Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Africa, Volume XIV

25. Memorandum of Discussion at the 440th Meeting of the National Security Council⁰

April 7, 1960.

[Here follows a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting.]

1. U.S. Policy Toward West Africa (NSC 5818;¹NIE 70–59;²NSC 6001;³NSC 6005;⁴ Memo for NSC from Executive Secretary, same subject, dated March 15, 1960;⁵ Memo for All Holders of NSC 6005, dated March 22, 1960;NSC Action No. 2199;⁶ Memo for All Holders of NSC 6005, dated March 30, 1960⁷)

Mr. Gray briefed the Council on NSC 6005 as amended by the NSC Planning Board in the light of the Council discussion of March 24.⁸ (A copy of Mr. Gray’s Briefing Note is filed in the Minutes of the Meeting and another is attached to this Memorandum).⁹ After completing the reading of his Briefing Note, Mr. Gray said he wished to raise one additional point. At the Council Meeting of March 24 the Joint Chiefs of Staff had proposed the insertion of a new paragraph in NSC 6005 providing for technically competent observers in African countries to keep abreast of military developments. The Council had discussed this proposal and decided that the question was an operational one. Accordingly, the paragraph had not been included in the policy paper. General Cabell, however, was concerned over this problem and wanted to discuss it further.

General Cabell said the paragraph proposed by the JCS was of interest to CIA but was, in his view, too narrow. He suggested that the paragraph might be amended to provide that competent observers would be established in African countries to keep abreast of military or internal security developments. He also suggested that the title of this section of the paper (Page 14) be changed from “Military and Strategic” to “Military, Strategic and Internal Security.” Mr. Gray said he understood General Cabell’s suggestions were acceptable to Defense, but he wondered whether the Department of State still felt that the paragraph was of such an operational nature that it should not be included in the policy paper. Mr. Dillon said he had no objection to including the paragraph as amended in the paper.

Mr. Dillon then asked leave to discuss a broader aspect of NSC 6005. He noted that discussion of this paper at two meetings of the Council had been devoted primarily to the differences of opinion on financial assistance to the indigenous countries, on the share of assistance to be provided by the U.S. and the metropoles, respectively, and so on. After discussion, it appeared that there was really not much difference of opinion on these subjects. However, he desired to emphasize the overriding political significance of the area, the fate of which is now hanging in the balance. Mr. Dillon thought the fate of the area would depend on the actions taken by the U.S. and Western Europe (1) to solve the difficult problems which the newly-independent countries of West Africa were facing and (2) to meet the aggressive Soviet Bloc attack in the area. He considered West Africa a priority area from the political point of view and believed the U.S. would have to assume an active role to protect U.S. political interests there. Such an active role for the protection of our political interests would be a departure from the traditional U.S. position with respect to Africa.

The President said it seemed to him that Mr. Dillon was saying that the Operations Coordinating Board should do a very good job of implementing the policy in NSC 6005. Mr. Dillion agreed.

Mr. Dillon then remarked that Paragraph 18–B of NSC 6005 was technically deficient in that it referred to UN assistance “other than development financing.” This language did not take account of the fact that the World Bank was a Specialized Agency of the UN. Mr. Gray said the language of the paragraph could be adjusted to reflect the relationship of the World Bank to the UN. The phrase “other than development financing” in Paragraph 18–B was designed to preserve a provision which appears in Paragraph 32 of Basic National Security Policy (NSC 5906/1).¹⁰ Mr. Dillon felt it would not be difficult to adjust the language of Paragraph 18–B.

The National Security Council:¹¹

a. Discussed the draft statement of policy on the subject contained in NSC 6005, as amended by the enclosures to the reference Memos for All Holders of NSC 6005; in the light of the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, transmitted by the reference memorandum of March 15, 1960.

b. Adopted the statement of policy in NSC 6005 as amended by the enclosures to the reference Memos for All Holders of NSC 6005, subject to the following further amendments:

(1) Page 12, paragraph 18B: Insert an asterisk after the words “(other than development financing)”, and insert the following footnote thereto:

“* This provision does not preclude the operations of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations.”

(2) Page 14: Revise the heading preceding paragraph 29 to read “Military, Strategic and Internal Security”.

(3) Page 14: Insert the following new paragraph after paragraph 30 (renumbering subsequent paragraphs accordingly):

“31. Establish technically competent observers in African countries to keep abreast of military or internal security developments, subject in each case to the approval of the Secretary of State.”

(4) Page 16, old subparagraphs 31–c and -d: Revise to read as follows (deleting the first two footnotes thereto):

“c. Wherever it is determined to be infeasible or inconsistent with U.S. national security interests to rely on the sources in subparagraph b to meet the external capital needs of a particular territory or nation, be prepared on the basis of case-by-case appraisal of country or major project requirements to extend economic development assistance or special assistance consistent with the foregoing guidance.*

“* Specific guidance for Guinea and Liberia is provided in paragraphs 38 and 44 below.”

“d. Be prepared to extend to independent nations and, in consultation with the metropolitan power concerned, to dependent territories (1) U.S. technical assistance and (2) U.S. special assistance for the improvement of education and training, with particular emphasis to be given to the meeting of the needs which are common to all of the countries of the area. Be prepared to negotiate surplus commodity sales under P.L. 480 when appropriate.

c. Noted the statement by the Under Secretary of State that the area covered by this paper has taken on great political importance to the United States, and the statement by the President that the Operations Coordinating Board should make a special effort to ensure the effective implementation of the policy contained in NSC 6005.

Note:NSC 6005, as amended by the action in b above, subsequently approved by the President; circulated as NSC 6005/1 to supersede those portions of NSC 5818 which relate to West Africa (a statement of policy toward South, Central and East Africa, NSC 6001, has been approved to supersede that portion of NSC 5818 relating to South, Central and East Africa) for implementation by all appropriate Executive departments and agencies of the U.S. Government; and referred to the Operations Coordinating Board as the coordinating agency designated by the President, together with the action in c above.

[Here follow the remaining agenda items.]

Marion W. Boggs

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Boggs on April 7.
1. Document 8.
2. Document 17.
3. Document 22.
4. See footnote 4, Document 23.
5. See footnote 5, Document 23.
6. See footnote 13, Document 23.
7. The March 22 and 30 memoranda are not printed.
8. Document 23.
9. Not printed.
10. See footnote 9, Document 23.
11. Paragraphs a–c and the Note that follows constitute NSC Action No. 2209. (Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)