Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXI, Africa
Algeria: Document List
Document 35: Memorandum of Conversation
Washington, January 3, 1961, 3:15 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.51/1-362. Secret. Drafted by Imhof (WE) and approved in S on January 9. Ambassador Herve Alphand had requested an appointment with Secretary of State Christian A. Herter to discuss the general situation.
Document 36: Editorial Note
Document 37: Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Satterthwaite) to Secretary of State Rusk
Washington, January 30, 1961.
Source: Department of State, AF/AFN Files: Lot 65 D 182, A20, U.S. Policy Towards Algeria. Confidential. Drafted by Chase. Sent through Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs Raymond A. Hare.
Document 38: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France
Washington, February 1, 1961, 9:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/2-161. Confidential. Drafted by Chase and Valdes; cleared by Kohler, McBride, Penfield, Hare, and Stoessel; and approved by Rusk. Also sent to Rabat, Tunis, Cairo, and Tripoli and repeated to London and USUN.
Document 39: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Tunisia
Washington, February 8, 1961, 6:23 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/2-861. Confidential. Drafted by Root on February 6, cleared by Seip and Goodpaster, and approved by Williams. Repeated to Paris.
Document 40: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassyin France
Washington, February 15, 1961, 9:52 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/2-1561. Secret. Drafted by Valdes; cleared by McBride, Mau, and Tasca; and approved by Kohler. Repeated to Tunis, Rabat, Algiers, and London.
Document 41: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Washington, February 27, 1961.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria. Secret. Also sent to Rostow.
Document 42: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Tunisia
Washington, March 31, 1961, 8:21 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/3-3161. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Root and Chase; cleared by Brown, Valdes, and Witman; and approved by McBride. Also sent to Paris and repeated to Rabat, London, and Algiers.
Document 43: Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Dulles to President Kennedy
Washington, April 24, 1961.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria. No classification marking. Attached to the source text but not printed are three attachments entitled: “French Army Dispositions,” “Military Air Transport Available,” and “Excerpts as stated.”
Document 44: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France
Washington, April 24, 1961, 9:19 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/4-2426. Confidential. Drafted by Valdes; cleared by Collopy, and in substance with S; and approved by Kohler.
Document 45: Special National Intelligence Estimate
Washington, May 23, 1961.
Document 46: Paper Prepared in the Bureau of European Affairs
Washington, August 5, 1961.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/8-561. Confidential. Sent to the White House under cover of a brief memorandum from Battle (S/S) to Bundy (NSC) indicating that the paper had been written in response to an oral request from the National Security Council. A copy of this memorandum is in Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria.
Document 47: Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State
Paris, September 2, 1961, 4 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/9-261. Secret; Priority; Limited Distribution. Repeated to Algiers, USUN, and Tunis.
Document 48: Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts
Washington, September 9, 1961, 4:10 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/9-961. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by MacDonald on September 8; cleared by Brown, Wallner, Buffum, Tyler, Fredericks, Witman, and Korn; and approved by Ball. Sent to Tunis, Paris, Algiers, Rabat, Cairo, Tripoli, Benghazi, London, and USUN.
Document 49: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France
Washington, October 18, 1961, 9:06 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.15-WI/10-1861. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Brown, cleared by Witman, and approved by Tyler. Repeated to Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli for Williams, and pouched to Rabat. A memorandum of this conversation is ibid., 751S.00/10-1861.
Document 50: Letter From the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Ball)
Washington, October 20, 1961.
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 64 A 2382, Algeria 000. 1961. Secret. Drafted by Colonel Yount on October 19. Attached to a memorandum from Major General Frederic H. Miller, Director, European Region, to Bundy recommending that he sign the letter. A handwritten note indicates Bundy signed the letter on October 20.
Document 51: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer and Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Washington, October 27, 1961.
Source: Kennedy Library, Schlesinger Papers, French-Algerian Negotiations. Secret; Noforn. On October 27, Komer sent this memorandum to McGeorge Bundy under cover of a memorandum that reads: “FYI, here is a draft Memorandum to the President which I originally intended to propose you send forward with an NSC Action Memo attached. Since the talk which Arthur, Hal Saunders, and I had with the State people, however, I prefer holding up a few days until we can get a better idea as to what, if anything, State proposes to do. Hence, attached is merely to fill you in on the sense of urgency which we feel about this problem. Admittedly, our leverage with the PAG may be marginal and the costs of offending De Gaulle at this juncture high. But the cost of not doing whatever we can, however little, to forestall a frightful mess and push a negotiated solution might be higher still.”
