297. Talking Points Prepared by the National Security Council Staff

Source: Reagan Library, Sven Kraemer Files, [Oct 1986] Chron File: [No.13–No.17]. Secret. Brackets are in the original. These talking points were for Poindexter for the NSPG meeting that took place on October 7 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room. Brooks and Linhard sent the talking points to Poindexter under their October 6 covering memorandum; see footnote 1, Document 296. The minutes of the October 7 meeting read: “VADM Poindexter opened the meeting using his prepared talking points. (Tab B) He then asked participants to comment on possible changes in U.S. arms control policy in preparation for the President’s impending meeting with Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev. A general discussion ensued, based on the options and analysis in a compartmented options paper prepared by the Arms Control Support Group (attached at Tab C) [see Document 296]. Discussion focused both on the tactics the President should use and the substantive movement he might offer during the arms control portion of his upcoming meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, with Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev. No detailed record of discussion was maintained.” (National Security Council, Institutional Files, SR–111, NSPG 138, Arms Control—Iceland)

298. National Security Decision Directive 245

Source: Reagan Library, Executive Secretariat, NSC National Security Decision Directives, NSDD 245 [Reagan-Gorbachev Preparatory Meeting]. Secret. Printed from an unsigned copy.

299. Letter From Secretary of Defense Weinberger to President Reagan

Source: Reagan Library, Alton Keel Files, Iceland Planning (10/08/1986); NLR–281–2–4–1–2. Secret.

300. Editorial Note

301. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Reagan Library, Jack Matlock Files, Chronological File, 1980–1986, Matlock Chron October 1986 (4/6). Secret. Drafted by Zarechnak. The meeting took place at Hofdi House. Reagan wrote in his diary on October 11: “A.M. a briefing session then a 5 min. drive to the meeting place—a waterfront home. I was host for the 1st session. Gorby & I met 1st with interpreters & note takers. Then he proposed we bring in Geo. S. & Shevardnadze. That’s the way it went for all the meetings. We got into Human Rt’s. Regional things & bi-partisan agreements on our exchange programs etc. I told him I couldn’t go home if I didn’t bring up why they reneged on their commitment to buy 6 mil. tons of grain. He claimed lower oil prices—they didn’t have the money. Then it was plain they wanted to get to arms control—so we did.” (Brinkley, ed., The Reagan Diaries, vol. II: November 1985–January 1989, p. 647) For the Soviet record of the meeting, see Savranskaya and Blanton, eds., The Last Superpower Summits, Document 28, pp. 170–179.

302. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Reagan Library, Jack Matlock Files, US-USSR Summits, 1985–1986, Reykjavik Meeting—Geneva Materials 10/12/86–10/13/86 (2). Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Simons. The meeting took place at Hofdi House. In his diary on October 11, Reagan wrote: “In the afternoon we had at it and looked like some progress as he went long with willingness to reduce nuc. weapons. At the end of a long day Geo. S. suggested we take all the notes & give them to our teams to put together so we could see what had been agreed & where were sticking points. They worked until 2 A.M.” (Brinkley, ed., The Reagan Diaries, vol. II: November 1985–January 1989, p. 647) For the Soviet record of the meeting, see Savranskaya and Blanton, eds., The Last Superpower Summits, Document 29, pp. 181–191.

303. Draft Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Records, Memorandum of Conversations, 1981–1990, Lot 93D188, Reykjavik Conversation October 1986. Secret; Sensitive. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. The meeting took place at Hofdi House. An unknown hand wrote “DRAFT” at the top of the page. Rodman also drafted a memorandum of this conversation on February 11, 1987. (Department of State, EUR/RUS Files, Political Subject and Chronological Files, Lot 00D471, Reykjavik Summit 10/11–12/86) In a covering note to Ridgway on his draft, Rodman explained: “I have put this together from my notes and from Hopkins’ notes. I have heard you had some problems with my additions. Please let me know, so I can put this in final for the files.” In a handwritten note, presumably in July 1988 when Alexander Vershbow became the EUR/SOV Office Director, Ridgway wrote: “Sandy—As you can tell by the date, this is OBE & should stay that way. We never had note-takers in the working group & then suddenly Peter R. turned up w/ this. It’s all skewed, short on things Peter wasn’t interested in etc. I never replied because I never wanted this to be official. I’m suggesting reading & tossing, or tossing & not reading, but it is not an accurate picture. Roz.” A note in an unknown hand at the top of the covering note reads: “SP—for deep file.” (Department of State, EUR/RUS Files, Political Subject and Chronological Files, Lot 00D471, Reykjavik Summit 10/11–12/86)

304. Editorial Note

305. Paper Prepared for President Reagan

Source: Reagan Library, Jack Matlock Files, President-Gorbachev Meeting Reykjavik—October 1985 (5/5). Secret. There is no drafting information. A memorandum of conversation of this overnight meeting on arms control is in Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, vol. XI, START I, Document 159. Notes of this meeting by Soviet participant Georgy Korniyenko are in Savranskaya and Blanton, eds., The Last Superpower Summits, pp. 192–200.

306. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Reagan Library, Jack Matlock Files, US-USSR Summits, 1985–1986, Reykjavik Meeting—Geneva Materials Oct 12–13, 1986 (2). Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place at Hofdi House. No drafting information appears on the memorandum of conversation. For the Soviet record of the meeting, see Savranskaya and Blanton, eds., The Last Superpower Summits, Document 31, pp. 201–220.

307. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Executive Secretariat, S/S Records, Memorandum of Conversations, 1981–1990, Lot 93D188, Reykjavik Conversation October 1986. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Zarechnak. The meeting took place at Hofdi House. In his memoir, Shultz recalled: “That afternoon, we were back at the negotiating table. Shevardnadze and I sat on opposite sides of a long table, each of us flanked by our delegations, protagonists in the long cold war struggle over nuclear arms and ballistic missiles. I opened our discussion with what I regarded as a solvable drafting problem: the issues in nuclear testing. I found Shevardnadze cold, almost taunting. The Soviets had made all the concessions, he said. Now it was our turn: there was no point in trying to perfect language on other issues. Everything depended on agreement on how to handle SDI: a ten-year period of nonwithdrawal and strict adherence to the terms of the ABM Treaty during that period. That was their bottom line.” (Shultz, Turmoil and Triumph, p. 768)

308. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989, Lot 90D397, October 1986. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Simons on October 15. The meeting took place at Hofdi House. In his October 12 diary entry, Reagan wrote: “Final day & it turned into an all day one even though we’d been scheduled to fly out in early afternoon. Our teams had given us an agreement to eliminate entirely all nuc. devices over a 10 yr. pd. We would research & develop S.D.I. during 10 yrs. then deploy & I offered to share with Soviets the system. This began the showdown. He wanted language that would have killed S.D.I. The price was high but I wouldn’t sell & that’s how the day ended.” (Brinkley, ed., The Reagan Diaries, vol. II: November 1985–January 1989, p. 647) For the Soviet record of the meeting, see Savranskaya and Blanton, eds., The Last Superpower Summits, Document 33, pp. 228–234.

309. Editorial Note