Office of the Historian

209. Memorandum From Robert Pastor of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)1

Washington, July 7, 1980

SUBJECT

  • CIA and Jamaica (S)

At a meeting with Bowdler and me this morning, DDO/Latin America said that the Christian Democrats in Germany [1 line not declassified] sending twenty “observers/journalists” to Jamaica at the request of Seaga’s Party to observe the elections. I said that I thought it was a crazy idea for several reasons. [1 line not declassified] Second, we ought to try to avoid partisan observers of the elections. It would be much more desirable to encourage the SPD and the CDU to try to elicit an invitation from Manley to observe the elections, than for the CDU just to support Seaga’s Party. Alternatively, it would be useful to try to get the British or the Germans to get a unified request from the EC–9 to ask Manley if they could observe the elections. I think Bowdler will follow up on this last idea, but I wanted to mention to you the CIA’s original proposal in case they raise it again. (S)

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Brzezinski Office File, Country Chron, Box 23, Jamaica, 1980. Secret. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates that Brzezinski saw it. Copies were sent to Gregg and Blackwill.↩