Word: missions
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Earlier this month the State Department sent a six-man fact-finding mission to examine the needs of both Nigeria and Biafra and to make recommendations to the U.S. government about the necessary forms and amount of possible aid. Senator Charles E. Goodell (R.-N.Y.), accompanied by his administrative assistant--Charles W. Dunn--was in charge of the mission's diplomatic aspects...
...They made detailed studies of the supplies and health of both sides of the conflict, but they concentrated on Biafra because of the huge gaps in America's knowledge of the situation there due to the lack of diplomatic links with that area. Mayer said "At least this (the mission) means the State Department realizes that Biafra will probably survive for at least the immediate future...
Mayer said, "The mission had two goals: first to ascertain the extent of the needs of both Biafra and Nigeria and, second, to determine ways to transport relief to blockaded Biafra...
...Although the chief of the Nigerian government personally guaranteed our plane safe conduct into Biafra, our mission was bombed every day of our visit," Mayer said. "Naturally this lack of trust-worthiness makes any kind of negotiations very difficult," he added...
Mayer said a copy of the mission's 36-page report, which asks for "decisive action" to save millions of Biafran men and women, has been submitted to President Nixon and his top advisors...