Office of the Historian

102. Memorandum From Charles A. Cooper of the National Security Council Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger, Washington, December 4, 1973.1 2

Washington, December 4, 1973

MEMORANDUM
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
INFORMATION

December 4, 1973

MEMORANDUM FOR: SECRETARY KISSINGER
FROM: CHARLES A. COOPER [CAC initialed]
SUBJECT: Indonesian AID Level Decision.

Indonesian President Suharto has selected (Tab A) one of the options you offered (Tab B) on next year’s aid level. He prefers to hold to the one-third of bilateral aid formula but to apply it to all bilateral aid (including food aid) whereas it has previously been applied only to non-food aid. At Tab C is Ambassador Galbraith’s interim reply in which he indicates that our political objective of avoiding any negative political signal has been accomplished. Galbraith chose not to offer the option of a higher MAP level.

The formula selected requires $233 million of U.S. assistance — $105 million of PL–480 commodities and $128 million for development loans. OMB has agreed to these levels. This issue does not have to go to the President since it has now been resolved. Tom Pickering is handling the mechanics with State/AID.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 533, Country Files, Far East, Indonesia, Volume 4, 1 January 1973–. Secret. Sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum. Attached Tab A is Galbraith’s backchannel message of December 3; attached Tab B is Kissinger’s November 25 backchannel to Galbraith; Tab C was not attached.↩
  2. Cooper reported to Kissinger on Suharto’s decision about the level of aid to Indonesia.↩