220. Memorandum From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Nitze) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Wheeler)1
SUBJECT
- Chemical and Biological Warfare Policy (CM–3676–68)
Reference is made to your memorandum on the above subject, dated 25 September 1968,2 requesting that the Department of State be queried on when their position on the DOD draft NSAM3 would be available and to a memorandum of 1 October 1968, from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Planning and Arms Control, ISA, to the Director, Joint Staff, in which the Director was informed that DOD had requested that the State Department convene the Political-Military Group to discuss State’s position on the subject.4
A meeting of the Political-Military Group was held at the Department of State on 16 October 1968.5 Each principal designated a representative to participate in a Working Group to resolve differences now existing between State and the DOD draft NSAM. The Working Group has representatives from State, ACDA, ISA, and J–5 of the Joint Staff. Mr. Keeny of the Executive Office of the President has been invited to attend. The first meeting of the Working Group was held Tuesday, 22 October 1968 at the State Department.5
- Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 330 72 A 1498, 384 1968 Jan-. Secret.↩
- This memorandum to the Secretary of Defense noted among other things that the Department of State had not yet replied to Secretary McNamara’s November 17, 1966, letter to Secretary Rusk (Document 145) and requested asking the Department of State for a statement of its position “preferably prior to the beginning of CY 1969.” (Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 330 72 A 1498, 384 1968 Jan-)↩
- Not printed; see Document 145.↩
- The memorandum from Morton H. Halperin is in the Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 330 72 A 1498, 384 1968 Jan-.↩
- No record of this meeting has been found.↩
- No record of this meeting has been found.↩