Office of the Historian

310. National Security Decision Memorandum 2441

Washington, February 8, 1974.

TO

  • The Secretary of the Treasury
  • The Secretary of Defense
  • The Secretary of the Interior
  • The Deputy Secretary of State
  • The Director of Central Intelligence
  • The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission
  • The Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers
  • The Director, Federal Energy Office
  • The Director, Office of Management and Budget
  • The Assistant to the President for International Economic Policy
  • SUBJECT
    • International Energy Review Group

In view of the significance of recent changes in the international energy market, the President has directed the establishment of an International Energy Review Group (IERG), chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.2 The IERG will analyze the international implications of U.S. and foreign supply and demand in the field of energy and formulate policy recommendations to the President in the international energy area. Membership will consist of representatives of the addressees. Representatives of other agencies will be invited to participate as appropriate.

A Working Group of the IERG, chaired by the Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs, shall continuously review the international political and economic implications of the world energy situation and their linkages to U.S. foreign and domestic policies and programs. It will be responsible for directing [Page 871] the necessary policy analysis and for formulating policy recommendations to the IERG.

The IERG shall also establish a subcommittee on policy implementation and operations to be chaired by the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance. The subcommittee will be responsible for the implementation of policy, including interdepartmental coordination, and the preparation of the U.S. positions on energy related matters for international meetings and conferences.

Henry A. Kissinger
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box H–244, National Security Decision Memoranda, NSDM 244. Confidential. Sent to the addressees under a February 16 covering memorandum from Jeanne Davis. A copy was sent to Secretary of Commerce Dent and Special Representative for Trade Negotiations William D. Eberle.↩
  2. On January 4, after a discussion with Shultz, Flanigan had proposed an ad hoc energy group chaired by Cooper, with representation from State, Treasury, CEA, and Simon. Kissinger concurred. (Memorandum from Scowcroft to Kissinger, January 4; Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Scowcroft Daily Work Files, Box 5, Chronological File A, January 1–7, 1974) On January 15, Scowcroft suggested that this option, now referred to as Option A, was bureaucratically cumbersome and that an Option B, suggested by Donaldson and Lord, be adopted. Option B placed the energy group under Kissinger’s chairmanship. (Ibid.) Scowcroft repeated his recommendation for Option B on January 30 in a note to Kissinger. Option B was incorporated into NSDM 244. (Ibid.)↩