Détente and the 1976 Presidential Election, February 1976–January 1977
261. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Hartman) to Secretary of State Kissinger
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Lot File 81D286, Records of the Office of the Counselor, Box 10, POL 2 USSR–US. Secret. Drafted by R.L. Barry in EUR/SOV on February 3; cleared by Jenkins in H, Wright in EB, and Shinn in C. Forwarded through Sonnenfeldt. Borg wrote at the end of the memorandum: “EUR—Redman informed of actions taken 2/11.”
262. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 17. Secret; Nodis. The meeting was held in the Oval Office.
263. Letter From President Ford to Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger–Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1974–1977, Box 29, USSR, The “D” File. No classification marking. According to marginalia, the letter was “handed to Amb D by Sec. Kissinger at 11:15 a.m. on 2–16–76.” No substantive record of the meeting between Kissinger and Dobrynin on February 16 has been found.
264. Note From President Ford to the Soviet Leadership
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 17. No classification marking. Numerous drafts of the note, dated February 12–16, are ibid., Kissinger–Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1974–1977, Box 29, USSR, The “D” File. Ford briefed Ikle on the final version during a meeting in the Oval Office on the morning of February 16: “I wanted to bring you up to date about a decision I made over the weekend. It will be delivered to Dobrynin this morning. It is deferral, under the concept of buying time for Backfire and cruise missiles. We picked January ’79 as the best time before our deployment of cruise missiles and which will still keep some restraint on Backfire. I thought it best to include ALCMs in the treaty. For other cruise missiles, their deployment is banned over 600 kilometers. On ‘nuclear-armed,’ I thought it best to defer that to Geneva in order not to overload the Soviets at the moment.” “I think it is the best we can do under the circumstances,” Ford added. “I don’t think it has much chance.” (Ibid., Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 17) When Rumsfeld asked that afternoon whether Dobrynin had received the note, Ford replied: “Yes, it was given to him at 11:15, with a personal two and a half page note from me to Brezhnev.” (Memorandum of conversation; ibid.)
265. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada, 1974–1977, Box 18, USSR (30). Secret; Sensitive. Although no drafting information appears on the memorandum, Butler forwarded a draft to Scowcroft on February 19; Scowcroft made a minor revision to the text. A note on the memorandum reads: “The President has seen.” Ford also initialed it. According to an attached correspondence profile, Ford noted it on February 24.
266. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada, 1974–1977, Box 18, USSR (30). Confidential. Sent for information. Although no drafting information appears on the memorandum, the text was taken nearly verbatim from a February 13 assessment prepared by the CIA. In a February 18 memorandum to Scowcroft, Clift reported: “At our request, CIA has prepared an assessment of likely developments at the Congress—in both the leadership and in policy—based on the latest available intelligence information.” (Ibid.) A note on the memorandum reads: “The President has seen.” Ford also initialed the memorandum. According to an attached correspondence profile, the President noted it on February 25.
267. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada, 1974–1977, Box 18, USSR (30). Secret. Sent for information. Although no drafting information appears on the memorandum, Clift forwarded the text in a February 19 memorandum to Scowcroft. “The Estimate, prepared at our request,” Clift explained, “reviews the magnitude of the resulting serious grain shortage in the Soviet Union and measures being taken to cope with it, the domestic political consequences, the implications for U.S. grain sales this year and beyond to the USSR and possible related political leverage, and the impact of the harvest on Soviet grain customers in Eastern Europe.” (Ibid.) A note on the memorandum from Scowcroft reads: “The President has seen.” Ford also initialed the memorandum. According to an attached correspondence profile, the President noted it on February 25.
268. Transcript of Interview With President Ford
Source: Ford Library, Nessen Files, Box 30, President Media Interviews, WCKT–TV (Richard Whitcomb)—Miami, March 1, 1976. No classification marking. Ford was in Florida to campaign before the March 9 Republican Presidential primary.
269. Briefing Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Saunders) to Secretary of State Kissinger
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Lot File 81D286, Records of the Office of the Counselor, Box 7, Soviet Union, Jan–April 1976. Secret. Drafted by Saunders and Lawrence J. Kennon in INR/REC on February 28. Forwarded through Sonnenfeldt. In a March 6 memorandum to Kissinger, Sonnenfeldt commented: “The attached paper from Hal Saunders on economic leverage does not deal at all with the more fundamental issue of how we and other industrialized countries use economic assets to affect the longer term evolution of Soviet domestic and foreign policy. That is a much more complex subject than the simple issue of specific ‘leverage.’ Indeed the arguments over leverage, real and alleged, obscure the real issue in economic relations with the USSR: what impact can the outside world have on Soviet economic priorities, how can the outside world expand areas of interrelatedness between the Soviet and other economies, to what degree can Soviet reliance on the outside world be fostered, what policies, procedures and mechanisms are needed to permit non-market economies like ours to have a strategy toward market economies at all, specifically how can the U.S. do this vis-à-vis the USSR? Despite its lack of larger focus, the paper is a useful compendium of debating points that can be used in the ongoing discussion.” (Ibid.)
270. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and Ted Koppel of ABC News
Source: Department of State, Electronic Reading Room, Kissinger Transcripts of Telephone Conversations. No classification marking.
271. Memorandum From the Counselor of the Department of State (Sonnenfeldt) to Secretary of State Kissinger
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Lot File 81D286, Records of the Office of the Counselor, Box 7, Soviet Union, Jan–April 1976. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.
272. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Ford
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger–Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1974–1977, Box 29, USSR, The “D” File. No classification marking. In an attached handwritten note, Eagleburger reported that the message was delivered on March 17 at 8:15 p.m.; according to marginalia, Scowcroft received a copy on March 18 at 7:05 a.m.
273. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 18. Secret; Nodis. All brackets, except those inserted by the editor to indicate omitted passages, are in the original. The meeting was held in the Oval Office.
274. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 18. Secret; Nodis. The meeting was held in the Oval Office.
275. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 18. Secret; Nodis. All brackets are in the original. The meeting was held in the Oval Office.
276. Memorandum From the Counselor of the Department of State (Sonnenfeldt) to Secretary of State Kissinger
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Lot File 81D286, Records of the Office of the Counselor, Box 7, Soviet Union, Jan–April 1976. Secret; Sensitive.
277. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 19. Confidential. All brackets are in the original. The meeting was held in the Oval Office.
278. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and James Reston of The New York Times
Source: Department of State, Electronic Reading Room, Kissinger Transcripts of Telephone Conversations. No classification marking. Kissinger was in Washington; Reston was in New York
279. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada, 1974–1977, Box 19, USSR (33). Confidential. Sent for information. Clift forwarded a draft to Scowcroft on April 9, explaining that it had been prepared at Hyland’s request. “In response to our request,” Clift added, “CIA and FBIS have said that they will periodically prepare such analyses throughout the remainder of the campaign.” A copy of the draft with Scowcroft’s handwritten revisions is attached. A note on the memorandum reads: “The President has seen.” Ford also initialed it. According to an attached correspondence profile, the President noted the memorandum on April 13.
280. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Memoranda of Conversations, 1973–1977, Box 19. Secret; Nodis. All brackets, except those inserted by the editor to indicate omitted passages, are in the original. The meeting was held in the Oval Office.
281. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Ford
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger–Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1974–1977, Box 29, USSR, The “D” File. No classification marking. According to marginalia, the letter was “hand carried by Vorontsov to Scowcroft—8:00 p.m. 4/16/76.”
282. Letter From President Ford to Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger–Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1974–1977, Box 29, USSR, The “D” File. No classification marking. According to marginalia, the letter was handed to Vorontsov by Scowcroft at 5:55 p.m. on April 27.
283. Letter From Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev to President Ford
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Lot File 81D286, Records of the Office of the Counselor, Box 10, POL 2 USSR–US. No classification marking. According to a handwritten note by Sonnenfeldt, “Dobrynin saw the Secy yesterday and dropped these off.” In addition to the letter, Dobrynin also delivered Soviet proposals on disarmament and on the environment. (Ibid.)
284. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)
Source: Department of State, Electronic Reading Room, Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts. No classification marking.
285. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)
Source: Department of State, Electronic Reading Room, Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts. No classification marking.
286. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)
Source: Department of State, Electronic Reading Room, Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts. No classification marking.
287. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)
Source: Department of State, Electronic Reading Room, Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts. No classification marking.
288. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada, 1974–1977, Box 19, USSR (43). Confidential; Sensitive. Sent for information. A note on the memorandum reads: “The President has seen.” Ford also initialed the memorandum. According to an attached correspondence profile, the President noted it on October 1.
289. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Lot File 81D286, Records of the Office of the Counselor, Box 7, Soviet Union, May–Sept. 1976. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Rodman. All brackets are in the original. The meeting was held in the Secretary’s Suite (35A) in the Waldorf Towers.
290. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Ford
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada, 1974–1977, Box 19, USSR (44). Top Secret; Sensitive. Although no drafting information appears on the memorandum, Clift forwarded it to Scowcroft on September 30. A note on the memorandum reads: “The President has seen.” Ford also initialed it. According to an attached correspondence profile, the President noted the memorandum on October 1. A September 30 memorandum from Kissinger to Ford on the Gromyko meeting is also attached but not printed.