Planning Staff Richard V. Allen Daniel I. Davidson John F. Lehman, Jr. Winston Lord Office of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Lawrence S. Eagleburger Richard M. Moose Colonel Alexander Haig Robert Houdek Arthur McCafferty [Department of State Press Release No. 25, February 7, 1969] SECRETARY OF STATE ROGERS' MESSAGE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S RESPONSIBILITIES, FEBRUARY 7, 1969 SENT TO ALL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, THE AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE U.S. INFORMATION AGENCY, THE ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT AGENCY, AND THE PEACE CORPS-IN THE UNITED STATES AND OVERSEAS You will soon be receiving a Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual Circular summarizing and explaining decisions taken recently by the President which restructure the National Security Council system and bear upon the development and execution of our foreign policy. The President's decisions place challenging responsibilities before all of us in the Department of State. The President has assigned to the Department of State authority and responsibility to the full extent permitted by law for the overall direction, coordination and supervision of interdepartmental activities of the United States Government overseas. (As in the past this assignment does not include activities of United States military forces operating in the field where such forces are under the command of a United States area military commander or such other military activities as the President may elect as Commander-in-Chief to conduct through military channels.) It is the President's intention that the Department of State will also play a central and dynamic role in the new National Security Council system. This role will be performed principally through the participation of the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary at all NSC meetings, the newly-constituted NSC Under Secretaries Committee chaired by the Under Secretary and in his absence the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Department of State participation on the NSC Review Group, and through the Interdepartmental Groups of regional and functional composition which are chaired by Assistant Secretaries of State. These responsibilities provide the Department a role of leadership which will require imagination and energy to be asserted by all involved. The resources of the Department and its associated agencies will provide the strongest possible support to the President's desire to use the National Security Council system for an orderly examination of our foreign policy objectives. The Department of State will energetically execute United States policy objectives overseas in accordance with the President's decisions. Ambassadors and our missions abroad will be depended upon for initiatives and support. Country Directors, under the guidance of their Assistant Secretaries, will exercise leadership in the Washington community in policy and program matters relating to the countries under their jurisdiction and in support of our missions abroad. The President's goal is to enhance and insure the security and peaceful progress of the United States. Our success in this objective will contribute to the well-being of free people everywhere. [Department of State News Letter, February 1969, No. 94] DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOREIGN AFFAIRS MANUAL CIRCULAR, NO. 521, FEBRUARY 6, 1969 SUBJECT: REORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SYSTEM AND DIRECTION, COORDINATION AND SUPERVISION OF INTERDEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES OVERSEAS 1. REORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SYSTEM To assist him in carrying out his responsibilities for the conduct of national security affairs, the President has designated the National Security Council as the principal forum for consideration of national security policy issues requiring Presidential decision. In addition to utilizing the NSC itself he has reorganized the NSC system to constitute certain groups and committees, and has designated responsibilities to the Department of State, as described below: a. NSC Interdepartmental Groups The previously existing interdepartmental Regional Groups and the Political-Military Interdepartmental Group have been reconstituted as Interdepartmental Groups in the NSC system, chaired by the appropriate Assistant Secretary of the Department of State. The membership of these Groups will include representatives of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other agencies at the discretion of the Chairman depending on the issue under consideration. The Interdepartmental Groups will: -discuss and decide interdepartmental issues which can be settled at the Assistant Secretary level, including issues arising out of the implementation of NSC decisions; -prepare policy papers for consideration by the NSC; -prepare contingency papers on potential crisis areas for NSC review. b. NSC Ad Hoc Groups When appropriate, the President will appoint NSC Ad Hoc Groups to deal with particular problems, including those which transcend regional boundaries. c. NSC Review Group An NSC Review Group has been established to examine papers such as those coming out of the Interdepartmental Groups, NSC Ad Hoc Groups, or departments prior to their submission to the NSC. The Review Group, chaired by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, will include representatives of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other agencies at the discretion of the Chairman, depending on the issue under consideration. The Review Group will review papers to assure that: -the issue under consideration is worthy of NSC attention; -all realistic alternatives are presented; -the facts, including cost implications, and all departments' and agencies' views are fairly and adequately set forth. The Review Group may assign action to the NSC Interdepartmental Groups or NSC Ad Hoc Groups, as appropriate, and may refer issues to the Under Secretaries Committee. 1. The NSC Under Secretaries Committee An NSC Under Secretaries Committee has been established under the Chairmanship of the Under Secretary of State, assisted by the Under Secretary for Political Affairs who will also act as his alternate, consisting of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Director of Central Intelligence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and, depending on the issues under consideration, ranking officers of other agencies at the discretion of the Chairman. The Under Secretaries Committee will consider: (1) issues referred to it by the NSC Review Group; (2) operational matters pertaining to interdepartmental activities of the U.S. Government overseas: -on which NSC Interdepartmental Groups have been unable to reach agreement, or which are of a broader nature than is suitable to any such group; -which do not require consideration at Presidential or NSC level; and -which are referred to it by the Secretary of State. (3) other operational matters referred to it jointly by the Under Secretary of State and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE . The President has affirmed the position of the Secretary of State as his principal foreign policy adviser and his responsibility, in accordance with approved policy, for the execution of foreign policy. b. He has assigned to the Secretary authority and responsibility to the (1) the activities of United States military forces operating in (2) such other military activities as the President elects to (3) activities which are internal to the execution and adminis- c. Previously established responsibilities of the Department of State d. In the implementation of his responsibilities for the execution of e. Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions in foreign countries, as represent- О |