330. Memorandum From Fred Rondon of the National Security Council Staff to Richard Kennedy of the National Security Council Staff1 2
SUBJECT:
- NSSM 115—Horn of Africa
- NSSM 142—Rhodesia
Unless you prefer to keep them on the Senior Review Group calendar, I recommend removing the studies on the Horn of Africa and Rhodesia from active consideration.
NSSM 142 on Rhodesia was predicated upon a successful British settlement with Ian Smith. It did not come about. With no early prospects for British recognition of Rhodesia, I see no need for us to further consider the policy options in the NSSM 142 study.
A review of our Horn of Africa policy is probably still a good idea but there is no urgency to do so in 1972. If you disagree, I think that we would want a fresh NSSM study rather than the March, 1971 study which was written at a time of increased ELF insurgency, of doubts about our proceeding with a small arms modernization program (M–14s) in Ethiopia or not, and when there was a conviction [text not declassified] that Kagnew was essential. Since then, the ELF has quieted down, the American complement [text not declassified] at Kagnew has been reduced from 1500 to 900 men, and we have gone ahead with the arms modernization program notwithstanding reduced MAP levels.
Rather than keeping the NSSM 115 and 142 studies on the books any longer, I recommend killing them. If you agree, would you initial the chit for Jeanne Davis at Tab 1.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-files), Box H–181, NSSM 115. Secret. Attached, but not published, was a July 18 memorandum to Jeanne Davis from Rondon and Kennedy, initialed by both, asking her to inform the agencies that NSSM 115 and NSSM 142 were no longer active.↩
- Rondon recommended killing the NSSM 115 study as the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) had quieted down, Kagnew had been reduced from 1,500 to 900 personnel, and arms modernization had proceeded despite Military Assistance Program (MAP) cuts.↩