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  4. Document 149

149. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1

Washington, May 24, 1971.

Henry:

Wayne Smith continues to raise the country programming issue. You signed the memorandum to the President2 but had reservations about it due to inter-departmental sensitivity, and wanted to think about it before forwarding it to the President. There was no good opportunity to discuss it last week due to your schedule. I have been [Page 315] holding the memorandum, as you directed, pending a careful analysis of where we were going.

There will be considerable resistance to this NSDM from State, Defense and probably AID. As you know, George Shultz has already signed the memorandum which can be dated today and forwarded to the President tomorrow, if you so determine. My main concern is that our substantive officers and the departments may feel somewhat usurped by the action. It would also put Smith’s staff into the guts of the operators’ cabbage patch. This does not bother me in the least but will generate some friction. The main benefit of the exercise which appears to me to be overriding is that you will have a systems analyst’s approach focused on selected countries. This cannot hurt and should only help our overall appreciation of the needs of the countries and the extent of our efforts in each.

The one key problem at hand is that Rogers may resent your not coordinating the decision memorandum with him. He will know that it was cooked up between your office and Shultz and may claim foul. The only option would be to have Kennedy or Smith discuss it beforehand with Rogers, or you may wish to raise it with him during your meeting tomorrow.

Decision

Send directly to the President3

Send to the President after I discuss with Rogers tomorrow

Send to the President after having Kennedy/Smith coordinate with State

Hold up on the issue

AH
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–224, National Security Decision Memoranda, NSDM 112. Confidential. Sent for action.↩
  2. Reference is to the joint memorandum to the President from Shultz and Kissinger drafted by Smith. See footnote 9, Document 132. ↩
  3. Kissinger initialed this option. Haig wrote in the left-hand margin: “date today & send.” The memorandum is Document 150. ↩