Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXXV, National Security Policy, 1973–1976

122. National Security Decision Memorandum 342¹

Washington, December 16, 1976.

TO

• The Secretary of State
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Director, Office of Management and Budget
• The Director, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
• The Director of Central Intelligence

SUBJECT

• Organizations to Perform Security Assistance Functions

The President has reviewed the study² of the Interdepartmental Group for Political-Military Affairs on MAAG Requirements and has noted agency views. The President has decided to establish or continue in the countries indicated the following organizations to perform security assistance functions in Fiscal Year 1978. Personnel and funding levels will be those established in the President’s Fiscal Year 1978 budget request.

Defense Field Offices

Ethiopia	Kuwait3	Saudi Arabia
Greece	Liberia	Spain
Indonesia	Morocco	Thailand
Iran4	Pakistan	Tunisia
Japan	Philippines	Turkey
Jordan	Portugal	Zaire
Korea	Republic of China

Military Groups

Argentina	Dominican Republic	Panama
Bolivia	Ecuador	Paraguay5
Brazil	El Salvador	Peru
Chile	Guatemala	Uruguay
Colombia	Honduras	Venezuela
Costa Rica	Nicaragua

Offices of Defense Cooperation

Australia	India
Austria	Italy
Belgium	Netherlands
Denmark	Norway
France	United Kingdom
Federal Republic of Germany

The Secretary of State, in close cooperation with the Secretary of Defense, should propose legislation which will:

• Authorize establishment of Defense Field Offices in the countries specified above.

• Provide for continued operation of the Latin American military groups based on their traditional role of representation.

• Permit, without specific congressional approval, the assignment to the chief of each U.S. diplomatic mission of up to six military personnel to perform security assistance functions.

• Allow Defense Attaché Offices to continue to perform security assistance functions in countries where either manpower and cost savings are effected or political sensitivities are paramount.

If these amendments to the existing law are not forthcoming, Office of Defense Cooperation will be established or Defense Field Offices will be proposed where necessary.

Brent Scowcroft

1. Source: Ford Library, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box 68, NSDM 342. Confidential. A copy was sent to George Brown.
2. Document 103.
3. The Defense Field Office will be replaced by an Office of Defense Cooperation if an adequate level of reimbursement can be obtained from the host country. [Footnote in the original. This footnote appears next to the names of the following countries: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.]
4. Six or less members of the U.S. military will be assigned to the Defense Field Office or Military Group. [Footnote in the original. This footnote appears next to the names of the following countries: Iran, Tunisia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Chile, and Honduras.]
5. Three or less members of the U.S. military will be assigned to the Military Group. [Footnote in the original. This footnote appears next to the names of the following countries: Paraguay, Uruguay, and Costa Rica.]