195. Memorandum From Samuel M. Hoskinson of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2
SUBJECT:
- Turkish Opium Program
I thought you should be aware of the fact that there is a dispute between the State Department and Treasury concerning the program which the President asked for on Turkish opium. As I understand it, this centers on the issue providing the Turks with up to $50 million in assistance if they announce that all planting, cultivation, or the production of the opium poppy is prohibited after June 30, 1972.
Secretary Connally (see attached letter) argues that such large scale assistance might well be interpreted as blackmail by a large segment of the American public and have adverse domestic repercussions. He maintains that although the President said he might be willing to pay $50 million if the supply of opium is immediately shut off, he did this only to emphasize his position. Secretary Connally says specifically that he “did not interpret it to mean that he was actually prepared to offer payments in that amount. ”
The State Department believes that the President meant exactly what he said concerning the $50 million. They say that they have given in on several other points that Treasury has made on this general issue, but strongly believe that if we are going to sell our ideas to the Turks, we will have to include the $50 million. State’s general assessment is that we simply will not have any chance of success at all without the $50 million.
The state of play as of 7 p.m. was that Assistant Secretary Sisco had recommended to Secretary Rogers that he call Secretary Connally and attempt to retain the $50 million figure. Sisco is recommending that if this doesn’t work, the Secretary go directly to the President.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 358, Subject Files, Narcotics IV. Secret; Exdis. Sent for information. A copy was sent to Downey. Hoskinson did not initial the memorandum. Connally’s letter was not attached.↩
- Hoskinson informed Kissinger of a disagreement between the Departments of State and Treasury over the President’s $50 million program for a Turkish opium buy-out.↩