Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Africa and South Asia, Volume XI, Part 1

S/P–NSC files, lot 61 D 167, “North Africa”

Paper Prepared in the Office of the Special Assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for National Security Council Affairs¹

secret

Washington, 19 March 1954.

Africa

major u.s. military interests

1. Base and transit rights

The issue: The possession of necessary military bases and transit rights throughout the area.

The facts: Present and planned U.S. military bases in the area, exclusive of Egypt, total 94 facilities in 55 locations within 6 countries. This includes both peace and war requirements. Negotiations for base and transit rights with Libya are now in progress. The defense of U.S. bases in Morocco is a French responsibility which to date has not been adequately met. Bases and transit rights in addition to those already planned may be required in time of war.

2. Strategic raw materials

The issue: The availability of critical strategic materials of the area to the United States in time of peace or war.

The facts: Uranium, cobalt, diamonds and columbite are examples of strategic raw materials which the U.S. secures from Africa. The uranium deposits found in the Belgian Congo and the Union of South Africa are of particular military importance. The JCS consider that these sources of atomic weapon material will continue to be available to the U.S. in the event of a war with the USSR.

3. Manpower

The issue: The availability of African manpower to the Free World in the event of a long war with the Soviet Union.

The facts: As an example of this potential it is estimated that approximately 300,000 troops from French West and French Equatorial Africa alone could be made available for employment in Africa or overseas in event of a general war.

4. Use of Africa for national redoubts

The issue: The use of portions of Africa as national redoubts by free nations forced from Europe by Soviet aggression.

The facts: The Belgian Government, as an example, has planned to use the Belgian Congo as a national redoubt in the event Belgium is overwhelmed by the Soviets.

5. Transportation systems

The issue: The development of transportation systems within Africa to support U.S. bases, aid in the procurement of strategic raw materials, move troops, supplies and equipment, and facilitate the use of selected areas as national redoubts.

The facts: From time to time since 1949, Defense, State, JCS and ECA have assisted in the participation by the United States in international conferences engaged in surveys of the transportation systems of Africa. Some of the recommendations of these conferences have been implemented but a vast relatively untouched field of development remains. From political, economic and military viewpoints has the time arrived for the Free World to take action?

6. Soviet capabilities against the African continent

The issue: The determination of Soviet capabilities against Africa to include political, economic, psychological and military actions. What courses of action to counter these Soviet capabilities shall the U.S. take?

The facts: At present Communist influences are not strong in Africa. However, the rising fight by native groups against colonialism, exploitation and racial discrimination is rapidly increasing the vulnerability of the entire area to the same Communist pressures which brought the downfall of China, which now threaten Indochina and which continue to peril Indonesia.

1. This paper and those prepared in the Foreign Operations Administration (infra), the Department of Defense (p. 105), and the Central Intelligence Agency (p. 107) were presumably prepared in response to the NSC Planning Board decision of Mar. 3, 1954; see the editorial note, p. 101.