142. Minutes of the Secretary of Defense’s Staff Meeting1 2
- Mr. Laird
- Mr. Packard
- Mr. Beal (for Mr. Resor)
- General Westmoreland
- Mr. Warner (for Gov. Chafee)
- Admiral Moorer
- Dr. McLucas (for Dr. Seamans)
- General Ryan
- General Wheeler
- General Walt (for General Chapman)
- Dr. Foster
- Mr. Cooke (for Mr. Frostlike)
- Mr. Henkin
- Admiral Mack (for Mr. Kelley)
- Mr. Brasier (for Mr. Moot)
- Dr. Nutter
- Dr. Selin
- Mr. Shillito
- Mr. Niederlehner
- Mr. Wallace
- Mr. Stompler
- Dr. Walske
- Mr. Glass
- Mr. Baroody
- Mr. Garbac
- Colonel Pursley
- Colonel Hixon
- Captain Wilson
- Colonel Furlong
- Mr. Livesay
1. Attendance
Mr. Laird began meeting 0930. All three Service Secretaries are on leave, but are well represented by Mr. Beal, Mr. Warner and Dr. McLucas, respectively. General Chapman is on his way to a Western Pacific trip and General Walt is attending; Mr. Moot is on leave, Mr. Brazier is attending; Mr. Froehlke is on leave. Mr. Cooke is attending; and Mr. Kelley is on the Hill testifying this morning, and Admiral Mack is attending. This is General Ryan’s first meeting as Chief of Staff, Air Force. We are looking forward to his four-year term. Admiral Moorer is here in a new term as Chief of Naval Operations, but this is not a new experience for him.
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13. Chemical Warfare/Biological Research
Mr. Laird said he would like to discuss guidance on these programs. He feels that it is important to discontinue the use of the CBW term as such. This has all of the various programs lumped together. He feels they should be broken down to two separate programs—one for chemical warfare and one for biological research. There are a number of differences between these programs on what we are trying to accomplish. The complete term puts us on the defensive much more than we have to be. Dr. Foster said it was a correct and straight forward way to go. Dr. Selin said there is no “biological warfare program.” Mr. Beal said we should realize, however, that we are producing some biological warfare agents, although these are not being produced in the form of munitions. Mr. Warner suggested that we use the term chemical ordnance. Dr. Selin said we spend more on defense against chemical weapons. Mr. Laird said we do not want to limit the term to ordnance. Ordnance sounds like too much emphasis on the offensive use which is not a major concern.
[Omitted here is unrelated material.]
- Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330–76–28, Office Chrons, June–Aug 1969. Secret.↩
- In this meeting, Laird stated that it was important to discontinue the use of the term CBW term as such since it lumps together two separate programs, one for chemical warfare and one for biological research.↩