317. Editorial Note

On December 14, the Operations Coordinating Board approved the paper entitled “Analysis of the Internal Security Situation in Syria and Recommended Action (NSC 1290–d)”, and directed the OCB Working Group on NSC 5428 to begin work on the recommendations at once. With the exception of paragraph 33 which does not appear in the final paper, the December 14 paper is the same as the July 7 draft, Document 299. A copy of the final paper is in Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Syria.

On January 13, 1956, a copy of the December 14 paper was forwarded to Ambassador Moose under cover of a letter from Under Secretary Hoover which advised, among other points, that the responsibility for carrying out the operations set forth in the analysis resided mainly with the Embassy in Damascus. Hoover also expressed the hope that Moose would be able to supervise personally its implementation and to review all the reports submitted on the subject. He added that other interested departments and agencies would inform their representatives in Syria of the specific responsibilities falling to them under Moose’s supervision and that Moose might want to inform the senior representatives of other OCB agencies in Syria of the program and to take whatever other measures he felt appropriate to implement the program. (Ibid., Central Files, 783.5/1–1356)

Moose acknowledged receipt of Hoover’s letter on February 2 and added that he awaited with interest the proposed report by the OCB Working Group on courses of action in the Near East designed to affect the situation in Syria and on specific steps recommended to combat Communist subversion. (Letter from Moose to Hoover, February 2, 1956; ibid., OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Syria)