Sources

The editors of the Foreign Relations series have complete access to all the retired records and papers of the Department of State: the central files of the Department; the special decentralized files (“lot files”) of the Department at the bureau, office, and division levels; the files of the Department’s Executive Secretariat, which contain the records of international conferences and high-level official visits, correspondence with foreign leaders by the President and Secretary of State, and memoranda of conversations between the President and Secretary of State and foreign officials; and the files of overseas diplomatic posts. When this volume was being compiled, the Department of State records consulted were still under the custody of the Department, and the footnotes citing Department of State files suggest that the Department is the repository. By the time of publication, however, all the Department’s indexed central files for these years had been permanently transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration (Archives II) at College Park, Maryland. Many of the Department’s decentralized office (or lot) files covering this period, which the National Archives deems worthy of permanent retention, are in the process of being transferred from the Department’s custody to Archives II.

The editors of the Foreign Relations series also have full access to the papers of President Johnson and other White House foreign policy records. Presidential papers maintained and preserved at the Presidential libraries include some of the most significant foreign affairs-related documentation from the Department of State and other Federal agencies including the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In preparing this volume, the editor made extensive use of Presidential papers and other White House records at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library. Numerous White House memoranda, including memoranda to the President, testify to President Johnson’s concern with issues relating to Iran, especially the maintenance of personal ties with the Shah. The bulk of the foreign policy records at the Johnson Library are in the country files and other component parts of the National Security File.

The Department of State arranged for access to the many audiotapes of President Johnson’s telephone conversations that are held at the Johnson Library. These audiotapes include substantial numbers of telephone conversations between President Johnson and Secretary of State Rusk, Secretary of Defense McNamara, the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, and key members of Congress. The editor of this volume selected for publication one audiotape of a President Johnson telephone conversation dealing with Iran. A transcript [Page XVI] was then prepared. Although the transcript gives the substance of the conversation, readers are urged to consult the recording for a full appreciation of those dimensions that cannot be captured fully in a transcription, such as the speakers’ inflections and emphases that may convey nuances of meaning.

Second in importance only to the White House records at the Johnson Library were the records of the Department of State. The Department’s central files contain the cable traffic recording U.S. diplomatic relations with Iran, memoranda of diplomatic conversations, and memoranda proposing action or providing information. Some important documents are found only in the Department’s lot files. The Conference Files maintained by the Executive Secretariat contain briefing materials as well as records of conversations. Documentation on initiatives that were not approved is often found only in desk or bureau files. The Rusk Files contain records of Secretary Rusk’s telephone conversations.

The Central Intelligence Agency provides access to Department of State historians to high-level intelligence documents from those records in the custody of that Agency and at the Presidential libraries. This access is arranged and facilitated by the History Staff of the Center for the Study of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, pursuant to a May 1992 memorandum of understanding. Department of State and CIA historians continue to work out the procedural and scholarly aspects of identifying the key portions of the intelligence record. This volume includes a limited number of intelligence records. Among the intelligence records reviewed for the volume were files of the Directors of Central Intelligence, especially Richard Helms, CIA intelligence reports and summaries, and the CIA Registry of National Intelligence Estimates and Special National Intelligence Estimates.

Almost all of this documentation has been made available for use in the Foreign Relations series thanks to the consent of the agencies mentioned, the assistance of their staffs, and especially the cooperation and support of the National Archives and Records Administration.

The following list identifies the particular files and collections used in the preparation of this volume. The declassification and transfer to the National Archives of these records is in process. Many of the records are already available for public review at the National Archives. The declassification review of other records is going forward in accordance with the provisions of Executive Order 12958, under which all records over 25 years old, except file series exemptions requested by agencies and approved by the President, should be reviewed for declassification by 2000.

