New Policy on the Congo
Document date: 12/13/1962
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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176-10036-10002

2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10002

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

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FROM :

TO :

TITLE : New Policy on the Congo

DATE : 12/13/1962

PAGES : 9

SUBJECTS :

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS : Congo Cables; restriction information innacurate/missing; box 1

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MEMORANDUM FOR TEL-PRESIDENT

SUBJECT: HoW POlSer On tha CoRn

5a

We ass cooking to prevent an ¿neraana la Commuda: Laslusaga

In tha Congo, to salutograto the litange, and to atrengthon and maintais

a noderate goverannt in soopolduille that sen in fact run the

country. llthout reinvigoratios, ous prasons polloy cannot asbievo

these Chis.

Ianonbe a nottian strongos and continuas t0 maneuvas for as

independent Retenge.

shere le en apparant peralials in Iggpoldville and Adonia La

mable, with a hostile Parliamat arorad als nocks, to tale stops

necessary for reconollation and raiategration..

so Loopoldtiiro la not a distinot

possibility, But how mch Infilative the Sovlots tam will bo

affectly related to chois assongnant of our u111 to aot la Central

Afries, Thais disadvantages, ln trylag to oparate 19 Central Afrioa

ass so great that they will not sove unloas it appass to ara also.

ongagingo

In valted fationg, with linited finensial resotecan end probably

oerly esthdrovale of indian troops, samos santa do tha Congo much

longer an an effective: force..

HaVE

Socause Baited Stetes and I polloy/for all preotioal pusposes

boes indlaciagalshable, the Organization's Sallure In the Congo

mold do& najor sailure of tais administration's poldoy and eula

seriously deraine the peacetoping sole of the united latlens.

Heed

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5. c

a 2 =

The Need for a Hou Polley

The bagle assumiption of our presant lungo polley la that

No could gat fatanga reintegratod into the Congo and au elfeO:Svo

moderate governant established and funetioning in Inopoldville,

by persuasion and diplomacy baolad up by thrsata of economio aotion.

Tala assumption has turned out to ba trong. It ls song booause

Thaombe and bls supportess are clearly not foing to rointegrate valen

they bave to and notblog va bate done convinees Pabombe thas, sa tua

last analyalo, he tall ba forced to ito.

It 18 also Mong bocamo sa are sot bullalag an effeativa Contrai

•povertment in LoopoldeLlle. A largoly Irresponalbla Parliamant and

& Slabby administration at not good enough as a polfefeal Seamsworks

Adoule is the best loader on the horizon, but na should be helping

to develop other politioal leadership.

Tho situation this Week

Altos mich international conversation, Forelin Miniator Speek

das cont a privato endesasy to innobo to get bin to accept a almago

In tuo mothod by valch Uhak malas sta payments, The deslalon to mal

the peyasate to the Centrel Goverment Instoad of to Istanbo sheald

Rave boos takon ulthout trying to "oleas it" vita Isbambo, bus

spaal olooted to conult Tarambe fare

He do not got know on stat

teras Iahonbo elll accopi spanks proposel. te do Inon spam

esporionco that 18 It soquires any necton on lis part to cessy out

¿ha dorall, thas aotion u1ll sot bo telan.

sbuccing

CRET

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Sita

SECRET

13=0

shutting off the UMER paynente to Ishombe is still the best

single thing that can bo done to put pressure on Isbombe and lead

him to mako Katanga in fact a part of the Congo,. But UMIK is naturally

reluctant to get out in front of goveranents, and the Belgians aro

naturally roluctant to soon nose resolute in this mitter than the

United Statos.

There has also been mich talk about halting the purchase of

Katangan copper and cobalt. Adoula has now, ulthout adequate

consultation, proposed to eleten.

countries that they stop buying

Katangan cooper and cobalt. Secretary Goneral '" Thant was about

to do the semo, but ve prevailed on bim to dolay bis action mt1l

nest week, to give the spaak efforts on the payments scheme time

to work.

We do not bolfere that econonic sanctions would be very

offactive. Moreovor, they would require several months. to make

then offeotive, and now logislation in some countries, including

Belgium:

There 1s, therofore, no immediate prospact that measures nou

In toaln under the "" Thant Plan" will do vory much alther to soo

intograto the katanga or to build in Leopoldville a goverment

thạt can govern.

