281. Memorandum for the Record1

SUBJECT

  • Minutes of Informal Meeting, 6:00 p.m., 13 June, Mr. Katzenbach’s office
1.
The group discussed whether the President should speak to the coming UN General Assembly and agreed on the following preparatory actions:
a.
Mr. Katzenbach to cable Secretary Rusk laying out the considerations so the Secretary could mull them over and be prepared to discuss them at the 14 June Special Committee meeting.
b.
Messrs. Sisco and E.V. Rostow to prepare separate drafts of a UN speech in time for the President’s Wednesday night reading.
c.
Mr. Battle to assume responsibility for producing a paper covering the whole range of political and territorial problems to settle issues and making some judgment on their acceptability. Mr. Bundy to have a couple of non-government experts produce independent papers along the same lines. Although these papers must necessarily be tentative at this stage, they are necessary as yardsticks for judging the content of the UN speech.
d.
Messrs. Battle and Sisco to call a joint meeting of the NEA and IO consultants for 15 June.
2.
The group requested two studies:
a.
An SNIE on Nasser’s prospects for survival, including both economic and political vulnerabilities.
b.
A paper answering the questions: How long can Israel hold the territory it has won? What are the costs?
3.
The group noted the importance of getting a better picture of the nuclear problem and tentatively agreed to ask Mr. Kohler to take a look at this.
McG B
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Special Committee Files, Special Committee Meetings. Secret. See also Document 280.