Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Near East Region; Iraq; Iran; Arabian Peninsula, Volume XII

194. Memorandum of Discussion at the 410th Meeting of the National Security Council⁰

Washington, June 18, 1959.

[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and agenda items 1 and 2.]

3. The Situation in Iraq (NSC Actions Nos. 2068, 2074, 2078 and 2090)¹

Mr. Gray pointed out that the Council had had no report since May 21 by the “Rountree Committee” which had been set up to report each week to the Council on developments in Iraq. He understood that Secretary Dillon was prepared this morning to provide the Council with the current thinking of the Rountree Committee on Iraq.

Secretary Dillon said that the Interdepartmental Committee, chaired by Mr. Rountree, had asked him to make this report. The report indicated that we should continue to carry out the measures vis-à-vis Iraq which had been described earlier to the National Security Council. The Committee did not feel that any new or additional measures were desirable unless conditions in Iraq should change radically in the future. Secretary Dillon thought that by and large the situation in Iraq seemed a little less discouraging than it had a month ago. He concluded by citing a number of indications of a somewhat better atmosphere from the U.S. point of view in Iraq.

Secretary Dillon then indicated that the Interdepartmental Committee was unanimous in its feeling that while the situation in Iraq should be kept under continuous review, that it would be desirable to release the Committee from the obligation to make weekly reports to the Council inasmuch as no different types of U.S. measures were contemplated. The Committee would prefer instead to report to the Council only when they feel they had something new and significant to say.

No objection was raised to the Committee’s recommendation.

The National Security Council:²

a. Noted an oral report on the subject by the Department of State, based upon the work of the interdepartmental group established by NSC Action No. 2068.

b. Agreed that the above-mentioned interdepartmental group should henceforth report to the NSC only when it considers that developments justify such a report, rather than making a weekly report as called for by NSC Action No. 2068.

Note: The action in b above, as approved by the President, subsequently transmitted to the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman, JCS, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Director, USIA, and the Director, ICA, for appropriate implementation.

S. Everett Gleason

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Gleason on June 18.
1. See footnote 12, Document 176; footnote 2, Document 182; and footnote 4, Document 183. NSC Action No. 2090, approved by the President on May 25, stated that the Council noted Dillon’s report on Iraq at the 407th Meeting of the NSC, May 21 (see Document 188). (Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)
2. Paragraphs a and b and the Note that follows constitute NSC Action No. 2100, approved by the President on June 22. (Ibid.)