the execution and administration
of the approved programs of a single department or agency and which are not
of such a nature as to affect significantly the overall U. S. overseas
program in a country or region are not considered to be interdepartmental
matters in the meaning of this NSAM. If disagreement arises at any echelon
CONFIDENTIAL
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over whether a matter is interdepartmental or not in the meaning of this
NSAM, the procedure set forth herein will be invoked which permits a dis-
senting department or agency to appeal from the decision of an executive
chairman to the next higher authority.
1. The Senior Interdepartmental Group
To assist the Secretary of State in discharging his authority and
responsibility for interdepartmental matters which cannot be dealt with
adequately at lower levels or by present established procedures, includi
those of the Intelli once Community,. the Senior Interdepartmental roue SIG)
~estA~lS~icd:u"y"TheSTGry'shall pCOnsist of the Under Secretary of State,
Executive Chairman, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of the
Agency for International Development, the Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of-Staff., the Director of the United
States Information Agency, and the Special Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs. Representatives of other departments and agencies
with responsibility for specific matters to be considered will attend on
invitation by the Chairman.
The Senior Interdepartmental Group will assist the Secretary of
State by:
a. ensuring that important foreign policy problems requiring
interdepartmental attention receive full, prompt and
systematic consideration;
b. dealing promptly with interdepartmental matters referred
by the Assistant Secretaries of State or raised by any of
its members, or, if such matters require higher level con-
sideration, reporting them promptly to the Secretary of
State for appropriate handling;
c. assuring a proper selectivity of the areas and issues to
which the United States Government applies its resources;
d. carrying out the duties and responsibilities set forth in
NSAM 121E and related subsequent NSAMs of the Special Group
(counterinsurgency), which is hereby abolished; and
e. conducting periodic surveys and checks to verify the adequacy
and effectiveness,of.?interdepartmental overseas programs and
activities.
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The SIG will meet in the Department-of State regularly and
specially. at the call of the Chairman. The Chairman will be supported
by a full time staff of personnel furnished on his request by the depart-
ments and agencies represented on the SIG.
2. Interdepartmental Regional Groups
To assist the Assistant Secretaries of State, an Interdepartmental
Regional Group (IRG) shall be established for each geographic region
corresponding to the jurisdiction of the geographic bureaus in the Depart-
ment of State. Each IRG shall be composed of the regional Assistant Sec-
retary of State, Executive Chairman, and a designated representative from
Defense, AID, CIA, the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, USIA and
the White I-louse or NSC staff. Representatives of other departments and
agencies with responsibility for specific matters to be considered will
attend on invitation by the Chairman. Meeting and staffing procedures will
be patterned on the SIG.
The regional Assistant Secretaries, in their capacities as Executive
Chairmen of the IRGs, will assure the adequacy of United States policy for
the countries in their region and of the plans, programs, resources and
performance for implementing that policy. They will be particularly watchful
for indications of subversive aggression directed at the overthrow of govern-
ments in the region which the United States has a cogent interest to maintain,
and, when such matters require higher level consideration, will recommend
appropriate measures to higher authority for dealing with emergent critical
situations in their regions.
CONFIDENTIAL