[Page XVII]

Unpublished Sources

  • Department of State
    • Central Files. During 1964–1968 the Department’s central files were filed according to a subject-numeric system. The records were divided into broad categories: Administration, Consular, Culture and Information, Economic, Political and Defense, Science, and Social. Within each of these divisions were subcategories. For example, Political and Defense contained four subtopics: CSM (communism), DEF (Defense), INT (intelligence), and POL (politics). The subcategories were divided into numerical subdivisions or, in many cases, country files, with numerical subdivisions. The POL series began with files with numerical subdivisions on international issues, such as issues relating to international rivers, and continued with country files. These files have been transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration at College Park Maryland, Record Group 59.
      • AID 6 IRAN: Communist bloc aid, Iran
      • AID (US) IRAN: general policy, U.S. aid to Iran
      • BG 6 TEHRAN: buildings and grounds acquisition, Tehran
      • DEF 1 IRAN: defense policy, Iran
      • DEF 1–4 IRAN: air defense, Iran
      • DEF 1–5 IRAN: alert measures, Iran
      • DEF 6 IRAN: armed forces, Iran
      • DEF 12–5 IRAN: procurement and sale of armaments, Iran
      • DEF 15 IRAN–US: bases and installations, Iran-U.S.
      • DEF 15–3 IRAN–US: status of forces, Iran-U.S.
      • DEF 12–5 US–IRAN: procurement and sale of armaments, U.S.-Iran
      • DEF 19 US–IRAN: military assistance, U.S. -Iran
      • DEF 19–3 US–IRAN: defense organizations and conferences, U.S.-Iran
      • DEF 19–8 US–IRAN: defense equipment and supplies, U.S. -Iran
      • DEF 19–9 US–IRAN: advisory and training assistance, U.S. -Iran
      • DEF 19–6 USSR-IRAN: U.S.S.R. military assistance to Iran
      • E 2–2 IRAN: economic review, Iran
      • E 8 IRAN: economic conditions, Iran
      • E 12 IRAN: land use, land reform, Iran
      • EDU 9–3 IRAN: educational system, institutions, college and university, Iran
      • EDX 12 IRAN: educational cultural exchange, youth programs, Iran
      • FN 16 IRAN: revenue, taxation, Iran
      • ORG 7 S: organization and administration, Secretary’s visits
      • PET 2 IRAN: petroleum general reports and statistics, Iran
      • PET 6 IRAN: petroleum companies, Iran
      • PET 17 USSR-IRAN: petroleum trade, USSR-Iran
      • POL 33 PERSIAN GULF: waters, boundaries, Persian Gulf
      • POL ARAB–IRAN: political affairs and relations, Arabs-Iran
      • POL ARAB–ISR: political affairs and relations, Arabs-Israel
      • POL 27 ARAB–ISR: military operations, Arabs-Israel
      • POL IRAN: political affairs and relations, Iran
      • POL 2 IRAN: general reports and statistics, Iran
      • POL 2–3 IRAN: politico-economic reports, Iran
      • POL 7 IRAN: visits, meetings with Iranian leaders
      • POL 12 IRAN: political parties, Iran
      • POL 13–2 IRAN: students, youth groups, Iran
      • POL 15–1 IRAN: Iranian Head of State
      • POL 23–1 IRAN: internal security, counter-insurgency, plans and programs, Iran
      • POL 23–9 IRAN: rebellion, coups, Iran
      • POL 30 IRAN: defectors and expellees, Iran
      • POL IRAN–SAUD: political affairs and relations, Iran-Saudi Arabia
      • POL IRAN–US: political affairs and relations, Iran-U.S.
      • POL 17 IRAN–US: diplomatic and consular representation, Iran-U.S.
      • POL 1 US: general policy and background, U.S.
      • POL 7 US/HARRIMAN: visits, meetings of W. Averell Harriman
      • POL 7 US/McCloy: visits, meetings of John J. McCloy
      • POL 15–1 US/Johnson: Head of State, Executive Branch, President Lyndon B. Johnson
      • POL 15–1 US/NIXON: Head of State, Executive Branch, President-elect Richard M. Nixon
      • POL 7 USSR: visits, meetings with Soviet leaders
      • POL 27 VIET S: military operations, South Vietnam
      • SOC 13 IRAN: social conditions, population, Iran
      • UN 6 CHICOM: question of Chinese representation in the United Nations
    • Lot Files. These files have been transferred or will be transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration at College Park Maryland, Record Group 59.
      • Conference Files: Lot 66 D 110
        • Records of official visits by heads of government and foreign ministers to the United States and international conferences attended by the President, the Secretary of State, and other U.S. officials, 1961–1964, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State.
      • Conference Files: Lot 68 D 453
