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Memorandum Establishing the Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control.

September 07, 1971

Memorandum for:

Honorable William P. Rogers, Secretary of State

SUBJECT: Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control

Drug abuse, particularly narcotics addiction, has grown to crisis proportions in the last several years in the United States. It is imperative that the illicit flow of narcotics and dangerous drugs into this country be stopped as soon as possible. In order most effectively to coordinate this effort, which encompasses diplomatic, intelligence, and law enforcement functions, I am hereby establishing a Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control.

The Cabinet Committee will be chaired by the Secretary of State and include:

Secretary Rogers

Attorney General Mitchell

Secretary Laird

Secretary Connally

Ambassador Bush

Director Helms

and such others as become necessary in the opinion of the Chairman.

The Cabinet Committee will be supported by a Working Group to be composed of personnel from each of the concerned agencies. The Executive Director of the Cabinet Committee and Chairman of the Working Group will be Egil Krogh, Jr.

The Cabinet Committee shall be responsible for the formulation and coordination of all policies of the Federal Government relating to the goal of curtailing and eventually eliminating the flow of illegal narcotics and dangerous drugs into the United States from abroad. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Federal officers and Federal departments and agencies shall cooperate with the Cabinet Committee in carrying out its functions under this directive and shall comply with the policies, guidelines, standards, and procedures prescribed by the Cabinet Committee.

More specifically, the Cabinet Committee shall--

(1) develop comprehensive plans and programs for the implementation of these policies;

(2) assure that all diplomatic, intelligence, and Federal law enforcement programs and activities of international scope are properly coordinated;

(3) evaluate all such programs and activities and their implementation;

(4) make recommendations to the Director of the office of Management and Budget concerning proposed funding of such programs; and

(5) report to the President, from time to time, concerning the foregoing.

RICHARD NIXON

Note: The memorandum was dated August 17, 1971, and released September 7.

On September 7, the White House released the transcript of a news briefing by Secretary Rogers on the Cabinet Committee and on recent developments in international narcotics control.

On September 28, the White House released the transcript of remarks by Secretary Rogers and Thanat Khoman, Foreign Minister of Thailand, announcing a Memorandum of Understanding on International Narcotics Control between the United States and Thailand. The remarks are printed in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (vol. 7, P. 1352).

On September 28, the White House also released the transcript of a news briefing on the Memorandum of Understanding by Leonard Unger, United States Ambassador to Thailand, Egil Krogh, Jr., Executive Director, Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control, and Nelson G. Gross, Senior Adviser and Coordinator for International Narcotics Matters, Department of State.

Richard Nixon, Memorandum Establishing the Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/240756

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