Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, Volume XXIII, Mexico, Cuba, and the Caribbean

62. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to
President Carter¹

Washington, August 29, 1979

SUBJECT

• Your Forthcoming Meeting with Senator Stone

Stone will want to know what we are doing about our new intelligence confirming that the Soviets have a combat brigade-type unit in Cuba. Dave Newsom has given him by phone an outline of the situation, and we have scheduled a briefing in Washington for September 4. It would nonetheless be useful for you to tell him we have already approached the Soviets and to enlist his support for our efforts to deal with the matter.

Background

We have had inconclusive evidence for several years of the presence in Cuba of what appeared to be a Soviet unit of some type. Until very recently we were uncertain as to the size, nature, and configuration of the unit—which the Soviets refer to in their communications as a “brigade.” We have now confirmed through a variety of intelligence means that the unit is indeed Soviet, numbers from 2,000 to 3,000 men, and has organic armor, artillery, and motorized infantry components. We remain uncertain as to its mission and the precise date of its placement in Cuba.

As presently configured and supported, the unit does not appear to constitute a threat to this country or to other countries in the hemisphere. The presence of this unit does not appear to violate our understandings with the Soviets on Cuba, which do not address the question of Soviet ground forces. We therefore think it unlikely the Soviets would accede to any demands for the unit’s withdrawal, and are exploring options for demonstrating to both Moscow and Havana our displeasure over the unit’s presence.

The key question for Stone, however, is whether or not the unit’s presence constitutes a Soviet base. You advised Stone in a letter of January 1978 in connection with the Panama Canal Treaty ratification effort that the administration would oppose Soviet efforts, direct or indirect, to establish military bases in this hemisphere. In a July letter to Stone, I reaffirmed this position. Based on leaks of our initial, fragmentary evidence on the unit in Cuba, Stone alleged during the early SALT hearings that the Soviets were attempting to establish a “base” in Cuba and challenged the administration to remove it. He suggested our failure to do so would reflect an unwillingness to challenge the Soviets on possible SALT violations.

We would suggest that you defer until his briefing next Tuesday² any specific questions Stone may have, focusing instead on steps we have taken to deal with the unit. After interagency consultations, we have made demarches to the Soviets here and to the Cubans in Havana to express concern over the unit’s presence. We have told the Soviets we will want to raise the matter with Gromyko when he is here in September for the UNGA.

Attached are suggested talking points and a copy of your letter of January 1978 to Senator Stone.³

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 15, Cuba, Soviet Brigade, 5–8/79. Secret. A cover page by Owen states, “I do not agree with background memo on one point: I suspect that it is premature now to draw any conclusions as to whether this Soviet combat brigade does or does not constitute a ‛threat’ to our interests in the Western Hemisphere.”
2. September 4.
3. Talking points for Carter’s meeting with Stone are attached but not printed. The letter to Senator Stone has not been found. Vance wrote to Stone the following day in order to assuage the Senator’s concerns that Soviet submarine “port calls” to Cuba were in violation of the 1970 U.S.-Soviet agreement. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Country File, Box 15, Cuba, Soviet Brigade, 5–8/79)