Office of the Historian

104. Summary of Conclusions of a Special Coordination Committee Meeting1

Washington, January 22, 1980, 9–9:45 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • Iran, Olympics, Pakistan, Argentina, Yugoslavia, Intelligence, Military Deployments and Bartholomew/Murray Mission

PARTICIPANTS

  • State

    • Deputy Secretary Christopher
    • David Newsom
    • Harold Saunders

  • Defense

    • Secretary Harold Brown
    • Graham Claytor

  • CIA

    • Admiral Turner
    • Frank Carlucci

  • JCS

    • General David Jones
    • Lt. General John Pustay

  • Vice President’s Office

    • Denis Clift

  • White House

    • David Aaron
    • Hedley Donovan
    • Hamilton Jordan (briefly)
    • Lloyd Cutler

  • NSC

    • William Odom
    • Gary Sick
    • Thomas Thornton

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Argentina.]

7. Argentina. General Goodpaster has agreed to go to Argentina tonight.2 He will have a heavy series of briefings at State and the White [Page 341] House today. Mr. Claytor said that a finding that Argentina had made substantial progress on human rights (in connection with the Kennedy Amendment) would be extremely helpful. Others noted that the Kennedy Amendment merely established a deadline (October 1, 1978) for Argentinian performance on human rights but indicated no relief for subsequent improvement. Mr. Newsom noted that this amendment would be much harder to lift than the Symington Amendment on Pakistan. The Argentinian record is still very bad, and the Inter-American Human Rights Commission report which is coming out soon will be extremely derogatory. Mr. Aaron said that General Goodpaster must have something to encourage the Argentines to be helpful. The instructions for his trip are being drafted and will be reviewed this afternoon.3 State will take a new look at the legislation. We are prepared to be helpful to Argentina with respect to the UN Human Rights Commission.4 (S)

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Argentina]

  1. Source: Carter Library, Donated Historical Material, Zbigniew Brzezinski Collection, Box 31, Meetings—SCC 257: 1/22/80. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. Carter initialed the top right-hand corner of the summary. In preparation for the meeting, Sick sent Brzezinski a January 22 memorandum outlining issues for discussion. (Ibid.)↩
  2. The summary of conclusions for the January 21 SCC meeting referenced the issue of grain sales and the Government of Argentina’s postponement of a decision regarding Argentinian sales to the Soviet Union: “We should either get our emissary on his way to Argentina by tomorrow or ask them to postpone their decision once more. Dr. Brzezinski said he would call our emissary immediately after the meeting. Mr. Newsom noted that we have raised their expectations about an emissary coming and we should follow through.” In the left-hand margin, Carter wrote: “Let’s get someone on the road. Delay is excessive. Warren, Newsom, Zbig or David, Goodpaster, etc.” (Carter Library, Donated Material, Zbigniew Brzezinski Collection, Box 38, Serial XX Sensitive [1/80–3/80]) In telegram 18094 to Buenos Aires, January 22, the Department instructed Castro to “advise GOA that President has designated General Goodpaster as his special emissary,” and that Goodpaster “will be prepared to exchange views on new global situation created by Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the range of measures adopted by Western nations to counter Soviet aggression. He will wish to review objectives and status of the restrictions on grain exports to the Soviet Union,” and “to discuss Argentine export policies as they relate to these restrictions and the importance of Argentine cooperation.” Goodpaster was also “authorized to exchange views on the full range of U.S.-Argentine relations, with a view to strengthening these relations.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Country Files, Box 1, Argentina: 1–4/80)↩
  3. In telegram 19791 to Buenos Aires, January 23, the Department transmitted briefing materials and instructions. (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor, Country Files, Box 1, Argentina: 1–4/80)↩
  4. In a January 22 memorandum to Brzezinski, Thornton wrote that he was “concerned with the long-term implications” of “the scuttling of our human rights policy in Argentina.” He noted, “it looks to me like we are about to make major concessions on a human rights policy that has been a mainstay of this administration. In return we are asking for something very tactical and of only passing importance.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Thornton, Country Files, Box 91, Argentina: 3/79–12/80)↩