Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XII, Afghanistan

214. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Turner to the Chairman of the Special Coordination Committee¹

Washington, February 21, 1980

SUBJECT

• Additional Funding for Afghanistan Covert Action Program (S/[handling restriction not declassified])

1. The Afghanistan Covert Action Program began with a Presidential Finding dated 3 July 1979 which authorized humanitarian aid to the insurgents.² The SCC authorized [amount not declassified] in support of this program. A second Finding on 7 November expanded the program by authorizing procurement advice and communications equipment. The SCC authorized [amount not declassified] for this phase of the program. Following the Soviet invasion, a third Presidential Finding dated 28 December expanded the program further by authorizing the provision of lethal military equipment to the insurgents.³ The SCC authorized an additional [amount not declassified] for the program. As you are aware, Saudi Arabia has agreed to cooperate with us in this program and has contributed [amount not declassified] for a total Afghan program budget of [amount not declassified]. This amount will soon be exhausted. (S/[handling restriction not declassified])

2. At an NSC meeting of 15 February 1980 the President approved continuation of the Afghanistan Covert Action Program for the remainder of calendar year 1980.⁴ We need approval from the SCC to request a release [less than 1 line not declassified] which is the amount we estimate we need to maintain our part of this program. For your information, we anticipate that Saudi Arabia will contribute an additional [amount not declassified] million for a total Afghan program budget of $30 million.⁵ (S/[handling restriction not declassified])

Stansfield Turner⁶

1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 81B00401R: Subject Files of the Presidential Briefing Coordinator for DCI (1977–81), Box 13, SCC (I) Meeting, 27 February 1980, Afghanistan. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified].
2. See footnote 5, Document 53.
3. See footnote 6, Document 107.
4. No record of an NSC meeting on that date was found. Reference may be to a foreign policy breakfast, February 15, attended by Carter, Vance, Brown, Jordan, Brzezinski, Cutler, Donovan, and General David Jones. The meeting was noted, but not elaborated upon, in the President’s Daily Diary. (Carter Library, Presidential Materials, President’s Daily Diary)
5. There is no indication on the original of the SCC Chairman’s approval. Attached but not printed is a summary of projected expenditures for the Afghan covert action program, divided into three items: covert paramilitary [text not declassified], covert action [text not declassified], and intelligence collection [text not declassified] for a total of $30 million. This list is further broken down into an itemized list, also attached but not printed. In addition, two intelligence cables updating the Chief of Station in Islamabad on the status of the covert action program and a list of “propaganda themes” for promulgation on Afghan radio are attached but not printed.
6. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.