Office of the Historian

417. Memorandum From Thomas J. Barnes of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), Washington, March 20, 1976.1 2

Washington, March 20, 1976

MEMORANDUM
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
URGENT INFORMATION

March 20, 1976

MEMORANDUM FOR: BRENT SCOWCROFT
FROM: THOMAS J. BARNES [TJB initialed]

SUBJECT: Stance Toward Thailand in View of the RTG Request to Withdraw All our Forces

Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia Robert Miller chaired a meeting at State March 20 on the Thai situation. Defense, CIA, NSA, and the NSC participated. Defense indicated that it could meet the four-month deadline that the Thai have set for withdrawal of our residual forces. The East Asian Bureau is preparing a memo to the Secretary recommending the following U.S. stance, on which there was general consensus at the meeting:

  • — Comply with the Thai desire for us to shut down all non-retrograde operations as of March 20, but continue on a case-by-case basis to request permission for Diego Garcia support flights.
  • —Withdraw the some $60 million worth of ammunition in Thailand (AIT) unless the Thai purchase for cash some or all of it.
  • — Pull out the Integrated Communication System (ICS) rather than turn it over to the Thai (who have minimal use for it, and would have trouble operating and maintaining it).
  • — Make no change in the FY 76 and FY 77 military aid request for Thailand currently before the Congress. (An announcement that we would reduce or cut out aid could precipitate a coup.)
  • — Continue JUSMAG personnel drawdowns. (The Thai will allow us 270 spaces, We currently have 161 assigned personnel with JUSMAG, and plan to cut that figure by 60 before the end of the calendar year.)
  • — Stop pleading for the Thai against U.S. domestic pressures for rice sales in traditional Thai markets. (The U.S. has almost a million tons of surplus rice.)
  • — If the new Government that comes in as a result of the April 4 elections invites us to stay, settle for a scaled down Ramasun operation and a small Utapao support group.

The EA Bureau has prepared the Q’s and A’s on the Thai situation at Tab A.

  1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific, Box 17, Thailand (19). Confidential. Urgent; Sent for information. According to the correspondence profile, Scowcroft saw this memorandum on March 22. Tab A, the questions and answers from EA, was not attached.↩
  2. Barnes outlined the consensus U.S. government view on how to respond to Thailand’s request to withdraw U.S. forces.↩