Office of the Historian

15. Record of Actions Taken at the 476th Meeting of the National Security Council1

Washington, February 9, 1961.

[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and the record of Actions No. 2402 on significant world developments affecting U.S. security and 2403 on crises in Laos, the Congo, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.]

2404. National Security Policies Requiring Urgent Attention (NSC Action No. 2400)2

a.
Noted that the President and the Council approved a recommendation by the Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs that he, in consultation with planning representatives of the Departments of State and Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, and as appropriate other agencies, initiate a thorough analysis and re-appraisal of basic national security policy, as previously reflected in NSC 5906/1,3 making appropriate reports to the Council for consideration. Noted the President’s directive that the above re-appraisal include an early review of the provisions of paragraph 24 (particularly subparagraphs b, c and d) of NSC 5906/1.4
b.
Noted and concurred in a proposal by the Secretary of State that he interpret paragraph 38 of NSC 5906/15 as providing flexibility for the United States to supplement Western European economic support to newly-independent areas whenever such action is deemed to be in the U.S. security interest.6
  1. Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council. Top Secret. The actions were approved by the President on February 11.↩
  2. See Document 8.↩
  3. “Basic National Security Policy,” dated August 5, 1959. (Department of State, S/P-NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1,NSC 5906 Series) For text, see Foreign Relations, 1958–1960, vol. III, Document 70.↩
  4. These subparagraphs concerned U.S. policy on the sharing of nuclear weapons with individual allies and with NATO. A typed marginal note indicates action on Action No. 2404-a would be initiated by the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs.↩
  5. Paragraph 38 enunciated the U.S. policy of relying on former colonial powers to influence and support their former dependencies.↩
  6. A typed marginal note indicates an action memorandum based on Action No. 2404-b was sent to the Department of State.↩