Office of the Historian

33. Summary of Conclusion of a Mini-Policy Review Committee Meeting1

Washington, November 1, 1979, 10–11:30 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • Mini-PRC on Strait of Hormuz (C)

PARTICIPANTS

  • State

    • David Newsom, Under Secretary for Political Affairs
    • Harold Saunders, Asst. Sec. for Near Eastern & South Asian Affairs
    • Dan O’Donahue, Dep. Dir. for Politico Military Affairs

  • OSD

    • David McGiffert, Asst. Sec. for Int’l Security Affairs
    • Henry H. Gaffney, Director, Near Eastern & South Asian Affairs
    • Colonel G.W. Plummer, Director, Arabian Peninsula
    • Captain Chris C. Shoemaker, Policy Analysis

  • JCS

    • General John Pustay, Assistant to the Chairman
    • Commander Richard S. Shawkey, U.S.N.

  • DCI

    • Robert Ames, NIO, Near Eastern & South Asian Affairs
    • White House
    • David Aaron

  • NSC

    • Gary Sick

General Pustay briefed the mini-PRC on the geography of the Strait of Hormuz and its vulnerability. The width and depth of the Strait makes it difficult to block physically, but the fjords of the Musandam Peninsula provide possible hiding places for isolated terrorist operations. The most likely contingencies would be emplacement of a limited number of moored mines or a seaborne rocket attack on a tanker. The best minesweeping capability in the region is the four new Saudi minesweepers; the equipment is excellent but Saudi capability to use it is still very limited.

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files, Box 83, MPRC 016, 11/1/79, Straits of Hormuz. Confidential. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. The minutes of the meeting were not found.↩