Alternative Lines of Action

We have carafully considured and rajocted, for the time being

at loast, the following alternatives:

(a) Disenzegement by the United. States..

The prohibitive

cost would bea serious decline of Us lafluence to leopoldullle

an expanding Sovlet bloo position in the congo and the hount of

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5a

Astioa, aad probably isroparablo damago to tao lil as a

peacekeepes:

(1) Eurntas the mattor. oves to the Assleeg. Tha

Africans cannot handio 1t, end tala toula open the Congo

to evontual Communiat talover;

(0) Buyian LoopolaT$220 is sequiescence to Pebiambo'e

socession: Loopoldville cannot bo bongar so long as lt has the

altornatim o8 Sorlet aids and

(a) Baolas Pshombe as the unifer o8 the Canno. He seo

no prospect that Islambo could win enough suppost throughout

the congo to make tale a realistio ponsibility.

The Centsal Pröblems US. Polloy and U.S, l122.

Want 1s tong with the ploture lã the absarioo of a 8.S.

doolston es to at we rould do, in the final enalyalo, to provent

chaos, lergo-scale massacros, end/or a major Soviet presence called

1a by radioal slacessors to AdOula.: I! to continue to pursus

prosant poldoles, they sill result in hardoning the salembe seoession,

Further sealening she position of adonla (because of bis taabllity to

solve the detenga probion, the me big nodernostyle polltloal issue

In Corgo pollElos).:, Il /don this road, un may eventually have to

use palted States, and porhaps other westery forces to cloan up

a vory sosay state of estatre..

If no are alear nou that in the ultimato case se sould use our

ons power la central Africa, then anything short of that thes lil

prevent a braaldeva ln the Congo la preferble to Halting too long

end then having to go la with too muor.

He thorefore

ARCRET

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•50

We thorarora

pacorend that the unsted gratos Governmant tals

8t as a major objectiva to develop a modera and noderato Ceatral

Coveramant in the Congo, to gat Ratange ratatograted into tha

Congo and to provent a sovlot prosonco in the Congo, Me secommend

smadlato stops both to nove saplaly torera those objostivos and

to demonstate that to have in fact takon this declaion and are

propared to back it with the full taigas of united states pour.

A Danoèracy cannot bluff unless it sistas 16.

88 to mean 8t,

possiblilty of ous fuller intervention later to cocompliaà our

pusposes with lost intervention now.

Recommanded Approacla

te

rocomond three klada of stops to sove ahead, on. tha

assumption that is seally mess ste

(a) Tha Vi Losess in the Congo should do buste up

to the point sara 1€ sonla alearly bo sadieulona sor

Ishanbe is Katangen forees to challengs thes.

(D) Convince Adoule to proxogto the Parliamat,

to govern with a backing of a pro-montera group baaded by

Mobuty, and to establish nore effective adminiatration vitt

W, U.8. and Belgien asalstanco.

(o) Contiqua to pursus rigorously the most feasiala

escusats of the Thent Plas, notably the division of roverusa

(without farthas consultation with Talombe, 18 necessary)

tho Coatral Coverinant's amenty, the milltary standatil?

in Barth fatango, and an attempt to Lapos an agreed

division

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aivision of porars and the bogimminge of military Integration

battaen the Contral doverament end tha Fatanga.

In these alretasteados, Ma recumand tara major stepa:

Lo M111te5y steps to ha Balea.

At tho prosent tim, ous assessmat le that, with the sey

Indonesten bastalion (me os then supposedly a paratroopes battalden)

and the solasively good sonmity situatien in tha sost of the countsy.

the. it has snough grend forcos to handle any challenge fren

Satangasose gendermasse 18 st is not shallenged fron tle als.

Trose probion 1s, thossfore, to male sure that no proseat

os poncelvable fatengs als capability has a chence

to operato agalant

the iN ParCes.

rais mens following through on all of the prosent

arreagomants to bees up the ul ais forces in the area wita sisaddeb,

Itallas, Isantan, and taopian ogulpmat and persomel. Barend tale.

