Memorandum No. 4 Recommendations of the Cuban Study Group

This document contains recommendations on how to handle paramilitary operations.

Extracted text

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3 13 June 1961 Memorandum No. 4 !f RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CUBAN STUDY GROUP Recommendation No. 1 A MECHANISM FOR TRE PLAMNING AND COORDINATION to OF COLD WAR STRATEGY 1. The over-all problem in conducting Cold War operations is to be able to coordinate; foster and focus all available and necessary assets on the echieve- nent of objectives approved by the President. These assets are found in many departments of the Government, but particularly in the Department of State, the Department of Defense and the CIA. To use them effectively requires planning and coordination across departmental lines vithout disturbing departmental responsibility for the execution of agreed tasks arising from the Cold Wor progrezs. 2. In the past, the requirements of Cold War actions have often been met by veekly meetings of the 5412 Committee or by ad hoc task forces organized to cops vith a particular situstion. This method is clumsy and lends itself to a proliferation of short-lived committees which come and go without build- ing up experience in a permanent staff and accusulating a body of knovledge c reeded for improved future performance. The present proposal is to set up a permant committee of representatives of under-secretariel rank from State, Defense and CLA under a full-time Chairman reporting directly to the President. This now organization (berein called tentatively the Strategic Resources Group and abbreviated SRG) vould guide and coordinate Cold War strategy and mintain & Cold War Indications Center where useful Cold War data would be assembled and the vorld Cold War situation kept under constant reviev. (See inclosure' A - Chart of SRG). The SRG vould replace the 5412 Committee, vould assume the review of important covert operations now being conducted or to be conducted under NSC 5412/2, and would undertake the development and recoumen- dations of Cold War plans and programs for those countries or areas specifically assigned to it by the President for that purpose. 1 - pin