NSSM 242 ON ITALY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R002200090003-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 25, 2006
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: June 2, 1976
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2006/11/01 : CIA-RDP80RO1731 R002200090003-0
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
FROM : Vernon A. Walters, LTG, USA
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : NSSM 242 on Italy
1. I find myself in profound disagreement with the NSSM 242:
U.S. POLICY TOWARD ITALY draft. It is based, in my view, on
the false assumption that the PCI is just another party with the same
ideological and disciplinary problems of other "democratic parties. "
I believe this is a false assumption that leads to other false
assumptions .
2. Throughout the paper there runs an assumption that the
Communists don't want to take power in Italy or that they feel
unprepared to do so. The PCI is large with membership in the
millions. Communist parties with membership in the thousands
have taken power. There is nothing in the history of communism
anywhere to indicate a reluctance to take power, nor is there any
case where, once having taken power, if things don't go well, they
will leave and let democratic processes operate.
3. That the Communist leftist government would be regarded
by them as a "worst case" is patently absurd in the light of their
behavior throughout history. The idea that the rank and file of the
Communist Party need to become accustomed to the idea of the PCI
as a governing party is very far fetched. The statement that "One
of Berlinguer's aims in formulating the historic compromise was
to lay to rest the notion of a leftist government.... " simply boggles
my mind as does the statement that "The PCI reportedly feels
inadequately prepared to take on these additional responsibilities (sic).
4. The paper also notes that the PCI is wary of having the
Socialists as its principal coalition partner. This is absurd. The
Socialists have less than half as many votes as the Communists and
wherever they have taken power, the Communists have eaten the
Socialists first, well ahead of the Rightists. The idea that the
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Approved For Release 2006/11/01 : CIA-RDP80RO1731R002200090003-0
 Approved For Release 2006/11/01 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002200090003-0
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Communists would "leave the government" has no historical evidence
to support it. Communists don't leave the government. They take it
over. The idea that a communist-dominated government would be
"psychologically unprepared to take power" speaks for itself. It is
further said that a leftist (PCI-PSI) government "...provided it
sought to honor the democratic process...." I wonder if there is any
case where a communist party has sought to honor the democratic
process.
5. I also believe that there is no historic precedent anywhere to
support the idea that the "... Communist leaders in the near term
would eschew proposals that imply sweeping changes in the constitutional
order. " If near term means a few weeks, I could agree. If it means
a few years, there again there is no precedent to support this naive
idea. Further in the paper it states that the PCI "rejects massive
nationalization." I can only describe this as naive.
6. I have rarely, if ever, written a memo such as this one, but
I cannot in good conscience refrain from drawing your attention to
what I believe is an ingenuous misconception of what the Italian
Communist Party is. If this view is adopted as US.policy, I believe
the results for the U. S. , for NATO, and for the free world will be
disastrous.
Vernon A. Walters
Lieutenant General, USA
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
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