Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XII, Western Europe

51. National Security Action Memorandum No. 336¹

Washington, August 6, 1965.

MEMORANDUM TO

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Defense
• Director of Central Intelligence
• Director, U.S. Information Agency
• Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission

SUBJECT

• Potentially Embarrassing Activities in France or in Areas Outside France which are Controlled by France

1. All addressee agencies should take special measures to prevent U.S. activities in France which could needlessly embarrass United States relations with France.

2. A study should be made to provide a complete catalogue of activities with respect to France being undertaken or planned to be undertaken by the United States, whether covert, clandestine, or overt, that could be regarded as illegal or that could cause embarrassment to the United States if the French decided to make an issue of them. The report should be sufficiently detailed as to the nature, frequency and scope of operations, and personnel and equipment involved, to permit judgments to be made as to the implications thereof on U.S. foreign relations.

3. An illustrative list of some of the kinds of activities that should be included in the study is attached at Annex A.

4. It is desired that this study be conducted by the addressee Departments and Agencies, with the Secretary of State exercising supervisory coordination.

5. Matters of the kind normally handled by the 303 Committee will be treated in separate annexes in 303 channels.

6. It is desired that the final report be submitted by September 1, 1965.²

McGeorge Bundy

Attachment

[2 headings and 13 paragraphs (1 page of source text) not declassified]

1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM 336. Top Secret; Exdis. A handwritten notation reads: “Sir: this has been sent to S/S for appropriate action.”
2. A September 9 memorandum from Benjamin Read to Bundy forwarded the reports of the Department of State, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Atomic Energy Commission. The memorandum and attached reports are ibid. Read noted that the reports of the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense were forwarded through the 303 Committee. No copies of these reports have been found.