February–December 1963: The Congo After the Crisis


414. Telegram From the Consulate in Elisabethville to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 15 The Congo. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Léopoldville, Brussels, and USUN.


415. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo, Proposals for U.S. Policy in the Congo. Confidential. The source text does not indicate a drafter, but a draft indicates it was drafted by Cleveland. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 The Congo-US)


416. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–9 The Congo. Confidential. Drafted by Ford. The source text bears the handwritten dates “3/7/63” and “3/8/63.”


417. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Brubeck Series, Congo, February–July 1963. Confidential. Drafted by Kaysen; his handwritten notes of the meeting are filed with the source text.


418. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo. Confidential. A handwritten note on the source text indicates the memorandum was taken from the President’s weekend reading dated April 11.


419. Memorandum From the Ambassador to the Congo (Gullion) to President Kennedy

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo. Confidential. A handwritten note on the source text indicates the memorandum was taken from the President’s weekend reading dated April 11. Filed as an attachment to a memorandum from Kaysen to the President, which was also attached to Document 418. Kaysen noted that decisions as to whether to finance 2,000 extra U.N. troops and whether to provide additional support for retraining the Congolese Army were not immediately necessary and commented that he thought Gullion was unduly pessimistic about the economic aid available to the Congo from other countries.


420. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 29–1 The Congo. Secret; Operational Immediate. Repeated to USUN, Conakry, Brazzaville, Elisabethville, and Stanleyville.


421. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 The Congo. Confidential. Drafted by Carlucci, Officer in Charge of Congo (Léopoldville) Economic Affairs William C. Harrop, and Officer in Charge of Burundi and Rwanda Affairs Arthur T. Tienken. The source text bears a note in Williams’ handwriting: “Believe you’ll find this worthwhile, Sir.” There is no indication, however, that Rusk read it.


422. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) 8 The Congo. Secret. Drafted by Beaudry and approved in S on June 5. The conversation was held in the Secretary’s office.


423. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo. Confidential. Drafted by Williams. Another memorandum of the conversation by Colonel William O. Gall, Assistant for Africa in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, is ibid., Brubeck Series, Congo, February–July 1963.


424. Memorandum From the Acting Department of State Executive Secretary (McKesson) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo. Confidential. The source text does not indicate a drafter. Filed with a covering memorandum from Brubeck (who had become a member of the NSC Staff) to Bundy, stating that he understood the President had asked General Clifton about the status of Congolese army retraining. The source text bears a handwritten note stating that it was taken from the President’s weekend reading dated August 9.


425. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, PER-Gullion, Edmund A. Confidential. Drafted by Whitehouse. The memorandum was apparently not sent to Rusk until August 15, according to an August 15 covering note from Williams to Rusk. The initials “DR” on the note indicate that the memorandum was seen by Rusk. (Ibid., POL 23–9 The Congo)


426. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–4 The Congo/UN. Confidential. Repeated to Léopoldville.


427. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 3 UN. Confidential. Drafted by Sisco and approved in S on September 12.


428. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 3 The Congo/UN. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Léopoldville, Brussels, and Lagos.


429. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Belgium. Secret. Drafted by Director of the Office of Western European Affairs Francis E. Meloy, Jr. The meeting was held at the White House.


430. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo. Confidential. Drafted by Alec G. Toumayan of the Office of Language Services. The time of the meeting is taken from Kennedy’s appointment book. (Kennedy Library) During the last part of the conversation, others were also present (see the last paragraph). According to Kennedy’s appointment book, they included Williams, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs G. Griffith Johnson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Monetary Affairs Robert V. Roosa, Hutchinson, Congolese Foreign Minister Kalanda, Finance Minister Emanual Bamba, Charge Mario Cardoso, and other members of the Prime Minister’s party.


431. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Read) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo. Confidential. Filed with a memorandum of October 29 from Brubeck to Bundy.


432. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo

Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) 9 The Congo. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Ford; cleared by Williams, Johnson, and in draft by Richard M. Cashin, Director of the Office of Central African Affairs in the Agency for International Development; and approved by Harriman.


433. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL The Congo-US. Secret; Priority. Repeated to USUN and Brussels.


434. Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

[Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Congressional Affairs, Review Staff Files. Sensitive. Extracts—10 pages of source text not declassified.]