Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXI, Africa

163. Presidential Determination No. 61-26⁰

Washington, May 5, 1961.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

FOR

• The Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs

SUBJECT

• Determination under Section 451(a) of the Mutual Security Act of 1954, as amended, permitting the use of funds to furnish military equipment and materials to Tunisia

In accordance with the recommendation in your memorandum of May 3, 1961,¹ I hereby determine pursuant to Section 451(a) of the Mutual Security Act of 1954, as amended (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”), that it is more important to the security of the United States that up to $4,100,000 of funds available under the Act for military assistance purposes be used as described in your memorandum to furnish military assistance to Tunisia without regard to the requirements of Sections 141 and 142(a) of the Act that no military assistance shall be furnished to a nation unless it shall have agreed to the undertaking specified by Section 142(a) of the Act, and without regard to the requirements of Section 511(c) of the Act in respect to arrangements for the return to the United States of military equipment or materials furnished to a nation on a grant basis.

You are requested on my behalf to give appropriate notice of this determination, pursuant to Section 513 of the Act, to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

John F. Kennedy

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 772.56/5-361. Secret.
1. Attached to the source text is a memorandum from Under Secretary Ball to President Kennedy recommending that the President determine that the specified amount of FY 1961 military assistance funds be used to furnish military equipment and materials to Tunisia. A typed notation on Ball’s memorandum indicates that the President signed the Determination on May 5.