        • International Conference chronologies, May 10, 1967, through December 29–January 11, 1968, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State.
      • Conference Files: Lot 70 D 418
        • Official visit chronologies, January 1968 through December 1969, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 30
        • Iran Subject Files for 1964, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 95
        • Iran Subject Files for 1964, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 178
        • Iran Subject Files for 1964, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 426
        • Iran Subject Files for 1965, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 484
        • Iran Subject Files for 1965, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 489
        • Iran Subject Files for 1965, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 490
        • Iran Subject Files for 1965, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 69 D 513
        • Iran Subject Files for 1964 and 1966, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 70 D 330
        • Iran Subject Files for 1966, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • NEA/IRN Files: Lot 70 D 552
        • Iran Subject Files for 1965, 1966, and 1967, as maintained by the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs (after July 1, 1966, Country Director for Iran), Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
      • Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192
        • Files of Secretary of State Dean Rusk, 1961–1969, including texts of speeches and public statements, miscellaneous correspondence files, White House correspondence, chronological files, and memoranda of telephone conversations.
      • S/P Files: Lot 72 D 139
        • S/P and S/PC Country Files; W. Rostow and H. Owen memoranda.
      • S/S Files: Lot 68 D 475
        • Official State visit chronologies of foreign heads of state and government and ranking foreign officials June–November 1967, as maintained by the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State.
  • Central Intelligence Agency
    • Job 78–03805R, U.S. Government, Special Group, CI, and 303
    • Job 79–R01012A, ODDI Registry of NIE and SNIE
    • Job 79–T00430A, Current Intelligence Memoranda
    • Job 79–T00472A, OCI Intelligence Memoranda
    • Job 80–00105A, Iran
    • Job 80–B01285A, DCI Files, DCI Helms Chrons
    • Job 80–R01580R, DCI Files
  • Library of Congress, Manuscript Division
    • Harriman Papers
      • Special Files; Public Service, Kennedy-Johnson Administrations, 1958–1971.
  • Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland
    • Record Group 330, Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense
      • OASD/ISA Files: FRC 68 A 306
        • Secret and lower-classified general files of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, 1964.
      • OASD/ISA Files: FRC 70 A 6648
        • Secret files of the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Special Assistants, 1966.
      • OASD/ISA Files: FRC 72 A 1498
        • Secret files of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, 1968.
      • OSD Files: FRC 70 A 4443
        • Secret files of the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Special Assistants, 1966.
      • OSD Files: FRC 72 A 2468
        • Secret files of the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Special Assistants, 1967.
      • OSD Files: FRC 73 A 1250
        • Secret files of the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Special Assistants, 1968.
  • Lyndon B. Johnson Library, Austin, Texas
    • Papers of President Lyndon B. Johnson
      • National Security File
        • Country File, Iran
        • Agency File, Department of State
        • Special Head of State Correspondence File
        • Files of the Special Committee of the NSC
        • Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Walt W. Rosto
        • Files of Robert W. Komer
        • Files of Walt W. Rostow
        • W. Howard Wriggins Memos
        • NSC Files of Harold H. Saunders
      • White House Central Files
        • President’s Daily Diary
        • Papers of Robert W. Komer
        • Transcripts of Telephone Conversations, Alpha Series, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi

Published Sources

  • U.S. Department of State. American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1961–1967. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1965–1969.
  • U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson. 5 vols. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1965–1969.