MEMORANDUM FOR GEORGE MCGHEE FROM W. W. ROSTOW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86T00268R000700100015-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2013
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: August 5, 1961
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM FOR
FROM: W. W.
MR. GEORGE McGHEE
Ros tow
August 5, 1961 fej(o:
dat'hirv'
Herewith are some communal observations on th-
country4deiines tuf that we have thus far seen. -
1. You are, of course, conscious that these are
of very uneven quality; for example, we all agree that
the Mali, South African, and 4412221220pers were bet-'
ter than some of the dthers0 flut we feel it would be
most helpful to you if we do not try to assess the ,
papers individually but, rather, confine this memo- _
randum to a few general observations.
2. papose. Now that some experience has been
acquired, it may be useful if the Departwent itself
made a fresh assessment of precisely what purpose you
wish these guideline papers to perform; and of the pre-
cise audience (or audiences) to which they should be
addressed. Are they planning documents; essentially
codification of short-term policy; or statements of
current country programs? In some degree they seem
to attempt all of these things -- and they should.
But a proper balance depends, perhaps, on a sharper
and more uniform definition both of the audience and
the objective than some of Che authors may have had in
mind.
3. Relation to Plannine. Although these papers
will undoubtedly have a planning component, it seems
to us important that they not be regarded as a sub-
stitute for planning studies addressed to par ladlar
i,Cfzijal.4.Ealiliaa4. concr '- 1 IF imnossib.e in a
t,,
auldel'ne
.?,
AtTeT *f t *, Ic. d ,o i,,o tee,a into a rob-
,
le al
?
r* ne the pros ana cons o
tions; and cd contn ency en s0 Of thear
nature they mast be mainly an across-' eeboard state-
ment of how we are trying to solve current problems,
not an exploration of how unsolved ?e07-aems mlaht be
solved. For example, the axalap, Italian- and Tuniaian
guideline
OFFICI' _OISTLY
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guideline papers touched briefly on difficult policy
problems that evidently deserve extended treatment;
that is, they touched lightly on the unresolved prob-
lems of getting closer to Nasser; of the opening to
the left; and of Bizerte.
4. The Inside View. It might be worth your con-
sidering whether these guideline papers might not begin
with a brief sketch of the key factors determining the
development, orientation, and policy of the country ex-
amined; that is, with an inside view, rather than a
view from Washington. We are somewhat tentative in
putting forward this notion because it could lead to a
vast and shapeless expansion of the texts. But a brief,
incisive sketch of the key domestic and international
problems might lead naturally into a definition of the
areas where American interests impinge on the country;
on the means of U.S. influence; and the U.S. programs
of action as they stand. For example, several of us
were struck by the usefulness of the review in the South
African paper of the various means for exerting U. S.
influence, This kind of exercise might be standardize&
5. frjarily. We noted in some of the papers that
various American objectives and policies were listed
without a clear statement of the priority, timing, and
emphasis to be accorded various elements in an American
program; for example, in the Mali paper the maintenance
of a French cultural presence was not distinguished in
priority from the fundamental task of diluting Bloc ties
in Mali. A keener sense of priorities might usefully
suffuse the guideline papers.
6. Procedure. It would be helpful to us, as a
simple matter of information,toorhre.p...jail..sor
line a ers is focussed in the Department
andwhatmecjsmo c.Learance s o wt n the
De HUTO-TmWhat
mechanism do you envisage, for example, for resolv g any
major inter-agency disagreements which might arise? What
mechanism for periodic follow-up and revision do you
envisage?
7 . ilziaroApc ts
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7. Elpeoducts. We noted that the exercise of
doing these guideline papers might have two ancillary
virtues if these virtues were sought: (a) defining
certain relatively minor, back-of-the-stove problems
which might grow in importance and which, in any case,
deserve more serious treatment than they were currently
being given on an inter-departmental basis; (b) the
surfacing of honest differences of opinion among the
departments with respect to a given country which might
deserve exploration at, say, the Tuesday Planning lunch.
8. A Guideline Pa er on Guidelint_gaRtEa. In the
light of your own reflections on these papers and in
the light of the comments of others, those responsible
in the Department for this function EmlylEb.p.2.2xfaxiace
A new document of idance which would be cone ,
mereywt teformet ? the a/en, ut with th or,
Rrlate au ence to whi d
their substance.
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