Document 52: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France
Washington, October 28, 1961, 3:28 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/11-2861. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Brown, Tyler, and Imhof; cleared by Tasca, Witman, Tyler, and Johnson; and approved by Ball. Also sent to Tunis, Algiers, and Rabat, and pouched to USUN, Cairo and Geneva.
Document 53: Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the Director of the Office of Northern African Affairs (Witman)
Washington, November 6, 1961.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/12-1961. Secret.
Document 54: Editorial Note
Document 55: Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)
Washington, December 15, 1961.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.51S11/12-1561. Secret.
Document 56: Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams) to Secretary of State Rusk
Washington, January 6, 1962.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.51S11/1-662. Secret. Drafted by Hooper and concurred in by WE. Attached to a memorandum from Witman to Williams indicating that the memorandum to the Secretary followed the line that McGhee had instructed Witman to take on January 4. Witman added that he would prefer that they adhere to their decision “no longer to slam the Department's door in the faces of the PAG.” (Ibid.)
Document 57: Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Washington, January 8, 1962.
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 65 A 3501, Algeria 000.1-121 1962. Secret. Attached to a memorandum from W.B. Palmer, Director of Military Assistance (DOD/ISA), to Assistant Secretary of State Williams, noting that Defense concurred with the JCS recommendations as a basis for planning purposes and requested further Department of State participation in developing such plans.
Document 58: Special National Intelligence Estimate
Washington, January 24, 1962.
Document 59: Memorandum by the Officer in Charge of Algerian Affairs (Hooper)
Washington, February 8, 1962.
Source: Department of State, S/S Policy Guidelines: Lot 67 D 396, Algeria. Secret. A cover sheet indicates that the memorandum was being submitted to an NSC Standing Group meeting on February 9 for purposes of discussion, and had been generally approved in the Department of State but had not yet received final approval from Secretary Rusk. (Ibid.)
Document 60: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Tunisia
Washington, February 23, 1962, 6:04 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/2-2362. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Witman on February 22; cleared by Imhof, Tyler, Fredericks, Rowan, Manfull, Davies, and Smith (White House); and approved by McGhee. Also sent to Paris and Algiers.
Document 61: Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (McGhee)
Washington, March 13, 1962.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.51S11/3-1362. Confidential. Drafted by Hooper on March 12.
Document 62: Memorandum for the Files
Washington, March 19, 1962.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/3-1962. Confidential. Drafted by Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs William R. Tyler.
Document 63: Editorial Note
Document 64: Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Posts
Washington, March 23, 1962, 8:38 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/3-23-62. Secret. Drafted by Hooper; cleared by Imhof, Tyler, Tasca, Thacher, and Pezzullo; and approved by Ball. Sent to Accra, Ankara, Baghdad, Beirut, Belgrade, Benghazi, Cairo, Conakry, Djakarta, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Jidda, Karachi, London, Madrid, Moscow, New Delhi, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Rabat, Stockholm, Tripoli, and Tunis; and pouched to all other African posts.
Document 65: Editorial Note
Document 66: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of National Security Council Staff to the President's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Washington, June 22, 1962.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria, 4/62-6/62. Secret. A copy was sent to Dungan.
Document 67: Editorial Note
Document 68: Central Intelligence Agency Information Report
Washington, July 10, 1962.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Brubeck Series, Algeria. Secret; Noforn; No Dissem Abroad; Limited; Background Use Only.
Document 69: Memorandum From Harold H. Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Washington, August 17, 1962.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria, 7/16/62-7/30/62. Secret. A copy was sent to Dungan.
Document 70: Letter From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Sloan) to William R. Polk of the Policy Planning Council
Washington, August 23, 1962.
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 65 A 3501, Algeria 000.1-121, 1962. Secret. Drafted by Colonel Junkermann.
Document 71: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Washington, October 13, 1962.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria, 9/1/62-10/15/62. Secret. A handwritten covering note from Komer to Bundy reads: “This is long, but State briefing book is lousy so I summed up their 30pp. in my three. I also wanted to clue JFK on State/AID hassle over aid to Algeria. Only he can decide it, in last analysis, and now is best time to educate him.” Department of State briefing material for Ben Bella's visit in October 1962 is in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 533, CF 2176.
