Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XLI, Global Issues II

210. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (McFarlane) to Multiple Recipients¹

Washington, February 7, 1984

SUBJECT

• NSSD on U.S. Third World Hunger Relief (S)

The President has directed that a study be conducted to develop a creative and comprehensive U.S. food assistance program and that a National Security Study Directive: U.S. Third World Hunger Relief, with options as appropriate, be submitted for National Security Council consideration and Presidential decision, not later than April 15, 1984.² (S)

The Department of State will chair this study; the Agency for International Development will serve as the deputy chair for this effort. It has been agreed that Ambassador Robert Keating of the Department of State will be study chairman. (S)

Management of the NSSD review will be the responsibility of an interagency steering group led by Ambassador Keating; agency representation on this steering group will be at least at the Assistant Secretary level. Interagency working groups will complete specific tasks and then report their results to the study’s steering group. The steering group will submit its final study to the NSC. (S)

Agencies should provide comments on the attached draft National Security Study Directive terms of reference by COB February 10, 1984. (S)

Robert C. McFarlane

Tab A

Draft of a National Security Study Directive³

Washington, undated

U.S. THIRD WORLD HUNGER RELIEF (S)

Introduction

This National Security Study Directive establishes the terms of reference for an action oriented program plan for Third World Hunger Relief based on an assessment of current U.S. policies and feasible new policies and programs. (S)

Objective of the Study

To produce a National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) for consideration by the National Security Council and in turn for decision by the President. (S)

Scope

The study will include, at a minimum, the following topics:

—An overview of Third World hunger issues linked to U.S. strategic, trade and development interests.

—An examination of the effectiveness of U.S. policy tools and resources used to alleviate hunger.

—A review and enumeration of recommendations from prior Presidentially approved studies which were presented to the Congress and enacted.

—Major constraints to reducing or expanding U.S. food aid resources should be reported in the context of a four year planning framework—1984–1988.

—An examination of the probable demands and/or tradeoffs on future economic and security assistance funding resulting from higher food aid levels, including appropriate levels and time frames. This should also include an examination of other donor reactions to higher food aid levels.

—Alternatives to current agricultural export assistance programs should be considered, particularly those creative alternatives which contribute to increasing Third World food supplies, short-term liquidity, export earnings and food production. These should be examined and presented noting their impact on:

• Whether U.S. actions to increase food aid resources would conflict with international trade obligations.

• How the Administration and Congress would deal with domestic reactions to creative policy alternatives which increase agricultural exports.

• How the Administration and Congress would likely react to new initiatives before taking up the Farm Bill in 1985.

• Administration strategy to increase public and private sector cooperation in simultaneously relieving Third World debt and hunger.

• Budget costs and benefits over 1984–1988 and any net budgetary impact. (S)

Administration

Management of the NSSD review will be the responsibility of an interagency steering group chaired by the Department of State. AID will serve as deputy chair for this study. Ambassador Robert Keating of State will be the study chairman. Richard Levine of the NSC staff will serve as study coordinator. Representatives will be from the following agencies and departments: State, Defense, CIA, Treasury, Agriculture, the Office of the Vice President, OMB, USTR, Peace Corps, AID, USIA, Commerce and NSC. This group under State chairmanship will report its findings to the National Security Council not later than April 15, 1984. (S)

All matters relating to this NSSD will be classified secret. Dissemination of this NSSD, subsequent study material, and the resulting draft NSDD will be handled on a strict need-to-know basis. (U)

1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 90B01013R: Policy Files (1981–1988), Box 4, Folder 3: U.S. Third World Hunger Relief. Secret. Sent to Bush, Shultz, Regan, Weinberger, Block, Baldrige, Stockman, Casey, Brock, McPherson, Wick, and Ruppe.
2. In a January 27 memorandum to McFarlane, Robinson wrote: “Our Directorate has had the lead in preparing packages related to African hunger relief and terms of reference for a more creative approach to the world hunger problem. The NSSD terms of reference are completed and will be over by 9 a.m. Monday.” (Reagan Library, McFarlane Files, Chron [Official] February 1984 [3])
3. Secret.