Office of the Historian

396. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee (Intelligence) Meeting1

Washington, October 23, 1979, 4:30–5:30 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • Covert Action

PARTICIPANTS

  • State

    • David Newsom, Under Secretary for Political Affairs

  • OSD

    • Secretary Harold Brown
    • W. Graham Claytor, Jr., Deputy Secretary

  • JCS

    • Lt. Gen. John Pustay, Assistant to the Chairman

  • DCI

    • Admiral Stansfield Turner
    • Frank Carlucci, Deputy Director
    • [name not declassified] Deputy Chief/LA/DDO
    • [name not declassified] Deputy Chief/NE/DDO
    • [name and title not declassified]
    • Justice
    • Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti

  • OMB

    • Dr. John White, Deputy Director

  • White House

    • Zbigniew Brzezinski, Chairman
    • Donald Gregg
    • Hedley Donovan

  • NSC

    • Paul B. Henze, Notetaker
[Page 985]

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

The purpose of this meeting was to consider three covert action proposals presented by CIA, relating to El Salvador, Jamaica and Afghanistan, and to consider whether covert action proposals for other problem countries should be developed for future consideration.2 (S)

After discussion of the situation in El Salvador and U.S. policy objectives there, the committee agreed to endorse a covert program designed to strengthen the new government and democratic elements supporting it now or likely to support it in the future. CIA representatives pointed out that initially this effort would be based on existing agents and friendly contacts in the junta. CIA had refrained from discussing with them steps that might be taken to bolster moderate, pro-democratic elements but with SCC approval and a Presidential Finding will now be able to develop a program.3 $700,000 will be allocated for this program. The covert program will be parallel to a larger program of overt U.S. Government (and possible European) actions serving the same basic policy purpose. (S)

The group also reviewed options for counter-terrorist aid and possible counter-insurgency assistance in El Salvador. CIA’s proposed [dollar amount not declassified] counter-terrorist program was endorsed. CIA will gather information on possible counter-insurgency assistance but no action in this field will be undertaken until more concrete proposals are made and reviewed by the SCC. (S)

[Omitted here is material unrelated to El Salvador.]

  1. Source: National Security Council, Carter Intelligence Files, Box I047, SCC–I on Covert Action, 23 October 1979. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room.↩
  2. See Document 395.↩
  3. See Document 398.↩