Editorial Note
At its meeting held on December 9, 1954, the National Security Council reconsidered United States policy toward Afghanistan in the light of increased Soviet involvement with that country. According to Gleason’s memorandum of the discussion, drawn up December 10, the Council considered recommendations that economic aid to Afghanistan be increased to a total of $30 million per year to encourage the Government of Afghanistan to resist Soviet pressure and to reach an accommodation with Pakistan over outstanding differences. The NSC decided that a significant increase in United States aid to Afghanistan would create the danger of increased Soviet interest and would do little to facilitate an understanding between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Secretary Dulles discounted the possibility and the value of [Page 1497] confederation between Afghanistan and Pakistan and President Eisenhower agreed. (For the memorandum summarized here, see page 1147.) However, the NSC did adopt a revision of the Afghanistan section of NSC 5409. Texts of this revision, a Planning Board Study on Afghanistan and a financial appendix, are printed as enclosures to a memorandum from Lay to the Council, dated December 14, page 1151.