week during January. After January, meetings would be once a week. Within approximately four months, meetings should be conducted on a bi-monthly basis. NSC Meeting, January 21, 1969, Box H- 300, NSC Organization [2 o f 3], NSCIF, NPMS, NA
“ensuring” that the necessary papers were prepared.43 There was a continual flow of memoranda to and from the President, and Presidential requests to Kissinger fell into two main categories: 1) directives and 2) requests for more information. The Nixon- Kissinger NSC system was structurally three-tiered with the Council at the top, the NSC Review and Operational Groups in the middle, and the Interdepartmental Groups at the base.44
Once the President, with recommendation from his National Security Adviser, determined that an issue involving interdepartmental considerations required analysis and Presidential decision, the NSC staff prepared a National Security Study Memorandum (NSSM) to “direct” a study o f the issue to one o f the Interdepartmental Groups (IGs) chaired by the Assistant Secretary o f State.45 The IGs drafted the basic paper for consideration by the NSC, defining the issue requiring Presidential decision, setting forth U.S. objectives, and outlining the advantages and disadvantages o f the alternative courses o f action.46 As a former NSC staff member, Winston Lord, recalls, at the beginning o f the administration, there was a number o f NSSMs being sent out asking for studies for two main reasons: one was a “genuine search for an intellectual path, analysis and preparation o f options for policy by the various agencies,” and the
43 NSDM 2, “Reorganization o f the National Security Council System,” January 20, 1969, p .l, NSDM s, Box 363, SF, NSCF, NPMS, NA.
44 History o f the NSC, (No date), p .l, NSC History Files (NSC-HF), Box H-314 [1 o f 2], NSCIF, NPMS, NA.
45 National Security Decision Memorandum 1 (NSDM1), “Establishment o f NSC D ecision and Study Memoranda Series,” January 20, 1969, p .l, NSDMs, Box 363, SF, NSCF, NPMS, NA. There were six Interdepartmental Regional Groups, such as Africa, Latin America, East Asia, Near and Middle East, Europe, Politico-Limitary - each chaired by the appropriate Assistant Secretary o f State. History o f the NSC, (N o date), p.4, NSC-HF, Box H-314 [1 o f 2], NSCIF, NPMS, NA.
46 NSDM 2, “Reorganization o f the National Security Council System,” January 20, 1969, p.4, NSDM s, Box 363, SF, NSCF, NPMS, NA.
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other reason was to “put so much work on the bureaucracy and keep them so busy” that enabled Nixon and Kissinger to establish their control over U.S. foreign policy.47
After an IG meeting, the NSC staff prepared a Review Group meeting book which included the following items:
• Cover Memo, which briefly stated the subject of the meeting and pointed out any special problems o f particular points;
• HAK Review Group Talking Points, which was in outline form including all the issues Kissinger should raise at the meeting. (The views o f the NSC staff on the answer and the likely responses o f other Review Group members was also indicated);
• Review Group paper, which was the paper as it was distributed to the other members o f the Review Group. A summary was prepared and placed on top; • Background Papers;
• NSSM;
• Memo Requesting NSC Briefings, which was a draft o f a memorandum to relevant agencies requesting briefing for the NSC discussion of this subject; • Issues for Decision.48
After the papers were examined in Pre-Review Group meeting, the Review Group, chaired by the National Security Adviser, met as a “planning board” to examine policy study papers “prior to” their submission to the NSC.49 The role o f the Review Group was to “assure” that the issue under consideration was worthy o f NSC attention; “all realistic alternatives” were presented; and the “facts” and “all
47 Winston Lord, “The Nixon Administration National Security Council,” p.7, NSCP-OHR.
48 Halperin to Kissinger, “NSC Procedures,” June 23, 1969, p.2, NSC, Vol. Ill 6/1/69-12/31/69 [2of2], B ox H-300, NSCIF, NPMS, NA.
49 Kissinger to Nixon, “Additional Provisions Concerning the Conduct o f National Security Affairs,” January 10, 1969, p .l, HAK-ASF, Box 2, Transition, HAKOF, NSCF, NPMS, NA.
1970, the Review Group was re-named the Senior Review Group and raised from the Assistant to the Under-Secretary level.51 The Washington Special Actions Group (WSAG), chaired by the Assistant to the President, drafted contingency plans for possible crises, integrating the political and military requirements of crisis action on a daily basis. Solomon emphasizes the importance o f the “preparatory activity” that preceded a formal NSC meeting “where the issues o f who really trusts whom, and who’s really relying on whose judgment, and the pre-planning o f positions gets worked out.”53
Prior to the NSC meeting, the NSC staff prepared a briefing book for the President including:
• HAK Memo to the President - A brief memo summarizing what the issue was and calling any special problems to the attention o f the President;
• Issues for Decision - An analytical paper summarizing the issues for decision from the Review Group paper, with recommendations on the issues;
• RN Talking Points - A brief memo including an introductory sentence, a list o f the briefings, and an indication that Kissinger should be called on to discuss what the issues were;
50 NSDM 2, “Reorganization o f the National Security Council System,” January 20, 1969, p.2, NSDM s, B ox 363, SF, NSCF, NPMS, NA. The membership o f the Review Group included: The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (Chairman); a representative o f the Secretary o f State; a representative o f the Secretary o f Defense; a representative o f the Director o f Central Intelligence; and a representative o f the Chairman, Joint Chiefs o f Staff.
51 National Security Decision Memorandum 85, “The National Security Council Senior Review Group,” September 14, 1970, Box 363, SF, NSCF, NPMS, NA. The Senior R eview Group comprised: the Under Secretary o f State; the Deputy Secretary o f Defense; the Director o f Central Intelligence; the Chairman o f the Joint Chiefs o f Staff; and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (Chairman). A s for other interagency review groups in this category, the Verification Panel was formed to gather the essential facts relating to a number o f important issues o f strategic arms limitation, such as Soviet strategic capabilities. The Vietnam Special Studies Group (VSSG) examined the factors which would determine the course o f Vietnamization.
52 The WSAG consisted o f the Review Group (later the Senior Review Group), enlarged by additional