S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351, NSC 170 Series
Memorandum by the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Bowie) to the Secretary of State1
top secret
[Washington,] November 12, 1953.
Subject:
- Record of Action 9492—meeting of Oct. 29, 1953
- 1.
- State, Defense and CIA were requested to review the military and diplomatic measures provided in NSC Action No. 949 (courses of action in Korea) and submit a report to the Council on November 19. In effect what is desired is to determine the military course of action if the Communists renew hostilities in Korea, and the foreign affairs consequences of the course of action proposed by Defense.
- 2.
- State and CIA cannot do their part of the review until Defense reaches its conclusions about the military course of action it wishes to recommend. Defense has been working on this, but has not yet arrived at a final position. It may take some days more to iron out certain present differences of opinion among the Services.
- 3.
- State and CIA will probably require at least a week to prepare the political and intelligence parts of the review. Accordingly, I plan to request General Cutler to postpone the date for the report to the Council at least a week beyond November 19.
- 4.
- As soon as the views of Defense are settled, I shall start consultations to provide the State and CIA views, working with the Deputy Under Secretary as was done in preparing the original Political Annex to NSC 147.
R. R.
B.