Office of the Historian

199. Memorandum From William Odom of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1

Washington, February 8, 1980

SUBJECT

  • Record of your Meeting with Lt. Gen Akhtar

The following are the main points that arose in your discussion with General Akhtar in Islamabad on February 3:

—He explained that he has a very small organization for his Afghan operation which handles everything involved. In the Pakistan government, only President Zia is aware of it.

—To your question about what he is receiving, he gave you a satisfactory answer, noting the same numbers in categories of support as you had in your talking paper.

—He is proceeding very cautiously both in technique of transportation and in quantity of equipment and actions. To prove to you the results are concrete, not phoney, he promised to send through “other channels” some photographs.

—You asked about U.S. debriefing of more personnel. He declined to make them available because it is his policy to allow no one to return to Afghanistan once he has been exposed to U.S. or Pakistani intelligence officials. If some are wounded and unable to return, they could be turned over for a debrief.

—He admitted that some cross-border fire and very small border clashes have occurred.

—He has pulled together the six political leaders from the Afghan resistance and told them that support is dependent upon their cooperation and combined planning. They are obliging.

—When you asked what else we can do to help, he asked for [less than 1 line not declassified] of Soviet formations and movements, particularly on the Soviet side of the Afghan-Soviet border. You promised to look into it upon return to the U.S.

—Akhtar also registered a complaint about our request through Defense channels for the EC–135 flight. Keep it in intelligence channels, he begged!

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—Finally, Akhtar expressed disappointment that we had not reached more concrete results in negotiating the modalities of U.S.-Pakistani aid during your visit.

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, General Odom File, Box 1, Afghanistan: 1–2/80. Top Secret; Sensitive.↩