The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public
Affairs, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security
Affairs, and the Deputy Director for Policy and Plans of USIA have reviewed the proposed agreement on
peacetime cooperation between the Department of Defense and the United
States Information Agency and recommend your approval of it.
It is our understanding that the agreement will not change interagency
relations in the public affairs field. In accordance with Department of
Defense policies regulating DOD public
affairs activities, USIA advisor duties
will not extend to Department of Defense public affairs activities and the
exchange program established by the agreement will not include the military
public affairs community.
Recommendation: That you sign the attached agreement.
Enclosure
Agreement Prepared in the Department of Defense and
the United States Information Agency3
DOD/USIA Cooperation
Agreement
The United States Information Agency and the Department of Defense
(hereinafter referred to as USIA and
DOD) have agreed to establish close
relations in the creation and execution of policies and programs. The
two agencies thus hope (a) to achieve better understanding by overseas
audiences of U.S. national security policies and (b) to build confidence
both in U.S. strength and in its determination to honor its military
commitments.
This agreement will apply during the times of peace.
In order to achieve their mutual objectives, the two agencies have agreed
to the following cooperative arrangements:
1. Coordination:
The principal points of coordination representing the agencies under this
agreement will be:
a. USIA’s Office of Policy and Plans
(IOP).
b. DOD’s Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (ISA).
Representatives of these offices will meet periodically to develop plans
and policies to effect close cooperation between the two agencies in
achieving the objectives described above.
The relationship between these offices also will entail sharing of
defense and information policy matters of mutual interest, policy
administration of the DOD/USIA Exchange Program, and cooperation in
the creation of policies, plans, and programs to support U.S. defense
policies abroad. In particular, on matters relating to national security
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plans, military power, and
military operations, ISA will advise
and assist USIA as appropriate in
developing USIA policies and programs
aimed at increasing foreign understanding and acceptance of U.S.
security policies. In turn, USIA will
advise ISA on the public impact of U.S.
defense programs and policies abroad. To strengthen this relationship,
USIA will assign a senior FSIO to serve full-time in ISA on the staff of the Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Policy Plans and NSC Affairs. His functions are described in an annex to
this Agreement.4
The Directorate of Plans and Programs in the Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs will remain the liaison point
with USIA on public affairs
matters.
USIA will continue to assign a senior
FSIO from its National Security
Advisory Staff in IOP as Defense
Affairs Advisor. This officer will serve as the principal USIA liaison between offices in the two
agencies.
2. Psychological Operations:
USIA will continue to maintain working
relations between its Office of Policy and Plans and the Joint Chiefs of
Staff for the purposes of exchanging information of relevance to
psychological operations planning and of participating in psyop
contingency planning. USIA has
assigned a senior FSIO (on a
reimbursable basis) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (DOCSA) on a full-time basis. His
principal function will be as an advisor on psychological operations and
contingency plans for such operations.
3. USIA
Advisors:
USIA will assign senior FSIOs, as
available, and upon agreement with DOD
and the Services, as USIA Advisors to
designated military commands. Among those currently assigned are the
Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific, and the Advisor to the
John F. Kennedy Center for
Military Assistance. The latter also serves as advisor to the Southern
and Atlantic Commands for psychological operations contingency planning.
Functions of USIA Advisors will vary
with assignment, but their responsibility will be to provide the
commands with appropriate guidance with respect to USIA policies and foreign audience
attitudes. The rank of USIA Advisors
will be determined by the requirements of the individual positions.
Annexes to this Agreement describe the positions which have been
established.5
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4. National War College:
USIA will continue to assign a senior
FSIO to the National War College
faculty. He will advise selected students, conduct discussion groups and
seminars, moderate lecture sessions, and direct selected student
research.
5. Exchange Program:
In addition to the above assignments, to enhance mutual understanding of
agency operations and missions, DOD and
USIA will establish a program of
exchange between their personnel. Initially, not more than six officers
from each agency may participate in the program at any one time. USIA participants may be assigned to OSD,
JCS, and military Service staffs.
DOD personnel may be assigned to
research, regional, program development, or planning and policy offices
of USIA. Exchange officers normally
will be assigned in the Washington, D.C. area; in exceptional cases,
they may be assigned elsewhere. Details of the exchanges will be
mutually agreed on by the staff elements concerned through IOP and ISA. Participants normally should be no higher than Lt. Col/FSIO–4/GS–14 in rank.
6. Training:
The two agencies will endeavor to make spaces in appropriate training
courses available to each other.
7. Overseas:
The offices of the two agencies will work together overseas to the
maximum extent feasible, given differing basic missions and resource
limitations, to support policies and programs which can enhance foreign
understanding and acceptance of U.S. national security policies,
military posture, alliances, and the U.S. military presence abroad. As
appropriate, USIA and DOD military components overseas are
encouraged to establish joint groups (on either a country or area basis)
to facilitate interagency communications and cooperation.
8. Agreement Review:
These arrangements will be subject to review and revision one year after
having been in force and as appropriate thereafter.
Melvin R.
Laird
Frank
Shakespeare
