Foreign Assistance Policy, 1969-1972


91. Information Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Secret. The notation “The President has seen” is stamped on the memorandum.


92. Letter From the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Weinberger) to Secretary of State Rogers

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. No classification marking. Attached to an August 14 memorandum from Kissinger to the President agreeing with Laird’s position that the FY 1974 security assistance ceilings were too low. See footnote 1, Document 95.


93. Paper Prepared by the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (Hannah)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Agency Files, Box 195, AID 1972-1973. No classification marking. Attached to a July 25 memorandum from Hannah to Flanigan and Haig sent to them after Hannah’s July 25 meeting with the President (see Document 94). Hannah noted that he prepared this informal paper for that meeting and that since both Flanigan and Haig had taken notes during the meeting, it might help them understand what he was trying to say.


94. Memorandum for President Nixon’s File

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Agency Files, Box 195, AID 1972-1973. No classification marking. Prepared by Haig. Kissinger’s July 24 briefing memorandum for this meeting emphasized that Hannah had done a fine job under difficult circumstances, especially Congressional efforts to frustrate major portions of the President’s foreign assistance program. (Ibid.) Kissinger noted that he and Flanigan would also attend the meeting with Hannah. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting lasted from 3:04 to 3:37 p.m., and Flanigan and Haig were present. (Ibid., White House Central Files) See Document 93 for Hannah’s intended remarks at the meeting.


95. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Laird to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Confidential. Forwarded to the President under cover of an August 14 memorandum from Kissinger. In an August 9 memorandum, Kennedy reminded Kissinger he had discussed Laird’s concern with Weinberger and Laird on August 7, and they had “agreed that programs would be developed to meet our essential security needs following which consideration will be given to what adjustments in the ceilings would be necessary.” Kennedy recommended that Kissinger sign a memorandum to the President informing him of Laird’s concern and that programs to meet security needs would be developed within the basic limits of the Defense expenditure ceiling. (Ibid.) Regarding the August 7 meeting, see Document 96. The August 14 memorandum to the President noted that Laird and Rogers would develop programs within the limits of the Defense Department expenditure ceilings and concurred with Laird’s view that the Security Assistance ceilings were too low. The memorandum indicated that Laird and Weinberger would make recommendations on adjusting the expenditure levels.


96. Information Memorandum From Richard T. Kennedy of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Agency Files, Box 230, Department of Defense, Volume 18 8-12/72. Secret. Concurred in by Philip Odeen.


97. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Weinberger) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. No classification marking. Attached to an August 16 memorandum from Kennedy to Kissinger suggesting the memorandum was a follow-up to Kissinger’s budget discussion with Laird. Kennedy called Kissinger’s attention to Weinberger’s focus on the total level of the program and noted that some countries could not afford additional debt and that most had limited abilities to replace MAP grants with FMS loans. He thought the increase in FMS at the expense of MAP could be problematic and also doubted that the unusually large recoupments and reimbursements in MAP and private credit in FMS could be realized. Regarding Kissinger’s budget discussion with Laird, see footnote 1, Document 95 and Document 96.


98. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Secret.


99. Letter From the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance (Tarr) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Secret; Exdis. Attached to Document 104. The position of Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance was authorized in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1971 that President Nixon signed on February 7, 1972. Curtis Tarr, the first to encumber the position, entered on duty on May 2, 1972.


101. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Laird to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Secret. Attached to a January 4, 1973, memorandum from Kissinger to Laird informing him that the President had decided not to pursue Laird’s proposal to transfer security assistance to the Defense Department budget at that time.


102. Draft Memorandum From Secretary of the Treasury Shultz to President Nixon

Source: Washington National Records Center, Department of the Treasury, Files of Under Secretary Volcker: FRC 56 79 A 15, IFIs. No classification marking. Drafted by E.J. Finkel. A handwritten note on the memorandum reads: “Discussed in IDA IV mtg w/PAV et al. 12/1.” According to notes by the Deputy to Assistant Treasury Secretary Hennessy, George H. Willis, the December 1 meeting was an internal Treasury meeting attended by Volcker, Hennessy, Finkel, Hirschtritt, and several others. Willis’ notes deal only with the IDA-share issue. (Ibid.)


103. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Confidential. Attached to a January 4, 1973, memorandum from Kissinger to Laird (see footnote 1, Document 101).


104. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Weinberger) to the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance (Tarr)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. No classification marking. Forwarded to Kissinger under cover of a December 29 memorandum from Kennedy with the recommendation that, based on a review by his senior staff who agreed that Tarr’s proposal was the most reasonable distribution of the insufficient resources provided by the continuing resolution, he sign the memorandum to Tarr. Kennedy also provided a tabulation on security assistance continuing resolution funding through February 28 enacted by Congress just before adjournment. He concluded that the continuing resolution was $550 million below the President’s request, necessitating drastic cuts in many key programs, noted that the worst-case scenario would be extension of the continuing resolution at current levels through the remainder of FY 1973, and proposed a few areas where additional funds might become available.


105. Action Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Confidential. Forwarded to the President under cover of a December 22 memorandum from Kennedy that summarized the issues.