Office of the Historian

48. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting1

Washington, August 6, 1980, 3–3:45 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • Intelligence Operations

PARTICIPANTS

  • State

    • David Newsom, Undersecretary for Political Affairs
    • David Mark, Dep Dir for Bureau of Intelligence & Research

  • OSD

    • Robert Komer, Undersecretary for Policy
    • ADM Daniel Murphy, DEPUNDERSEC for Policy Review

  • OMB

    • Bowman Cutter, Executive Associate Director for Budget
    • Edward Sanders, Asst Director for Nat’l Security & Int’l Affairs

  • White House

    • Zbigniew Brzezinski (Chairman)

  • NSC

    • Paul Henze, notetaker
    • ***Robert Pastor

  • Justice

    • Charles Renfrew, Deputy AG
    • Ken Bass, Counsel for Intelligence Policy

  • JCS

    • General John Pustay, Asst to the Chairman

  • DCI

    • Frank Carlucci, DDCI
    • [name not declassified] Chief NE Division
    • [name not declassified] Dep Chief Africa Division
    • [name not declassified] Chief, LA Division

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Guatemala or Belize.]

Guatemala

The discussion of Guatemala which had taken place at the SCC/I meeting of July 28, 1980 was resumed and considerations affecting possible covert action efforts in Guatemala were debated in detail between the State, CIA and DOD representatives.2 The CIA representative repeatedly stressed the necessity of undertaking covert action only within the framework of a coherent overall policy; without a policy framework, he said, CIA did not believe it could productively engage in any covert action. CIA representatives also underscored the need to work with the civilian and military security services (not the police) [Page 135] as an integral part of any covert action program. The Chairman accepted the case made in a CIA paper dated August 4 explaining the rationale of this approach.3 State stressed the necessity of avoiding association with Guatemalan government programs that relied on violence as a means of coping with terrorism and urged that further decisions be deferred until the results are in from the mission State will be sending in mid-August to discuss US-Guatemalan relations with the government there.4 The DOD representative urged strongly that we position ourselves for action in Guatemala before the situation deteriorates further. After further discussion the Chairman proposed that the three part CIA covert action program be endorsed, but that the Finding authorizing it be reviewed after the mission which will soon leave for Guatemala has reported back. The Finding will then be submitted to the President. The group agreed.5 (S)

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Guatemala or Belize.]

  1. Source: National Security Council, Carter Administration Intelligence Files, Box I022, SCC–I on Covert Action, 6 August 1980. Secret. Drafted by Henze. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. [name not declassified] did not attend the portion of the meeting on Latin America.↩
  2. See Document 43.↩
  3. See Document 46.↩
  4. See Document 49.↩
  5. See Document 50.↩