Office of the Historian

33. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Sisco) to Acting Secretary of State Irwin1

Washington, May 4, 1972.

Proposed Reply to Admiral Moorer re CENTO Political Guidance

There is attached at Tab B Admiral Moorer’s letter of April 182 to the Secretary alerting us to new efforts on the part of the CENTO regional members (Iran, Pakistan and Turkey) to revise the political guidance for military planning to permit planning for regional contingencies. At present, the guidance limits planning to countering aggression by Communist nations in the context of a global nuclear war.

For years, we and the British have resisted periodic attempts at this type of revision of the standing guidance, both to avoid involvement in regional squabbles and to avoid accusations of assisting in planning military action against such “friendly” countries as India and certain Arab nations. Surprisingly, we are told that in this latest renewal of the effort (relatively dormant since 1969), the United Kingdom military delegate is siding with the regional states and will recommend change in the UK position to the Foreign Secretary.3

A proposed reply to Admiral Moorer is at Tab A.4

Recommendation:

That you sign the attached letter to Admiral Moorer.5

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, CENTO 3. Confidential. Drafted by Robert W. Chase (NEA/RA) on May 2 and cleared in NEA, EUR/BMI, and PM/ISP and by Van Hollen.↩
  2. Attached but not printed.↩
  3. The issue arose at the June 1–2 CENTO Ministerial meeting held in London. Pakistan, backed by Iran, Turkey, and Secretary General Assar, pushed for a revision of the political guidance. Rogers convinced the members to drop their demands and settle for a reassessment of the threat to CENTO. (Telegram 5306 from London, June 8; National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, CENTO 3) The threat assessment is printed as Document 36.↩
  4. Attached but not printed at Tab A is the proposed letter in which Irwin assured Moorer that Sisco and his staff would consult with the JCS before the June CENTO meeting.↩
  5. Irwin signed the attached letter.↩