Office of the Historian

342. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Members of the Standing Group of the National Security Council0

Washington, May 22, 1963.

SUBJECT

  • Committee Responsibilities in Cuban Affairs
1.
The Coordinator of Cuban Affairs, acting as Chairman of the Interdepartmental Committee on Cuba, is responsible for the coordination of day-to-day actions. Examples of such problems are: efforts to reduce Cuban Free World shipping, problems of refugees, problems of countering Cuban subversion, and supervision of ongoing propaganda and information efforts. This list is illustrative and not exhaustive. On covert matters, the Coordinator reports to the Special Group (NSC 5412).
2.
The Standing Group is responsible for the development of contingency plans and the assessment of long-range policy objectives and means for meeting them.
3.
The Special Group (NSC 5412) is responsible for covert activities, with appropriate liaison to the other two committees.
McGeorge Bundy1
  1. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Cuba, General, 5/16-5/31/63. Secret. This memorandum was briefly discussed at the 6th meeting of the Standing Group, May 21. It was circulated with general agreement to the assignments. (Summary Record of 6th NSC StandingGroup, May 21; ibid., Meetings and Memoranda Series, Standing Group Meeting, 5/21/63)↩
  2. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