409678 \ 2. Meetingwith the Secretary of Defense and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. (pp. 2-4) Mr. Strauss said that on February 15, he nad met with the Sec retary of Defense snd the Shuirman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ¢ Ctsouss the-observer program for Operation REDWING, the allocatior materials for foreign power reactors and the request for a meeting between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Commission. With regard to the observer program for Operation REDWIN. Mr. Strauss said that JCS would like to sponsor a number of Uy u and Canadian military observers. Mr. Strauss said he had inform Admiral Radford that if forelgn military observers were present at Operation REDWING, he believed it wovld also be necessary to invite representatives of the press. He added that it had been agreed that AEC and DOD would consider, as soon as possible, the question of observer programs, Mr, Strauss said he had read to Mr, Wilson and Admiral Radford the draft letter to the President requesting that he allocate 20,000 kilograms of U-235 for foreign power reactors, and also a letter which would later be sent to the Secretary of Defense on the same subject, He added that after some discussio: Mr, Wilson and Admiral Radford had concurred in the request for Sats aitocatyon. BEST COPYAVAILABLE Mr, Strauss also said that in accordance with a request by Mr. Murray, he had asked Admiral Radford if the Joint Chiefs of Staff would meet with the Commission. He said that Admiral Radford did not believe such a meeting would be appropriate Since the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been established to advise the President and Secretary of Defense and since such a meeting would bypass the MLC, which is the statutory link between the Commission and the Defense Department, H-L- Hope np]3 By: PM. Sweetman. Gle/96 Ae afay” rower Lecldusng