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

88. Memorandum of Discussion at the 451st Meeting of the National Security Council⁰

Washington, July 15, 1960.

[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and agenda items 1–4.]

5. U.S. Policy Toward the Near East (NSC 5820/1;¹NSC Action No. 2080;²NIE 30–59;³NIE 36–60;⁴NSC 6011;⁵ Memos for All Holders of NSC 6011, dated June 27 and July 1, 1960;⁶ Memo for NSC from Executive Secretary, same subject, dated July 6, 1960⁷)

Mr. Gray briefed the Council on the subject. (A copy of Mr. Gray’s Briefing Note is filed in the Minutes of the Meeting and another copy is attached to this Memorandum).⁸

When he had concluded, Secretary Anderson, referring to Paragraph 37 of NSC 6011, stated that in his judgment whether or not we defend Middle East oil will depend on the situation at the time. However, he believed we could not have a mutual security program without that oil. It was as essential to mutual security as atomic warheads. The needs of Europe for oil were increasing annually by 320,000 barrels per day. Even this annual increment in European demand could not be supplied without Middle East oil. He did not object, he said, to the paper as written but he felt that the U.S. would act as necessary in any situation. He said that North African oil was a long way off yet. Mr. Dulles agreed that it would be two to three years before oil in significant quantity was coming out of North Africa. Secretary Herter agreed that the increasing European demand meant that Europe would need just as much oil as in the past from the Near East. Secretary Anderson again emphasized that if we were to continue to have a mutual security program and if there was a circumstance where we had to send in forces all by ourselves, we should cross that bridge at the time. Secretary Herter believed that the only area in which we were likely to have to use military force was in the Persian Gulf and that there we would surely act with the British.

The National Security Council:⁹

a. Discussed the draft statement of policy on the subject contained in NSC 6011; in the light of the views of the Joint Chiefs or Staff thereon, transmitted by the reference memorandum of July 6, 1960.

b. Adopted the statement of policy in NSC 6011.

Note:NSC 6011, as adopted by the action in b above, subsequently approved by the President to supersede NSC 5820/1, except for paragraph 42 relating to the Sudan, with the understanding that paragraph 42 of NSC 5820/1 be continued in effect pending a review of U.S. policy toward the Sudan. The President directed implementation of NSC 6011 for implementation by all Executive departments and agencies of the U.S. Government, and referred it to the Operations Coordinating Board as the coordinating agency. The above understanding regarding paragraph 42 of NSC 5820/1 subsequently transmitted to all holders of that paper.

[Here follow agenda items 6 and 7.]

Robert H. Johnson

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Johnson on July 18. President Eisenhower was on a month-long vacation in Newport, Rhode Island, and did not attend this NSC meeting. On July 19 at 5:30 p.m. Gordon Gray briefed the President on NSC consideration of NSC 6011 “with particular emphasis on the change in the priority of the objectives and in the language of the paragraphs with respect to oil.” Gray also told the President that although the Council had unanimously agreed to the amendments to the paper, Secretary Anderson believed that this policy should not “restrain a President from using force to act alone with respect to oil.” President Eisenhower indicated that he understood Anderson’s position and felt that “no change in the language was indicated.” (Memorandum of discussion, July 26; ibid., White House Office Files, Project Clean Up)
1. Document 51.
2. See vol. IV, p. 615, footnote 9.
3. Document 71.
4. Entitled “The Outlook for the UAR,” April 26, 1960. (Department of State, INR–NIE Files)
5. For text of NSC 6011 as approved, see Document 89.
6. These memoranda from Lay to the NSC contained revisions to NSC 5820/1. (Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 6011)
7. In this memorandum Lay transmitted the views of the JCS on the draft of NSC 6011 to the Secretary of Defense. The JCS considered that the statement of policy was “acceptable from a military point of view” and recommended that Gates support it. (Ibid.)
8. Attached but not printed.
9. Paragraphs a and b and the Note that follows constitute NSC Action No. 2264, approved by the President on July 19. (Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)