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  4. Document 26

26. National Security Study Memorandum 111 2

Washington, January 28, 1969

TO:

  • The Secretary of State
  • The Secretary of Defense
  • The Acting Administrator of AID

SUBJECT:

  • Nigeria/Biafra Relief

The President has directed the preparation of two papers on the Nigerian civil war. One paper should consider the full range of alternative U.S. approaches and programs aimed at expediting and enlarging urgently the flow of relief to Biafra. This paper should include consideration of coordination, cost, timing and availability of resources.

The second paper should consider alternative views of U.S. interest in Nigeria and Biafra, the full range of basic policy choices open to the U.S., and the political consequences of alternative approaches to relief described in the first paper.

The President has directed that the NSC Interdepartmental Group for Africa perform this study.

Both papers should be forwarded to the NSC Review Group by February 4.

Henry A. Kissinger
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–133, NSSM Files, NSSM 11. Secret. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Earle G. Wheeler.↩
  2. NSSM 11 directed the preparation of papers on 1) alternative approaches and programs for expanding relief and 2) alternate views of the U.S. interest in Nigeria and Biafra.↩