National Security Policy


2. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Central Intelligence Agency Files, Job 79-R01012A, ODDI Registry. Secret. For full text of NIE 1-61, see the Supplement. A note on the cover sheet indicates the estimate was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence, and the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Joint Staff participated in drafting it. The U.S. Intelligence Board concurred on January 17, except the Atomic Energy Commission representative and the Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained because the subject was outside their jurisdiction.


3. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Kennedy

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 65 A 3464, 381 18 Jan 61. Top Secret.


4. Memorandum of Conference With President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Chester V. Clifton Series, Conferences with the President Volume I. Top Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster on January 27.


6. Draft Paper by the Executive Assistant of the Operations Coordinating Board (Johnson)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, NSC Organization and Administration 1/26/61-1/29/61. No classification marking. A January 27 covering note from Bromley Smith to Bundy is not printed.


7. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSC Meetings, No. 475. Top Secret.


8. Record of Actions Taken at the 475th Meeting of the National Security Council

Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council. Top Secret. The actions were approved by the President on February 2. The source text has minor revisions as of February 6.


9. Letter From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 67 D 548, NSAMs. Top Secret Attachment.


10. Letter From Secretary of State Rusk to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5/2-461. Secret. Drafted by Henry Owen of the Policy Planning Council and cleared in EUR and FE. Another copy is in the Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, State 2/2/61-2/16/61.


11. Memorandum of Conference With President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Chester V. Clifton Series, Conferences with the President, Volume I. Top Secret. Drafted by Clifton.


12. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, JCS General 1961. Top Secret. Drafted by Clifton.


13. Notes of Secretary of State Rusk’s Daily Staff Meeting

Source: Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 66 D 147, Secretary’s Staff Meetings. Secret. Drafted by Stoessel.


15. Record of Actions Taken at the 476th Meeting of the National Security Council

Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council. Top Secret. The actions were approved by the President on February 11.


16. Notes of Secretary of State Rusk’s Daily Staff Meeting

Source: Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 66 D 147, Secretary’s Staff Meetings. Secret. Drafted by Stoessel.


17. Letter From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, Defense Volume I, Review FY 1961 & 1962 Mil Prog and Budgets, 2/21/61. Top Secret.


18. Memorandum of Conference With President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Chester V. Clifton Series, Conferences with the President Volume I. Top Secret. Drafted by Clifton. Documentation on the JCS response to a number of President Kennedy’s requests for information made at this meeting is ibid., Departments and Agencies Series, Department of Defense, Special Warfare Volume I.


19. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the President’s Press Secretary (Salinger)

Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, McGeorge Bundy 2/61-4/61. No classification marking. Copies were sent to the President and Larry O’Donnell.


20. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara and the Director of the Bureau of the Budget (Bell) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, Department of Defense 3/61. Secret.


21. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the President’s Special Counsel (Sorensen)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, Department of Defense 3/61. Secret.


23. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Nitze) to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files:FRC 65 A 3464, 381 4 Feb 61. Top Secret. Attached to an April 11 memorandum from Gilpatric to the JCS.


24. Letter From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gilpatric) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.5611/4-1561. Top Secret.


25. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer) to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Records, JMF 3020 (3 Apr 61) Sec 2. Top Secret.


26. Record of Actions Taken at the 478th Meeting of the National Security Council

Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council. Top Secret. The actions were approved by the President on April 24.


27. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense McNamara to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, DOD Study on Conventional Forces 1961. Secret.


28. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Carl Kaysen Series, BNSP 1/61-5/61. Top Secret. Drafted by Kaysen on May 27.


29. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Central Intelligence Agency Files, Job 79-R01012A, ODDI Registry. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. NIE 11-8-61 (46 pages), entitled “Soviet Capabilities for Long Range Attack,” was published and distributed separately from Annex C, which is printed here. A cover sheet and a table of contents to Annex C are not printed. A note on the cover sheet indicates that Annex C was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and prepared by the CIA and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Joint Staff. The members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred, except the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained because the subject was outside his jurisdiction. NIE 11-8-61 is ibid.


30. Letter From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kaysen) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Rowen)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, JCS Records, JMF 3001 (14 Apr 61) Pt. 1, Sec 3. Top Secret.