Document 72: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Algeria
Washington, October 23, 1962, 6:03 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.51S11/10-2362. Confidential. Drafted by Hooper on October 22, cleared by Little and Bromley Smith, and approved by Tasca. Repeated to Paris.
Document 73: Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams) to the Under Secretary of State (Ball)
Washington, October 25, 1962.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.51S/10-2562. Secret. Drafted by Newsom.
Document 74: National Intelligence Estimate
Washington, November 7, 1962.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 79 R 01012A, Box 215. Secret. According to a note on the cover sheet: “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: “The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.” All members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred in this estimate on November 7 except the Atomic Energy Commission Representative and the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction.
Document 75: Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Northern African Affairs (Witman) to the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Williams)
Washington, November 7, 1962.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/11-762. Confidential. Drafted by Gonzalez.
Document 76: Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State
Paris, December 6, 1962, 7 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751S.00/12-662. Confidential. Repeated to Algiers.
Document 77: National Security Action Memorandum No. 211
Washington, December 14, 1962.
Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAMs. Secret. A copy was sent to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget.
Document 78: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Washington, December 28, 1962.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria, 10/16/62-12/31/62. Secret.
Document 79: Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara
Washington, January 3, 1963.
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 69 A 3131, Algeria, 1963. Secret.
Document 80: Paper Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, February 1, 1963.
Document 81: Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy
Washington, undated.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAMs, NSAM-21. Secret. Attached to the source text but not printed is a 14-page “Discussion of the Strategy and Action Plan for Algeria.”
Document 82: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Washington, February 4, 1963.
Source: Kennedy Library, President's Office Files, Staff Memoranda, Robert W. Komer, Secret.
Document 83: National Security Action Memorandum No. 221
Washington, February 20, 1963.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAMs, NSAM-21. Secret. A copy was sent to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget.
Document 84: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President
Washington, July 15, 1963.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria, 6/63-9/63. Confidential. A marginal handwritten notation reads: “(Taken from Pres. weekend reading dtd 7/19/63—Tab 6)”.
Document 85: Memorandum of Conversation
Washington, July 24, 1963, 4:15 p.m.
Source: Department of State, President's Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 66 D 149. Confidential. Drafted by Witman and approved by the White House on August 7. The conversation was held at the White House. Earlier on July 24, Komer sent a briefing memorandum to the President suggesting that he take the time for some serious talk with the new Algerian Ambassador, who was one of Ben Bella's closest confidants. Komer proposed that the President focus on the need for Algeria to put its economy, which was in near chaos, in order before anyone else could do much to help, and on U.S. problems with Castro and how Algeria's relations with Cuba raised difficulties for nations that wanted to help Algeria. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria, 6/63-9/63)
Document 86: Memorandum of Conversation
Washington, September 19, 1963, 9:30 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 ALG. Confidential. Drafted by Porter and approved by the White House on September 23. The conversation was held at the White House.
Document 87: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)
Washington, October 14, 1963.
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Algeria. Secret. The source text indicates two attachments: A memorandum from Read to Bundy, October 14, which discussed the revolt in the Kabylia region of Algeria, which had begun on September 29, and the Algerian-Moroccan border conflict, which had escalated since the first serious armed clash on October 8 (Department of State, Central Files, POL 26 ALG); and telegram 734 from Algiers, which advised against sending a high-level U.S. delegation to the Algerian ceremonies planned for November 1, the anniversary of the outbreak of Algeria's revolution in 1954, which Communist governments intended to attend at the ministerial level (Ibid., POL 17-4 ALG).
Document 88: Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy
Washington, November 7, 1963.
Source: Kennedy Library, President's Office Files, Morocco Security, 1960-1963. Secret.
Document 89: Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Algeria
Washington, November 8, 1963, 8:59 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 32-1 ALG-MOR. Confidential. Drafted by Hooper, cleared by Baldwin and Komer, and approved by Tasca. Repeated to Paris, Rabat, Addis Ababa, USUN, and Moscow.
Document 90: National Intelligence Estimate
Washington, November 27, 1963
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 79 R 01012A, Box 242. Secret. According to a note on the cover sheet, the estimate was prepared by the CIA and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and NSA. All members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred in this estimate on November 27 except the Atomic Energy Commission Representative and the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained because the subject was outside their jurisdiction.