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  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XVI, Eastern Europe; Cyprus; Greece; Turkey
  4. Document 250

250. National Security Action Memorandum No. 980

Washington, September 25, 1961.

TO

  • The Secretary of State

REFERENCE

  • National Security Action Memorandum No. 71)

The President approves the program outlined in the State Department’s memorandum on “Proposals for US Action in Cyprus” of September 7, 1961.1 He agrees that the US should assume a more active role in Cyprus than in the past and desires that the program to this end be pushed vigorously [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] to contain and reduce communist strength. He further requests that we impress upon Greece, Turkey and the UK the importance we attach to helping Cyprus and urge them to step up their efforts as well.

McGeorge Bundy
  1. Source: Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM 98. Secret. Copies were sent to the Secretary of Defense and Director of Central Intelligence.↩
  2. See Document 249.↩