20. Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff1
RWK:
State and AID have begun clearing a cable to plot the phase-out of our Algerian aid. Rusk told Guellal several weeks ago that much of our aid would lapse if we receive no GOA request, and Root has made the same comment to one of Ben Bella’s assistants, so although the Algerians could still present us with a request, there seems no alternative now to this kind of planning.
This action would leave two activities in operation—the Care-Medico project which the Algerians have asked for and continuing participant training for six people. Other programs would stop when the food stocks supporting them run out. The Four-Areas Project would probably run into the early fall while the mass feeding program would run out some time in the summer. We would tell the voluntary agencies and the Soil Conservation Service not to recruit replacements for their people and we would plan to have most of the AID staff out by the end of the calendar year.
The one procedural aspect still open for discussion is whether we should give the Algerians a note on this just to keep the record clear. We want to be sure they realize we are quitting because they haven’t asked us to stay on, not for some political reason. State will ask the Embassy what it thinks of a note to the technical level of the Algerian Government requesting cooperation in smoothing out an alternative termination.
I hate to see this happen but I can’t see where we have any alternative. I am pushing State to be sure everyone has a good story on our rationale against the time when news of this move breaks.