84. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Irwin) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1
SUBJECT
- Security Assistance, Country Allocations for FY 1972
At my direction, an ad hoc Steering Group of the Security Assistance Program Review Committee has been looking into the best possible distribution of grant military and security supporting assistance funds for fiscal year 1972. The Group has used the amount authorized by the Congress of $500 million NOA for military assistance and $575 million voted by the House of Representatives for supporting assistance to guide the obligations under Congressional Resolution Authority. I approve the figures set forth in the attached tables as the basis of implementing programming actions to be taken by the administering agencies within the funds available to them under the CRA.
I am also sending a copy of my approval to Mr. Shultz.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Confidential. Attached to a February 16 summary memorandum from Kennedy to Kissinger recommending that Kissinger and Shultz approve Irwin’s recommendations, which Kennedy characterized as a “reasonable division of the limited funds we can anticipate will be appropriated.” Also attached is a February 17 memorandum from Kissinger to Irwin noting that Irwin’s recommendations were a sound basis for implementing programming actions. Kissinger understood the $385 million of supporting assistance for Vietnam was part of a total support plan of $680 million and that supplementary actions to fulfill the Vietnam program would be addressed shortly. He cautioned that other supporting assistance allocations should be a guide for actions but only urgent obligations should be made until the appropriations bills were completed.↩