Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume I, Foundations of Foreign Policy

72. Action Memorandum From the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Wolfowitz) to Secretary of State Haig¹

Washington, December 8, 1981

SUBJECT

• Memo to the President on Speeches

Issue for Decision/Essential Factors

It is important to move swiftly to build on the favorable reception at home and abroad of the Press Club speech.² We agreed with EUR that the Presidential speeches most needed over the next six months are the following:

1) A speech on American Values and Foreign Policy to emphasize the moral components of our policies and try to build allied support and domestic bipartisan foreign consensus around the themes of peace and freedom.

2) A speech on Resources for Peace and Security to gather Congressional support and diminish public skepticism over our foreign assistance program.

3) A speech (perhaps keyed to Sinai withdrawal/autonomy progress/Namibia progress) setting forth our concrete program for peace as regards Regional Conflicts to capitalize on progress and rally support for our much criticized approaches.

The Press Club speech showed what an indispensable asset the President is in putting Administration policy across, particularly by putting his personal imprint on it.

The attached memo would recommend and describe to the President the three speeches suggested in your memo to him on Opportunities for Presidential Leadership.³

Recommendation

That the attached memo be sent to the President.

Approve______ Disapprove______ Other______⁴

Attachment

Memorandum From Secretary of State Haig to President Reagan⁵

Washington, undated

SUBJECT

• Presidential Foreign Policy Speeches

It is important to build on the favorable reception at home and abroad of your Press Club speech. Your personal presentation is an irreplaceable asset in defining and defending your foreign policy. We know it is necessary not to waste that asset, but to apply it only to the most essential tasks. Here is a description of the three Presidential speeches recommended in my recent memo on Presidential opportunities.

1) Speech on American Values and Foreign Policy

Among our allies, a growing body of opinion sees no moral difference between East and West. At home, we are accused of abandoning traditional American moral concerns for power politics. Leaving these perceptions uncorrected not only swells allied and domestic opposition to your policies (e.g., INFs, El Salvador), but wastes our opportunities for attracting allied and bipartisan support. Only you can most effectively emphasize the moral components of our efforts and try to build allied support and domestic bipartisan foreign policy consensus on that basis.

It is generally recognized that your Administration’s domestic policies represent a restoration of traditional American ideals. This must be made clear in foreign policy as well. Such a speech would emphasize both your appreciation of the traditionally peace-loving character of the American people and your dedication to the principles of individual rights and dignity that this nation was founded on and that unite the West.

Fuller description in Attachment 1.⁶

2) Speech on Foreign Assistance

Time and again this year we have felt the sting of inadequate foreign assistance resources. In the aftermath of Sadat’s assassination⁷ we wanted to reassure friends against radical and proxy threats, but were unable to provide more than token support. Moreover, as a result of stockpile limitations and other resource constraints, the help we give is often poorly tailored to meet the threat. This is not only embarrassing for a great power, but positively dangerous at a time when our security hinges on enhancing the strength of friendly countries in vital parts of the world.

As our economic position improves we will have to devote more resources to foreign assistance. For this some groundwork must be laid. But now substantial efforts are required simply to secure Congressional support for the very lean request we are preparing. To succeed on the Hill, we must diminish public skepticism about foreign assistance—by explaining what assistance consists of, where it goes, and the concrete national security interests it serves.

When I was supporting your foreign assistance program before the House Republican Conference the other day, members stressed how much an explicit Presidential imprimatur can lessen their political burdens.⁸

Fuller description in Attachment 2.⁹

3) Speech on Regional Conflicts

This speech would show that the peace issue is ours as regards not only arms control, but regional conflicts as well. It would address the criticism that we are blinded to regional complexities by our East/ West focus and capitalize on the real progress we are making in several regions. It could emphasize diplomatic activity and defuse the claim that our solutions are exclusively military. Unlike a speech on one region, it would indicate we have a general approach.

The timing could be keyed to progress on the Sinai, autonomy, and/or Namibia.

Fuller description in Attachment 3.¹⁰

1. Source: Reagan Library, Donald Fortier Files, Subject File, Speeches/Writing/ S/P Memos 08/01/1981–12/31/1981. Confidential. Drafted by Fortier, Tarcov, and Lenczowski; cleared by Palmer. Tarcov initialed for Palmer.
2. See Document 69.
3. See Document 74.
4. Haig did not approve or disapprove the recommendation.
5. Confidential. Printed from an uninitialed copy. In Wolfowitz’s December 15 covering memorandum attached to Haig’s undated memorandum to the President, Wolfowitz informed Haig that he had “removed requests for Presidential speeches. You need to make some early decisions about which Presidential speeches are your highest priorities, but this memo is probably not the vehicle to do so. We (along with EUR) have given you a separate memo on Presidential speeches and Tom Enders has also spoken to you on the subject.” (Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/P Files, Memoranda and Correspondence from the Director of the Policy Planning Staff to the Secretary and Other Seventh Floor Principals: Lot 89D149, S/P Chrons PW 12/11–20/81)
6. Attached but not printed is an undated paper entitled, “Speech on American Values and Foreign Policy.”
7. Sadat was assassinated on October 6.
8. According to Washington Post reporter William Chapman, Haig went to Congress on December 8 “to urge traditionally reluctant Republican members” to support the administration’s two pending foreign assistance bills. (“Reagan, Haig Ask Bipartisan Support on Foreign Aid,” December 9, 1981, p. A10) For additional information regarding Haig’s appearance, see Congress and the Nation, vol. VI, 1981–1984, pp. 133–134. For additional information about the pending legislation, see footnote 7, Document 67.
9. Attached but not printed is an undated paper entitled, “Resources for Peace, Growth, and Security.”
10. Attached but not printed is an undated paper entitled, “American Foreign Policy, Regional Conflicts and World Peace.”