460. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Brown to President Carter1
SUBJECT
- Security Assistance for El Salvador (U)
(S) On January 10, leftist guerrillas launched their heralded “final” offensive in El Salvador. They have employed newly introduced weapons and have mounted a concerted campaign to quickly overthrow the government. These initial attacks have been intense, widespread and have severely taxed the capabilities of the Government of El Salvador (GOES) to defend itself, and the guerrillas have not pulled back, as reported in the press. I am concerned that the main attack is yet to be launched. While the Salvadoran Armed Forces have largely held their own thus far, they are in dire need of visible outside support to strengthen their resolve and to balance the fire-power equation which, largely because of external support to the guerrillas and our past reluctance to provide lethal equipment, now may be shifting in favor of the insurgents.
(S) In the attack on the 2d Brigade Garrison in Santa Ana last weekend, a sizeable portion of the Brigade’s small arms were destroyed. The last of the GOES helicopters capable of moving troops was shot down on January 11 (only three small reconnaissance helicopters remain operational for the entire country). Guerrilla attacks in Santa Ana, Chalatenango, Zacatecoluca and in Morazan Departments have left some GOES military units isolated and cut off from normal over-the-road resupply. Reports indicate that because of the lack of helicopter lift capability, wounded soldiers and civilians are unable to be evacuated for proper medical treatment. There are also reports that, at the current rate of expenditures, many GOES units have only enough ammunition for another week of fighting. If the GOES is to survive, it requires urgent military assistance.
(S) As you are aware, the GOES has urgently requested that we provide the military items it requires for survival—and on an emergency basis. I have attached a listing of the items they have requested for your information.2 As you will note, with the exception of the helicopters (which, however, have been expanded from six to ten), this [Page 1179] materiel is in excess of the $5 million currently programmed for El Salvador in FY81 and it is principally lethal and exclusively related to the on-going combat. However, the situation in El Salvador is critical and if we wish to prevent the guerrillas from sinking that unfortunate nation into further anarchy, we should respond favorably and rapidly. In addition to the security assistance you approved for El Salvador on January 13,3 I strongly recommend that you authorize shipment of the four additional helicopters we have already identified for El Salvador and that we proceed with provision of the additional materiel they have now requested. In view of the circumstances, this request is modest indeed.
(S) For the reasons outlined above, I believe that the current situation in El Salvador warrants your use of the authority contained in Section 506(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act in providing this materiel. According to our records, you have an available balance of about $48 million during FY81 from which to draw the approximately $5 million additionally required to provide this materiel and its emergency transportation to El Salvador. Your use of Section 506(a) authority will also allow our immediate provision of these items from DOD stocks.
(S) Attached is the proposed Determination for you to approve and sign.4
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Office, Unfiled Files, Box 130, El Salvador: 1/81. Secret. A copy was sent to Muskie.↩
- Attached but not printed is an undated list entitled “Emergency Military Assistance Needs.”↩
- See Document 494.↩
- Attached but not printed is Presidential Determination No. 81–2, January 16, signed by Carter to authorize the furnishing of up to $5,000,000 in defense articles and services to El Salvador.↩