Office of the Historian

114. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, December 30, 1969.

SUBJECT

  • Minutes of the Meeting of the 303 Committee, 23 December 1969

PRESENT

  • Mr. Kissinger, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Johnson, and General Cushman
  • Mr. Packard was out of the city
  • Mr. John Hart was present for Item 1
  • Mr. William Nelson was present for Items 2 and 3
  • Mr. [name not declassified] was present for Item 4
  • Mr. [name not declassified] and Mr. [name not declassified] were present for Item 5
  • Mr. Archibald Roosevelt was present for Item 6
  • Mr. Thomas Karamessines and Mr. [name not declassified] were present for all items

[Omitted here is discussion of items 1–4, which are unrelated to the Soviet Union.]

5. United States Government Support of Covert Action Directed at the Soviet Union

a.
The State Department memorandum for the 303 Committee dated 12 December 1969, entitled “U.S. Policy on Support for Covert Action Involving Emigrés Directed at the Soviet Union,”2 was approved as a basic policy statement superceding NSC 5502/1, dated 31 January 1955, entitled “U.S. Policy Toward Russian Anti-Soviet Political Activities.”
b.
It was agreed that this policy statement will not be issued as a National Security Directive Memorandum (NSDM) but will serve as the U.S. policy authorization for the kinds of émigré activities described in the CIA paper dated 9 December 1969,3 titled as in the above paragraph heading.
c.

[2 names not declassified] briefed the Committee and responded to numerous questions on the following activities which comprise the CIA covert action program supporting media and contact activities aimed at stimulating and sustaining pressures for liberalization and evolutionary change from within the Soviet Union:

[4 paragraphs (6 lines of source text) not declassified]

d.
The Committee approved the continuation of the CIA covert action program including the above individual projects at the funding level contained in the CIA FY 1970 budget.

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to the Soviet Union.]

Frank M. Chapin
  1. Source: National Security Council, Intelligence Files, 303 Committee Meeting Minutes, 1969. Secret; Eyes Only. Copies were sent to Mitchell, Packard, Johnson, and Helms.↩
  2. Document 106.↩
  3. Document 103.↩