1e morns plagiar in the. Congo to baok vo the vy forces, en American

Litar malt. tho assosment of all milltary Sorods lia tha

Congo le attaghed at TAB A. An analyais supporting the proposal &0r.

a: Darted Steles Air forse unit Ie at CAB B.

It would be a doparture Soon tha originel Heineralsjold

polley for to valted fatsons to accept an Anxloan salt as a pert

if the jogalar mod forde.

Horeoves, to rould wens to madatess

comind of our of Air. force infts la the aros.

Is thu scorotary

donoral is illing, it would probably to possible to dovelop a

agusat fron sho Adenie leveranant, endorsed by the Us, for She

placonent is Leopolduille of an inarien is Forco ult With the

nias160 of

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5c.

mission. of lal prateoting ou transpost planas salon are operating

In the interior es the longe on bohall of the uls (d) backing up

the UN Forcoas and (e) training end devoloping an adequate rational

ais forde for ths Central Coveranent as the Congo.

our illlingnosa to do tuls sould ba very toll sabaired by

a great majority of the Ul mambaru, and espassally. uy mamboss as the

Congo Advisost Committal. Do the Seesotasy Coneral, dE VOuld synbollia

and demonstrate in a prastical lay sup dariost raselve

tO ge0 the

thing through and avoid a major fallure by the Ul la sta largost

peasakeeping attempo.

Hesdloss to say, the prasance

Of U.S. forces o or ever the

810er knouledge that U.S. forces More avallable for this purpose o

woula do a aignificent pressure on Tahoube and bie abasslates.

Tabombe"

conia interpros this desiason in no othos vay than as probe chas

ay rosistance on his past to the uh, of any attompt to destroy

Europonn Saclitios in Katangs, would do not by & devastating

counter blow.

le ase suspentias a bulldomp el liS. militasy forces undos

a UN unbrolla, Les the purpose of avalatas. the une 98 forge to 500

Intogieto the Intanga, Tho 1don 18 n0t "hat the lasted Statos is

the UN would tale a miiltery Initlative to destroy Salemba'e

governant. But the Ull, with Vis. baaling, would bo placed in a

posieson vagro the alternetivo of illltar sobietamoo was no longer

opan to rohanta, and politisal negoisation loading tovasa

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5a

roconcillation and seintegration, rould be the only rational

choleo lest to Lim.

Strengtkonias tha Contre? over

эрz.

the steps soquired to etrungtion the Central Covasarat

ase set forta la Tab c.

Is goneral, vallo Advala le not la ideal choico, ve bellove

he 18 the dost ladividual evaliablo to hold tho sesaa as goresamant

In Loopoldville and, oven uith lallarnt dismiased, he rould enjoy

tho vistan os having calan office logitimately.

Tas quests on

of maintaining a "coup" group la pour moula lavolve the dIA to

a certain astonis.

For corious reasons, me dould prefer. to lep

tho ontire operation as overt as possiblo, and the foot that saavebe

on logally proveguo perliament for thiry days faollitates this.

Is sals commotion. No sould aspect Adoula to establion a nore

effeotive expoutivo brancu.

talle is have caissuased elving.

adastsonal assstance te the 100 in establianing lis on air spabillty,

thie soquisonat tonid, ser the time being, be redundent, la view

redues the need sur un to espend our covost oporations with the

constant sia's of esposure.

Reconölllation and Relate attor.

Tho dotalled agenda of stops soquired is aveslable indeed,

10 all 800 8an82108.

But in a not atmosphore produped by & aou

demonstration that ve mann it, suns al lle steps required ceila bo

SCRET

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takan immediately.

Adoüla could order the standstill with minimm dissiovity

18 assurad of this more forthconing US UN support.. Moreovers:

although the wik is now negotiating the subjoct with Ishamba,

whan 1t 1s faced Elth Us detnination to end socession, this night

stimulate then to turn over innedlataly their taxes and foraiga

exchanga: to the Monetary. Council with of without Tshombe"s

agreement. working out the agraed arision of powar betren the

Contral Government and the Katanga and arrangements fos milltary

integration would be a nore comples task. We think this could

bast be achioved by having " Thant personally fly to the Congo and

negotlato i final settlemant with Adoula and Iahombe on these questions.

Both sides would bo given to understand that us would tolorate

the nogotiations that bavo already bees hold.

SECRE

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