Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXII, Southeast Asia and the Pacific

62. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezisnki) and the Special Representative for Economic Summits (Owen) to President Carter¹

Washington, October 12, 1979

SUBJECT

• Initial US Commitment to Kampuchean Relief (U)

The International Committee of the Red Cross and UN Childrens Fund are on the verge of launching their appeal, which we now understand will be for $110 million for humanitarian aid to Kampuchea. Representatives of UNICEF and ICRC are now enroute to Phnom Penh to get the program started, and have already received initial pledges totaling $21 million from Japan, Germany, Australia, Britain, and the European Economic Community. (U)

The difficulties in securing continuing, explicit, and detailed agreements with the Heng Samrin regime concerning monitoring are well known to you. ICRC/UNICEF have an unwritten agreement with this regime that they will be permitted to have access and monitor the international assistance. The best estimate of the Department of State is that the UNICEF/ICRC authorities will be able to implement this agreement, but will face constant roadblocks and other problems, which will raise a question about the agreement’s durability. Tab D² is a memorandum from State outlining the risks and probabilities. The main hangup is the Vietnamese puppet regime’s dislike of assistance also going to the Pol Pot (DK) authorities. (C)

State and NSC staff believe that the most effective way to keep the access agreement firm is by a substantial and highly visible humanitarian effort, plus pressure on the parties and their supporters. (C)

If the agreement breaks down, UNICEF and ICRC will cease food distribution in Kampuchea. If the agreement breaks down in the next 60 days, our food won’t even have reached Kampuchea; it takes that long to get there. If it breaks down thereafter, we could consider diverting our food to the dozen or so food depots being established on the Thai side of the border to feed the large expected influx of starving Kampucheans. (C)

State recommends an initial contribution of $2 million for trucks, fork-lifts, and other machinery to unload food. Regarding the legal question raised by OMB on aiding persons who have not crossed international borders,³ we now have an opinion from the Department of State Legal Adviser (Tab C)⁴ that it is within your authority to make a Presidential Determination to draw $2 million in cash from the United States Emergency, Refugee, and Migration Assistance Fund for Kampuchean relief. Attached at Tab A is the Presidential Determination for your signature.⁵ (U)

A related step the United States can simultaneously announce is a pledge of $5 million in commodities and shipping costs from the Food for Peace (PL–480) Program. This contribution can be made out of existing resources; no Presidential action is required. Neither it nor the $2 million requires any additional budgetary appropriation. (U)

Reports from the Hill suggest a growing desire to see the United States make a generous response. We are being asked why Congress has not yet been asked for funds or support. A cable just received, addressed to you personally by Dick Clark,⁶ urgently recommends an immediate and generous US anticipatory response to the impending ICRC/UNICEF appeal. Dick urges we announce now that we will contribute one-third ($36.6 million) of the entire project. (C)

In our view, the first stage of the ICRC/UNICEF appeal (for $20 million) will be adequately met by the action we are recommending, plus contributions by other governments. When this initial $20 million start-up money is exhausted, ICRC and UNICEF will ask for contributions to meet the rest of their $110 million target; we will make appropriate recommendations to you at that time. (C)

We recommend that you issue a public statement announcing this decision.⁷ This announcement should also refer to the fact that the UN World Food Program will also soon be drawing upon US pledges already made to meet Kampuchean needs. A statement is attached at Tab B,⁸ which has been cleared with Bernard Aronson. (U)

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. That you sign the Presidential Determination at Tab A authorizing drawing down $2 million for the initial US contribution to the ICRC/UNICEF effort.

2. That you approve the issuance of the attached statement.⁹

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron File, Box 6, Cambodia, 1979. Confidential. Sent for action. OMB concurred.
2. Attached but not printed.
3. See Document 61.
4. Attached but not printed.
5. Not attached. See footnote 3, Document 61.
6. Telegram 16565 from the Mission in Geneva, October 10. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790464–0196)
7. For the text of the October 15 statement, see Public Papers: Carter, 1979, Book II, pp. 1924–1925.
8. Not attached.
9. Carter checked the approve option for both recommendations and initialed below.