News

The White House Briefing Room


July 1, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release                       July 1, 1999


                     STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

     National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger announced today that the
National Security Council staff has compiled a comprehensive historical
list of 1,624 NSC policy documents from the Kennedy through the Bush
Administrations and have made them available to the general public on the
NSC website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/NSC/html/historical/).  The
list identifies the subject and date for all major national security policy
documents issued during these administrations, as well as a list of NSC
Intelligence Directives for the 1947-1975 time period.  The list includes
newly declassified policy documents as well as those that have not yet been
declassified and released.  It is the first time that such an extensive
list of key national security policy documents has been made available to
the public.

     These memorandums and directives, issued by the President or his
National Security Advisor, provided guidance to the appropriate agencies
and departments for the execution and formulation of national security
policy.  For the 1961-1993 time period, the documents comprise the most
important record of the national security policies of the United States.  A
similar discrete set of policy documents does not exist for the Truman and
Eisenhower Administrations.

     Copies of specific documents that have been declassified and released
may be obtained by contacting the appropriate presidential library.  The
NSC website provides links to the presidential libraries and other
components of the National Archives and Records Administration.

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